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Although many people assume that the Higgs Group celebrates its birthday with the Henley Standard, it is actually a few years older. The exact age of Higgs & Co. is not known but there is evidence that Thomas Octavius Higgs set up a printing office in Bell street, Henley on Thames in 1879.
Caxton House was built in 1885 and Higgs moved into their new offices where they remain to this day - albeit in an extended and expanded format.
Around the same time, the company became the official printer for the Henley Royal Regatta and soon after won the contract for printing the Henley and South Oxfordshire Standard.
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Thomas Higgs died suddenly at the age of 58 in 1896 leaving the day-to-day running of the business in the hands of the foreman, Mr R Jacob. Meanwhile, Charles Luker Jnr had joined the firm two years previously as an 'improver'. No one knew the great influence he would have on the company in years to come.
Eliza Higgs disposed of the company in 1897 to Mr H E Hobbs, a well known local boatbuilding company. Later, in 1900, Charles Luker purchased the goodwill, plant, machinery and stock for £1,650. He would have to wait until 1919 to purchase the land and buildings for £1,200.
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That same year saw the original owners finally relinquish their connection to the Henley and South Oxfordshire Standard leaving Higgs & Co to officially take over the reins.
As the Second World War saw many members of staff called up to help the war effort, it was Charles 'the Guv'nor' Luker who kept the business running, often single-handedly.
In 1955, John Luker, son of Charles, completed his National Service and started working full time at Higgs & Co. He went on to become a partner in 1959 and retired in 2009 leaving his children, Stephen and Julie at the helm.
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