Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

Dear, dear, dear. I haven’t posted anything for ages and no doubt half of my (6?) readers will have given up on me. My sincere apologies for my silence. The last month has not been a good one. My MIL died suddenly (but thankfully peacefully), then there was the funeral to arrange and the day after the funeral I went to Malawi for a week (10 days including travelling). And then tomorrow I am going away on holiday! It’s our 10^th wedding anniversary so we are spoiling ourselves in a posh hotel for 2 nights, then going on a walking holiday for 2 weeks afterwards.

So, what news in the Paper, Pens and Ink department?

Well, despite harbouring a belief that I don’t get on with Personal size filofaxes, I have just bought another… Why? Well, if I am being totally honest, it was because it was green leather and had two pen loops.

Um... filofax number... oh, let's stop counting!

Are those good reasons??

Um… probably not, but I got it from eBay and didn’t pay a lot for it. I was also curious because I had never seen another one like it.

It’s a Portland (anyone ever heard of it??) and a very dark green. Darker than any current colour. A bit like the dark green boards around the courts at Wimbledon.

Has anyone ever seen this type of FF before?

The interior is also a little different – the left-hand inside cover has a zipped pocket with ‘gusset’ (excellent word!) so coins would be held really easily.

Gusseted zipped pocket on the left

The back cover has credit-card slots, in curved leather slots.

Lovely curved card slots

The spine has the filofax F in the middle of the spine, quite unlike any of my other filofaxes.

When did they change the style of the spine?

The leather is butter soft (perhaps because it is quite old?) and perfectly plain – no embossing or patterning at all. It’s very neutral and would suit men well too I think. It’s all leather – interior as well as the exterior and I think it will wear really well. As I say, I think it might be quite old already, but I don’t know. Anyone any ideas?

I haven’t set it up yet (it only arrived this morning!) but I think it will be a Chimwemwe filofax. Chimwemwe is the name of a charity that I helped to set up in Malawi (and which I have just been able to visit whilst in Malawi on other business) and will help me to keep on track of contacts, projects and finances there. We’ll see. Early days! I will post about it once I have worked out what I’m using it for! [Post now available here]

Interestingly, there was an insert I’ve never seen before inside (perhaps indicating its vintage?) – one for shopping. I think that I will have to try and make my own for these and print them on plain filofax paper.

Interesting shopping list insert

I have also bought a Zebra Sharbo diary pen for the (very) skinny pen slot in my Baroque. So far, it’s working really well – ballpoint and propelling pencil, and very good value as it came with a refill set.

Well, that’s all folks… Sorry to have been so quiet for so long. I’ll try to write again soon (though will be without internet access for 2 weeks, so don’t hold your breath!).