I wonder if Michael Parkinson is still doing those insurance adverts where he gives away Parker pens?
I remember those plastic ballpoint things things they gave you at school, no matter how you tied you just ended up with blobs and smudges
I was ink monitor at school. My job was to mix ink powder with water and fill the ceramic ink wells. Pens were a wood handle will a fixed nib that you dipped in the ink well. It wasn’t until I went to Holgate that we had to have fountain pens. Most of us had Platignums, but the posher kids had Osmans, Scheaffers, Conway Stewart’s and Parker’s.
I had the full Parker set with the propelling pencil. Helix Oxford Maths set and a folding ruler and Tippex pen and mouse. Crayola coloured pencils and Schwan Stabilo highlighter pens. I was a right stationary snob at secondary school.
Those with Parker pens normally wore a "digital watch" which were trendy for a while .. Black screen until you pressed it and then the time showed up in ultra bright red!
Way back in Primary School our teacher gave us kids stars for doing good work. These were collated on a chart in the stationery cupboard. There were three prizes dished out for the best pupil who got the most stars. At Christmas yours truly won a selection box. At Easter yours truly won an Easter Egg At End of term the prize was a Parker Pen/Pencil Set. I was miles in front of the class (I wasn't that clever btw - the other kids were just not bright) My parents took us to Blackpool for a week's holiday on the last week of term. The star prize went to the kid in second place. Gutting. Russ T - if you're reading this, you still owe me for that pen/pencil set! Every time I see a Parker pen I have to control my urge to pinch it. Is there any help out there for my predicament?
I work in a school and we have to give out pens, pencils, rulers, calculators on a daily basis. To kids with chuffing iPhones. In the late 70's early 80's everyone had a sports bag or holdall with pencil case, ruler, protractors, set squares, compass and calculator. I had a Parker but didn't like it because you couldn't put them in your mouth. Bics were better. Pop-a-points the ultimate.
I remember those ink wells and the primitive pens. Naughty boys in my class at St. Mary's Boys' School at Churchfield, which was there before the police station, used to dip blotting paper in the ink and use rulers to fire soggy pellets at others.