Like a lot of good ideas, Trawler was born in a coffee shop.
It was summer of 2014 and Michael Mentessi and Ian Sanders were in were in a local coffee shop in Leigh-on-Sea wondering if there was a local meetup group for creatives and freelancers? The answer was 'no'. So Michael - being a good do-er - opened up his MacBook and started a group right there and then. Back then, they had no idea what it might generate.
Rapidly a group was formed that spawned regular bi-weekly Meetups, Public Speaking Meetups and two (nearly three) widely acclaimed events. Somewhere along the line designer Rich With inserted himself into the mix and set about designing what would eventually become Trawler Paper.
This isn't a local newspaper, this is a publication for curious people everywhere and anywhere, telling stories of passion, hard work, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. It just happens that it's anchored by the Thames estuary here in Leigh-on-Sea, England.
These pages have been produced by a collective of writers, photographers, traders, thinkers and doers based in and around the Thames estuary. Our issues net a mix of stories, essays and profiles designed to get our readers thinking and doing. We've made sure to feature a plurality of voices, not just people that write for a living, but also a wine shop owner, a university lecturer, a cartoonist and the owner of a record shop, bicycle manufacturers, and just people with a passion for writing and storytelling.
We hope you enjoy reading it.
If you're interested in submitting to future articles please email submissions to
contact @madeinleigh.com
