b'ICONS OF STATIONERYHelix Oxford Maths SetFounder of the London Stationery Show CHRIS LEONARD-MORGAN looks at why children and adults everywhere still love the Helix Oxford Maths Set.GENERATIONS of children havesquares and drawing boards made ofIt has come a long way since grown up with the iconic Helixwood, and these were the first items1935, combining tradition with Oxford Maths Setor set ofto be produced by the company heinnovation, and is sold into forty mathematical instruments completeestablished in 1887. His was the firstdifferent countries. Maped Helixs and accurate, to provide its full namecompany to do so. It was also the firstcontinuing popularity and engagement on todays packaging. Since its launchto mass produce school rulers. Hewith consumers is only underlined in 1935 this instantly recognisablethen invented the modern drawingby having 487,000+ followers on silver pencil tin has been a featurecompass in 1894 and produced theFacebook, making it an excellent of school classrooms in the UK andfirst maths set under the Universalexample of a stationery brand using around the world. name in 1912. digital media.Based in the West Midlands andThe Helix Oxford brand was since 2012 part of the Maped Helixlaunched with the maths set alone in Group, the company that was to1935, and remained a stand-alone become Helix was established in 1887product until the 1990s. Today the by 27-year-old Frank Shaw. Thisbrand covers a comprehensive range of young man was one of two brothersschool stationery which includes such from Birmingham who, early in hisitems as pens, pencils, erasers, pencilIn 2015 Maped Helix held a life, gained considerable experiencecases and calculators. press campaign during National in the manufacture of small items inThe Maths Set has evolved to meetStationery Week to find the wood and brass. modern-day curriculum requirements,UKs oldest Oxford Maths Set. Shaw initially started producingkeeping the same selection of contentsThe winner was a lady from brass and steel sheeting and wire andbut without the divider. It is the UKsStourbridge, who owned a extruded delta-metal, and then high- number-one maths set and moremaths set dating back to when quality metal laboratory items, beforerecently has tapped into present-dayshe was at school in the 1950s identifying a growing demand forconsumer trends and deliberately sets(pictured here.) Her set still had school drawing instruments. He beganout to appeal directly to the youngermost of its contents and the making brass compasses and dividers. market. owners name was etched on He soon saw in his dealings withIt is now also available in eye- using the sets compass. Maped Helix displayed this iconic object educational suppliers that therecatching colour editions, and fouron its stand at the London was an increasing call for otherfurther limited-edition, fashion-ledStationery Show in 2015.schoolroom items such as rulers, setdesigns are being launched in 2019.SPRING//SUMMER 2019 21'