Write On!

There has been a lot of debate recently about teaching children to write cursively - i.e. 'joined up' handwriting. The majority of their communication is verbal - face-to-face or on the phone, or it is with a keypad on whatever device is in front of them. Very little is actually written down - and when it is, it is often form filling, which must be done in capitals. 
Time have changed- when I was 7 we had to learn formal copperplate, and at 11, I was in a school where we used 'dip' pens. Our desks had inkwells - I was even 'inkwell monitor' at one point, charged with the responsibility of refilling them on a Friday afternoon.
I'm quite happy to write things down - my diary is an ancient, bulging filofax, with notes written in pen or pencil - neatly or scribbled. And when I am writing sermons, they almost always start off with 4 vital things- a Bible, a notepad, a writing implement, and a cup of good coffee. I find it much easier to put down my thoughts, include comments in the margin, or add asterisked footnotes if I am using a conventional writing method rather than typing. 
So I was thrilled when Bob, Liz, Jon and Rosie got together and gave me a beautiful birthday present last week - a really good quality fountain pen. This is going to live on my desk - it will not be leaving the house in handbag or school briefcase. It is too precious.

It rejoices in the name "The Parson's Essential" and came from the Mr Pen company.
My pen is a beautiful deep red in colour, with a medium width cursive nib.
It comes with cartridges, but also with an adaptor so that it can be used with regular ink.
I shall use the black cartridges supplied for the time being, but I am considering buying a bottle of ink sometime in the future.
I have a beautiful Victorian Glass Inkwell currently oin my ornaments shelf- it would be good to actually use it. In my teens, I filled it with turquoise ink. I was into writing poetry, and I pretentiously thought it improved the quality of my verse.
But here is my lovely new pen... with it's optional adaptor.

Bob has to use a 'proper' fountain pen for doing the marriage registers.
His is called "The Churchman's Prescriptor" - and is slightly larger and weightier than mine. It is a legal requirement that marriage registers are filled in with a particular non fading, long lasting ink. On Saturday, when I was witness at a wedding, I had to use the Registrar's pen. I don't have all the proper pictures of that event yet - but I know many of you have been wondering...so here's the one actually taken by the Registrar in the 'Pankhurst Suite' at Manchester Registry Office.
From left to right, Bob, Ang, Steph, Gary's Mum, Gary, Gary's Dad, Gary's sister.
We had a fabulous day, the sun shone, and everyone was extremely happy.
Details will follow later.