A few years ago.

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

Thank you CT.

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

I thought we were currently in the space age.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Powdered ink mixed in an ink 'Kettle' slopped out by the 'Honoured' ink monitor at primary skool. Can't remember this at Grammar school where lever filled fountain pens were the weapon of choice, 'Platignum' rings a bell, couple of years later the ink 'capsule' pens arrived. As a 'cack hander', had to be extra careful due to the 'smudge' inspection carried out at random times.

The mini glass milk bottles were delivered to the Woodwork department (?) must have been a space thing. every morning and the first class were responsible for allocating the correct number of bottles in the metal crates for each class in the school, collected at 9.45 by two pupils from each class for the 10am slurp, the crated empties being returned at 10.15.

Oh happy days.

Regards Ian.

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

Gordon clearly does not look for parking regularly. We actually live in the Lack of Space Age.

Tim

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Johm Mc Namara has my sympathgy. Predictive spelling often hinks thatb it knows better and make meither nonsemse or confusion!

My recollections of school ink was that it was indelible when on the hands and was corrosive of steel pen nibs.

Anyone biying fountain pen ink will confirm thatb it is far more expensive then any form of energy!

Howard

[Swarf, Mostly!Participant @swarfmostly]

My late wife worked in the Drawing Office business and had occasionally to visit the Test Laboratory of the (Government ) Stationery Office.

She told me that they had a machine to repeatedly dip a steel-nibbed pen in and out of an inkwell to determine the corrosion resistance of the nib and/or the corrosive properties of the ink.  It must have resembled that drinking bird mantelpiece ornament.

She also told me of another machine there that tested blotting paper for its resistance to abrasion by elbows! All that and other testing was to ensure that items bought, using tax payers' money, for use in Government departments were (please don't laugh ) good value for money.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

Edited By Swarf, Mostly! on 07/06/2023 11:05:57

Edited By Swarf, Mostly! on 07/06/2023 11:06:46

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Georgineer on 06/06/2023 17:29:33:

Posted by John McNamara on 06/06/2023 15:00:56:

… I started writing essays with a fountain pen…

Ah, you youngsters don't know you're born! I had to master the dip pen before I was allowed to use a fountain pen, dipping into the inkwell at the right side of the desk (deuced inconvenient for us left-handers) and flicking the bits of pencil shavings and mushed up blotch off the nib before writing. My first founter was a maroon Osmiroid 65, and it cost 5/6d. Well, it was a few years ago…

I can still remember the big day when we were issued with dip pens and the inkwells in the desks were filled up. we were given a wooden penholder, a nib and a little reservoir to clip onto the back of the nib – If you had been in the class you would have been stood out at the front of the class while everyone right handed got to use their new toys, no doubt being shamed for being 'wrong' while the teacher struggled to find some left handed nibs – and then the reservoirs wouldn't clip on to the LH nibs so it was a continual dipping process!

My first fountain pen was also an Osmiroid – the sleek Platignum ones were banned as they were supposed to harm our writing.

Ballpoint pens were totally a no-no although my father ran his GP practice on the yellow extra fine BIC ones – mind you school could have been right as his writing was often unreadable!

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by Circlip on 07/06/2023 10:34:02:

The mini glass milk bottles were delivered to the Woodwork department (?) must have been a space thing. every morning and the first class were responsible for allocating the correct number of bottles in the metal crates for each class in the school, collected at 9.45 by two pupils from each class for the 10am slurp, the crated empties being returned at 10.15.

Oh happy days.

Regards Ian.

You must have gone to a more civilized school than me. Our milk was usually left standing for hours until the children got the go-ahead to slurp it. The experience, particularly in the summer, of having [no excuse was permitted] to drink milk that had sat in hot sunlight half the day put me off cows' milk for the rest of my life.

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

As one Bill to another I fully agree Bill

I well remember heaving when I sucked up the milk through a straw and go a mouthful of creamy stuff that had congealed milk, never been a great fan of milk on its own, ok in tea or coffee or on cereals.

Bill D.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

School promotions are dangerous. After being made Class 1A Blackboard Monitor I realised I was a second Alexander the Great, destined to conquer the whole world by force of arms.

You lot had a lucky escape when I was replaced by a taller boy.

Though my star took me in another direction, I'm still certain I'm the only person who can be trusted to run the country.

[Harry WilkesParticipant @harrywilkes58467]

Posted by Nick Clarke 3 on 07/06/2023 15:43:26:

Posted by Georgineer on 06/06/2023 17:29:33:

Posted by John McNamara on 06/06/2023 15:00:56:

… I started writing essays with a fountain pen…

Ah, you youngsters don't know you're born! I had to master the dip pen before I was allowed to use a fountain pen, dipping into the inkwell at the right side of the desk (deuced inconvenient for us left-handers) and flicking the bits of pencil shavings and mushed up blotch off the nib before writing. My first founter was a maroon Osmiroid 65, and it cost 5/6d. Well, it was a few years ago…

I can still remember the big day when we were issued with dip pens and the inkwells in the desks were filled up. we were given a wooden penholder, a nib and a little reservoir to clip onto the back of the nib – If you had been in the class you would have been stood out at the front of the class while everyone right handed got to use their new toys, no doubt being shamed for being 'wrong' while the teacher struggled to find some left handed nibs – and then the reservoirs wouldn't clip on to the LH nibs so it was a continual dipping process!

My first fountain pen was also an Osmiroid – the sleek Platignum ones were banned as they were supposed to harm our writing.

Ballpoint pens were totally a no-no although my father ran his GP practice on the yellow extra fine BIC ones – mind you school could have been right as his writing was often unreadable!

It wasn't the lack of left-hand nip that bothered me it was the constant slaps across the knuckles at times fetching blood but all I learnt from it was how to be ambidextrous!

[RobinParticipant @robin]

Oetzi the Iceman was at a transition, as evidenced by the copper axe head in his pocket and the flint headed arrow in his back

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

You must have gone to a more civilized school than me.

Yep, a time when we didn't need to try to identify our gender as a teapot or a toaster.

Regards Ian.

[Author]

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