Authors Electric

I’ve finally managed to obtain something I’ve wanted for a while – an antique writing slope, almost identical to the one below: It’s probably taken a couple of years of looking to find the one I want, at the right price, and in the right condition. I must’ve become a bit of an expert on them since I started looking. I didn’t want to buy new – part of the appeal, for me, as the history attached to it. I also didn’t want a restored version, for similar reasons. But I did want something that was more than just a pile of broken bits – surprising how hard it was to find something to match the image in my head. I want to put my own stamp on it, give it my own twist to make it mine. I was also looking for a chance to flex my woodworking skills, and challenge myself with something different from the usual DIY or garden furniture. My most complex woodworking project so far has been a guitar, which I built many years ago; starting a family and changing jobs has meant less time ...

Have I written here about Christmas cards? I’m not sure I have, but I lose track sometimes  –  having blogged here since the site’s inception, I’m fairly sure I’ve duplicated topics from time to time…  Never mind: Christmas cards. Or any other occasion cards, I guess. We got significantly fewer this Christmas past. I’m not sure whether that’s because 2020 is desperately trying to be the Year That Time Forgot, or if it’s simply that people just don’t write any more. Several of my friends send out email missives summarising the year for themselves and their families; others donate to charity in lieu of sending cards. And I know we’re all about saving the planet – but there’s something old-fashioned, quaint and just nice about the sending and receiving of cards to mark an occasion. It means that somebody has – just for a short moment of time – thought about you as they scrawled your name and address on a card and envelope. I know I do it; as I write each card, my mind dri...