Let me take you back to 1885. George V was on the throne here, Mark Twain published Huckleberry Finn, the football association recognised professional footballers, the Glasgow Boys first exhibited collectively and George Frederick Smith founded a new paper merchant called GF Smith and Son to supply printers with the finest papers.

For over 135 years, GF Smith has been obsessed with the simple beauty and limitless possibilities of paper. Their desire is that, through the hands of the design community, they can bring creativity to life and constantly innovate with one of the world’s oldest materials.

The guest in this episode is one of the custodians of this great legacy. Ben Watkinson is the Creative Director of GFSmith. ‘Founded in 1885’ isn’t a marketing slogan; it’s an approach to doing business. We are lucky enough today to be able to ask about the power of paper, the work of a paper merchant, resilience, innovation, company culture and what the next one hundred years might bring.