Writing pads

[Chelsea14Ian]

There was an item on BBC breakfast the other day,about Post box collectors.

Or more to the  point,they photo and record where they are and what kind of box they are.

 

Just before Christmas,I received a card from an old colleague of mine,we used to work in 

the community.His wife had died and he was in poor health.I wanted to send him a letter.

It was not that easy finding a writing pad.This reminded me that my Mother would often send letters

to her Sister and Brother.I think most people just text,email etc.I know I am getting old back this

made me think that a little bit of the past has perhaps gone,and yet I am sending this post on line.

 

Ian

[Gracie]

I totally agree Ian, My Auntie (the one who hates Boats, she is quite mad lol) lived in America for a while when we were kids, she used to send letters on a regular basis, it was great fun recieving something in the post, a proper letter addressed to me, now when she returns to the States on occasion she sends me a text or email, I think sadly, when my kids are all grown up they won't know what a hand written letter is. A written letter is so much more personal than anything sent electronically but, like you say I'm writing this on my lappy, move with the times or get left behind, as my dad says

Grace

 

[johnb]

writing=correcting something that's wrong

letter-giving 'er on board permission 

[fishtone]

I still write letters and have always encouraged my family to do so. My daughters and grand children always write thank you letters after Christmas and birthday.  I always send family cards by post as it is better than just handing one over. Someone did ask me once if I still use a quill pen.

[BroadScot]

The cost of a stamp possibly puts a few folks off from posting letters/cards. The days of the penny black are long gone.

Iain.

 

[ChrisB]

The cost of good quality writing paper (that is not like blotting paper when used with a fountain pen) is also high.

I hade not bought any for ages but recently did from Jarrolds. One pad of 50 sheets and envelopes was not far off £20.

[jillR]

does anyone remember churston deckle writing pads

my favourite show off paper.

[JennyMorgan]

I remember Basil and Bond well

[ChrisB]

Queens Velvet was my favourite.

[Viking23]

7 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

I remember Basil and Bond well

It was Basildon Bond, they also did other colours other than white, with a proper Parker Fountain pen, nothing better, but no spell check, meant rewriting the whole letter again.

[Hylander]

Can you not still buy Basildon Bond - oh the days.      I can recall in the 50s being given a Conway Stewart Pen , had I realised then how much they would now be worth  now I would have been a little more careful with it.     Some light fingered so and so nicked it out of my pencil box (remember those with the sliding opening - wooden) whilst I was not looking , never saw it again.

 

 

[JennyMorgan]

Basildon Bond is still available on Amazon, As for Basil & Bond . . . . . . . .   

[Springsong]

I still write all my cards and letters in pen and ink I have a Dunhill to match my lighter which I no longer use being a non smoker. I have a Parker for everyday use and an Osmoroid with an italic nib for fancy work.

I have to confess to using Mr Biro's product this year as the paper or card was so c++p on the card that 

ink was of no use, as I think someone said like blotting paper.

[Maxwellian]

Basildon Bond and Mont Blanc fountain pen

[ChrisB]

I found my Dunhill Rollagas in the back of my security cabinet a few weeks ago. What I could not believe is it lit! I have not smoked for twenty years.

Apparently on recovery of Donald Campbell's body in 2001 his Dunhill was still in the breast pocket of his blue overalls. After a flush and dry out, a new flint and a refill it worked. A testament to quality workmanship. Mine was made in Switzerland, not sure if they all were.

To my regret I lost a very nice Mont Blanc pen so now use a Parker mostly but my best pen is a Cross.

[LizG]

I do write letters on the odd occasion when the occasion suits it - such as a condolence or a thank you using my best hand writing.  However, for most other things my writing is a terrible scrappy scrawl (as I am always in a hurry) and I find email or text much easier. If I am sending a 'news' letter as I do to an old friend who's birthday is the day before mine and we still correspond at Christmas and on our birthdays - she writes an impeccable hand written letter and I tend to type mine on the computer simply so she can actually read it!

[TheQ]

Not quite letter writing,  Whilst Reading the Burns night, Burns history speech the Speaker, suddenly said, "Ah my IPad has stopped" and reaching into his pocket said " good job I brought my Analogue I pad" and carried on from his written notes!

My last phase of weekly letter writing was until 2001 while in Saudi Arabia, Phone calls to the UK were £1:80 a minute!

[BroadScot]

I blame Woollies for closing, many a writing pad was purchased there!

Iain

[SteveO]

I haven't written a letter by hand in years and, if I did, my handwriting is now so bad that no-one but me would be able to read it.

Much easier to use a laptop or even a tablet to produce a legible, spell-checked and properly laid out offering, ideally for free and instant transmission via e-mail.

Steve

 

[Regulo]

A parcel courier left a card with a squiggle on it. A cross between Arabic, Indian and Chinese letters seems to sum it up. Couldn't make head nor tail of it. Next day, I found my parcel behind the bin in the back garden. Should have known, obviously.

[TheQ]

On ‎23‎/‎01‎/‎2016 at 2:00 PM, BroadScot said:

The cost of a stamp possibly puts a few folks off from posting letters/cards. The days of the penny black are long gone.

Iain.

 

There are varying values but the site I used says roughly a 1d stamp in 1840 would have the equivalent cost of 50p to day.

Bob Cratchit's poor wage  for a week from Scrooge written about that time, was 15s (75p) 

 But wages will be a minimum From April 2016 of £288 per week. (40 hour week, Bob would have done a 60 hour week)

 So Bobs 1d stamp cost him 1/180 of his weeks wage,

From April a second class stamp will be 54p

 So today that's 1/533 of a weeks wages, or  1/800 of a weeks wages, if todays person did a 60 hour week

 If my maths are right at this time of the morning..

[MauriceMynah]

Ok, so a letter cost 1d, How much was a call on a mobile back then?

[quo vadis]

About the same as a 4Gb pen drive 

[MauriceMynah]

Hmmm, I wonder if the Victorians knew where to stick that!

[quo vadis]

They knew where to stick most things