I came across some creative writing from 20 years ago today. Most of it was written using a manual typewriter. This was before home computers and laptops became affordable. It was such a physical pleasure to read the words – the soft, slight indentation of the ink on paper. Mine was a portable, in a blue case.

 

As I read, I could almost smell the ribbon, ink and that soft metallic odour. It was as if the ghost of the keys were under my fingertips. I swear I heard the clack, clack, clack of the keys going down and the thud of the metal bars as they hit the paper. Oh, and the ding of the bell as I pushed the return lever! I loved that sound! I’m shivering with nostalgic pleasure just writing this and wishing it were being bashed out in old-fashioned ink and print, not on a beautiful white MacBook!

 

It has left me hankering after a typewriter. This looks a bit like mine did but I can’t be sure what brand it was. The question is what did I do with it and why?!

 

I have never been an eBay participant (too much temptation to spend small but incremental sums of money on randoms luxuries) but I find myself tempted to ask a friend to bid for me! I’m a touch typist but how would I cope with having to push down on the keys and therefore writing at a pace that can’t keep up with my brain?!

 

Does anyone else use a typewriter?

 

By Carole Scott

 

Related articles

• My Stargate Typewriter (nicolebross.com)
• Lost Knowledge: Manual Typewriters (makezine.com)
• USB Typewriter Interview (makezine.com)