A Timex watch in a digital age.
The other day whilst strolling around Amazon I came across the Stabilo Grow; a fountain pen with almost impeccable eco credentials built using recycled materials, FSC approved wood with barrels in three different woods. Continue reading “The Almost Eco Fountain Pen – A Review Of The Stabilo Grow”
The past may be another country; a place we cannot visit and only know fragments about it based upon what has been left behind. And it was just such a fragment that came into my possession a couple of weeks ago in a thrift shop.
Back in the days of Jeeves and Bertie Wooster ladies and gentlemen of refinement carried their cigarettes in silver cigarette cases and those of us for whom silver cases were unattainable we carried them in the original packets until a bright spark hit upon the idea of making a chrome plated version of the silver case that would be less expensive and therefore would be available to a wider (aspirational) customer base.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and you find me in a thrift store holding said case and handing over a few pounds and leaving as the proud owner of one of these cases; who had no idea what to do with it.
Then it struck me. Whenever I have been travelling with notebooks, pens et cetera the one thing that always seems to end up rolling around in my bag is the spare cartridges and the occasional converter and this little case might be the solution.
So I decided to try out various cartridges from my collection to see what fitted and what did not; and here are the results:
So there you have it, what could have ended up as no more than a novelty from the past now has a new lease of life as a cartridge caddy.
So next time you are in a thrift shop don’t pass over things until you’ve thought twice about it; remember if you buy it you are doing two good things; giving money to a charity or helping a small trader and you are recycling aka repurposing something.
There are no two ways about it the Covid 19 virus has affected everybody and everything; it has wrought fundamental changes in all of our lives and it’s true to say that things will never be quite the same. Continue reading “Pens For The Pandemic”
On the 25th May 2020 George Perry Floyd jr died begging for his life, he was a black man who died at the hands of a white police officer and his colleagues who felt it necessary to use handcuffs and neck compression to restrain him.
He said numerous times that that he could not breathe and on each and every occasion he was ignored.
The reason he ended up being restrained was that he was accused of passing a fake $20 bank note in a store and for subsequently failing to return the items he bought with said bank note.
He lost his life for allegedly using a fake bank note; the police officer who assumed command of the arrest and shortly thereafter murdered George Floyd placed a price on his life, of $20.
We are supposed to be living in an enlightened society where everyone not only deserves but has the right to expect equal treatment under the law; however, it turns out when you are black in America this isn’t always the case.
Black lives matter, in fact all lives matter and if we allow racism and bigotory to flourish it will spread rapidly and then it will be anyone those in power object to, and we will find our world only one small step away from the horror of Auschwitz.
George Floyd should never have died, he did, and his passing has to mean something; so, stand up and be counted and make a difference.
I know this will sound odd coming from a blog that is built on stationery reviews but today I’m asking you to not buy that extra notebook, bottle of ink, pack of pencils et cetera and instead give those dollars to help support the firefighting and rescue efforts in Australia.
Please give what you can; whether you give it to larger efforts such as Bstrong or like me you send your dollars to one of the animal rescue charities that are struggling to cope and desperately need help, every penny makes a difference.
The picture above sums it up for me a firefighter and a Koala Bear standing side by side and watching the world go up in flames and the picture below shows you what bravery can do, a life saved.
Disclaimer: The photographs used are the property of Eden Hills County Fire Service and Grose Wold Rural Fire Brigade and I would ask them to be kind enough to forgive me for using them without asking first.
It’s been another trip around the sun and that means another year has passed since Terry left us.
I know I will never stop missing Terry and never stop wishing I was waiting for the next book; but this year, at least, we have something new to look forward to. Continue reading “Terry Pratchett Day”
This month I’ve chosen Graf Von Faber-Castell India Red, an ink I had been looking at for a while. Continue reading “Ink Of The Month – November ’18”
Today I am independently declaring as Terry Pratchett Day. Continue reading “Terry Pratchett Day”
The Indian Marmalade Company 
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