Dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s …

Almost a year after they were crowned at Westminster Abbey, King Charles and the Queen were honoured with a private viewing of the Coronation Roll.

The document is the official record of the Monarch’s Accession and Coronation and is the first in this country’s history to be printed on paper rather than parchment.

At 69 feet or 21m long and with 57 hand-stitched pages the document is a remarkable work of art with a heritage stretching back to 1308 when the first was created for Edward II.

The finished scroll is the result of many hours of dedicated toil and astonishing skill of just two people …

… Timothy Noad, the heraldic artist and Stephanie Gill, the calligrapher whose 56 days of tireless non-stop dedication to the task is a testament to her craft.

And the truly astonishing thing?

After all those hours of painstaking work, some 11,600 words, and no weekend breaks only one slip-up was spotted.

A dot had been omitted from a single letter “i”.

At a time when gongs are handed out for crossing the road, that lady deserves a medal.

Looking beyond the majestic beauty of this wonderfully produced document it’s easy to see why paper-based products generate such a strong appeal to us.

We can’t stop talking about them and marvel at how they feel to the touch and draw the eye.

And if they stick around for over 700 years, I’ll be having some of that.

Surely great attributes when we want our own marketing messages to resonate so powerfully.

Have a great week.

Alec