During half term Rosie and I were walking through the village when we encountered two good ol' Norfolk characters deep in conversation. One of them had a sack barrow on which was strapped an ancient black Remington typewriter. If my granddaughter didn't know about saucers, I wondered if she knew about old technology. "This is a typewriter, Ro, I've got one too - years ago before computers and printers, we used these to make lists,and write letters and things". The barrow guy said he'd just sold this one and was on his way to deliver it.
"Oh I know that. He asked me to be his British agent,but I said I was too busy" I said nothing, but inside I pondered...
Honestly? TH asked you and you said No?
Why would you turn down an offer like that from TH? He seems an all round good guy [and a multimillionaire] I was not altogether convinced of the veracity of his statement.
I was too polite to join in their Norfolk mardling and say "Thassa Lud A Squit!"
Rosie and I said goodbye, and walked home talking about other stuff. But I did fetch the portable down from the loft to show her. I ordered, and fitteds replacement ribbon, and now it is working well again, with black and red ink.
[*Norfolk dialect "That is a load of rubbish!"]
We adored my Grandparents' typewriter. We spent ages typing up things. Even now, I strongly associate typed missives with them.
ReplyDeleteI was bought a nice small one as a child at my Dad's but never knew what happened to it as I didn't use it that much.
I loved the Tom Hanks typewriter short story book I read. He seems a very nice person so agree as to questioning the veracity of that assertion.
Kxx
Now I've replaced the ribbon, I should try and use mine more I rhink
DeleteMaybe you could find the name of his agent? Or ask the barrow man?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I trust the barrow man !!
DeleteThat saying is used in Suffolk too. The meaning of 'a load of rubbish ' but squit is liquid sh*t! Very down to earth the rural communities of our two counties.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of East Anglian dialect words "have their roots in the soil"!
DeleteThassa a load o' squit is how it is said in Norfolk.
ReplyDeleteThank you for clarification, Rachel [not being Norfolk born, I just copied it from the EDP]
DeleteI learnt touch typing on one of those old black Remingtons in 1965 and remember them being quite hard work. Also, the keys were blank so you really had to know what you were doing.
ReplyDeleteMy preference would be to go back one stage further and use a fountain pen. That makes a letter really personal but I guess not many people would agree. Charmaine
Oh no, I DO agree. My fountain pen is in front of me next to the keyboard!
ReplyDeleteI use my fountain pen to write my daily journal, which is just a short record of the day because I forget. It took a while to get steady writing again, I kept putting extra letters and strokes in m and w. I think handwriting is a good brain exercise, like sudoku and crosswords. We learnt to write with chalk, on numbers and letters printed on slate, then pencil, then nib pens dipped in the ink pot in the top of the desk.
ReplyDeleteOh, memories of Friday afternoon handwriting practice "Manners maketh Man." All that glisters is not Gold" and other alliterative proverbs. And my stint as Inkwell Monitor, with the little jug and funnel going from desk to desk (short lived occupation. I was too splashy)
DeleteI remember many years ago, when my eldest was around 12, getting my old portable typewriter out ready to try and sell it to raise some funds for Christmas presents, and my son having a go on it. When he had typed to the end of the line he asked which button to press to get to a new line, when I showed him the carriage return he was amazed and said 'that's neat'. It's funny how little things like that stay in your memory. He also couldn't understand there being no 'delete' key.
ReplyDeleteIt's the ting of the little bell that I like
DeleteDelete keys are wonderful! JanF
DeleteIf only all our mistakes could be so easily erased!
DeleteI learned to touch type on old-fashioned typewriters, a skill I have always been thankful for, having noticed how slow two finger picking is for those who never learnt. I typed a lot at work but my translations of the boss's handwritten reports were later typed up by expert typists in a typing pool. I remember when the newer typewriters came out, with a ball of letters to hit the page. They speeded things up, including my mistakes!
ReplyDeleteTouch typing is a dying art
DeleteIt used to amuse me to watch the new year 7's (first form secondary school) trying to swipe the screens on their computers instead of using a mouse! As a fast and accurate touch typist I could hammer out lesson plans, which were displayed as I typed onto the class interactive whiteboard much to the amazement of pupils. Touch typing is a great skill. Perhaps pupils might now grow up with huge thumbs (and stressed shoulders) from their screen addictions. No suprise that it causes them to have mental wellbeing problems!
ReplyDeleteHuge thumbs and hunch backed...
DeleteI had an old Remington when I was little. I was so envious of my friend's pink 'petite' typewriter in a little case.
ReplyDeleteMy Remington has lasted far longer than a pink tin Petite!!
DeleteI had forgotten about the red and black ribbon. What a delightful post.
ReplyDelete👍
Delete