Friday 6 July 2012

Back to the 70s




I just had to have this portable typewriter when I saw it at a Collectables fair in Chester last week - why I don't know.  But it was very cheap, in lovely clean condition and being sold by a charming Japanese gentleman who reminisced with me about learning to touch type on those heavy old manual machines in the 1970s.  And there is something very pleasing about the look of the font, the typos, misalignments and irregular pressure on the keys, not to mention the jolly  ping of the bell at the end of the line.


To practise my typing I typed out a couple of recipes for my file and added some stamping to decorate the page.  After 30 years and more of electric typewriters, word processors and finally PCs in the workplace I need a lot of practise to get back my manual typing skills - such as they were!  The wonderful Typewriter Heaven thinks it dates from the late 70s.

 


Carrying on the retro theme, I nabbed this electric blue Sparklets soda syphon in a charity shop a few weeks ago for £3.  When I got it home I was relieved to find the bulbs to charge it up are freely available on line.  Such a satisfying shape don't you think and I love the vibrant colour.  This design is a Hostmaster and I can just imagine it sitting on the sideboard at a 70s/80s dinner party.  And surely there must have been one on Beverly and Laurence's drinks bar in Abigail's Party, though I can't see one in the photos.


Recipe stamps: Darkroom Door's From the Kitchen

10 comments:

  1. How fun Ann!! I remember those typewriting classes so well!!
    Great idea to type out some recipes. The stamping looks fantastic to decorate the page!!

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  2. I too remember learning to type on something like this back in the 60's and the merry ping at the end of each line when the carriage return could so easily knock your coffee cup over! Those were the days eh?! Your recipe sheets look great but bet you wouldn't want to type a thesis on this thing?! Love the soda syphon too.

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  3. I love the typewriter, i showed it to Thom. He has one already for 40 years, also a portable, OLIVETTI. And it still works. I also remember the noise of the typewriter class. And all the 'pings' ..... So good memories.

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  4. Hi there :) This is my first comment on your blog, although I have been following for some time :)

    Just had to say, Beverly's husband was called Laurence, not Tim ;)

    Take care,

    Autumn

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    Replies
    1. Oops! Thanks Autumn - I'll change it. Of course he was - I watched the TV version when it was first on but its too excruciating to watch again!

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    2. Hi! That's OK :)

      The actor who played Laurence is called Tim Stern, so maybe that's why you got muddled up? :)

      I've got it on DVD :) Plus, I saw a good production many years ago on stage at the Century Theatre in Keswick.

      All the best,

      Autumn

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  5. Such a fun post, Ann - brought back lots of memories about my typing class in about 1963! Great buys, thanks for sharing!

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  6. Snap! Goes to show yo don't need to spend much to get a good typewriter :-)

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  7. Takes me back to the typing lessons at school when we had to have a piece of fullscap paper tucked down the back of the keys and over our hands so that we couldn't look. The soda syphon looks as good as new. I'm sure if Abigail had one she would be showing it off as her latest acquisition. I loved watching that. They do clips on the television every so often and it is still refreshing to watch especially seeing that big flower wallpaper. We had similar in our first home. Hugs Mrs A.

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  8. This brought back many memories for me too and a skill that I use daily, the best thing I ever learnt! I remember when I started work and I would sometimes catch the 1/2 key and the girls showed me how to put a elastic band around the keys so it couldn't lift up - priceless!
    Colleagues often remark that they get the longest and quickest emails from me, drives me mad when I see people searching the keyboard for a letter.......
    Linbyx

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Thank you so much for visiting my blog and taking the time to comment - its hugely appreciated. Ann :o)

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