HISTORIANS, archaeologists and writers have gathered to applaud Andy Johnson, retiring this month from Logaston Press, the Herefordshire publishing house he founded more than 30 years ago.

Thanks to his efforts, the history, archaeology, architecture and characters of the county have been preserved on the printed page. A total of 340 books have come from the small Almeley enterprise since 1985, some covering Shropshire, the Welsh Marches and Worcestershire and 100 titles are currently in print.

The last to roll off the presses is a reprint of Ella Mary Leather’s revered The Folklore of Herefordshire, first produced in 1912.

But Logaston Press will continue, under the stewardship of Richard and Su Wheeler, and both joined an illustrious collection of the county’s chroniclers at a tea party held at the New Strand, Eardisley, to mark Andy and his wife, Karen’s retirement.

The Dean of Hereford, the Very Rev Michael Tavinor was there, as were two former county archaeologists, Dr Ron Shoesmith and Dr Keith Ray, Herefordshire Archive and Research Centre’s senior archivist Rhys Griffith and published authors from Logaston Press’s canon included Heather Hurley, John and Sarah Zaluckyj, Bill Laws, Roger Kite, Duncan James and Tony Hobbs. Celebrated novelist, Phil Rickman was also there, with his wife, Carol and their affable Airedale, Fergus.

Fittingly, Andy and Karen have added a reprint of Mrs Leather’s much-thumbed collection of folklore and songs as their swansong, as well as former headmaster Dr Howard Tomlinson’s weighty book cataloguing 800 years of Hereford Cathedral School’s history.

Logaston Press’s first book, Walks and More, published in 1985 was driven by Andy’s enthusiasm to find out more about Herefordshire.

Karen explained how her husband came to the county in hopes of fulfilling a childhood ambition to be a farmer. Instead, he spent the winter of 1984 “huddled by the fire in his cold cottage” writing ‘Walks and More’, a book vigorously researched by the author and his dog.

“It took a lot of nerve trying to sell a new book,” said Karen. “It was always meant to be a one-book enterprise.

“Logaston Press really invented itself,” she explained. “Almost before he knew it, it was a publishing house.” His dealings with authors has always been firm and professional, each subject to “forensic interrogation”, she said.

“It was created out of nothing but has gone from strength to strength.” Both Andy and Karen felt it was “in safe hands” under the new owners.

Andy said it had been a great pleasure to run Logaston Press. “We’ve published really good quality information in an accessible way and at a price that was not going to put people off.” The transition of caretaking from Johnsons to Wheelers has taken three years, he said.

Richard, a Hereford GP’s son and Su, who was brought up in Eardisley, thanked the Johnsons for handing Logaston Press to them. The couple, who have three children, were impressed at how Andy delivered 9,000 books across their lawn by wheelbarrow as part of the changeover.

“It has been fairly hectic in the last few weeks,” said Richard. “We wanted to celebrate Andy’s wonderful achievements and wish him and Karen all the best for the future.”