Hi from Dorset, England

[Keith E Bartlett]

Hi, I'm Keith Bartlett from Dorset, England. I've been a member for
a few weeks but I've only just got round to introducing myself.
I am a drummer and drum teacher in some of the schools in my
area but my hobby is collecting nice fountain pens and have done
since I was at school many years ago (in the 1960's)
Although I only teach drums in ten different schools during the week,
I have noticed over the years that pupils hardly ever use fountain pens
or even have any interest in them which is a shame. In my days at school
we weren't allowed to bring a Biro into school and we were encouraged
to use the best quality fountain pen that we or our parents could afford.
My pupils think I'm a bit strange when they see me writing with a nice
Parker or Cross or whatever I happen to take for that day. Never mind,
at least they end up quite good drummers.

[Tracy Lee]

Hi Keith! I can say I have had at least one teenager say " what IS that" when I pulled out a fountain pen. Made me sad. But we can just keep trying, right? Plenty of us geeks to spread the word. As a drummer, what has been the coolest bit of drumming you have done over the years?

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[eriquito]

Hi Keith!

Very, very nice to have you here!

It is sad that fountain pens seem to be mostly unknown to today's youngsters and young adults. Unfortunately, what with computers, cell phones, email, etc., I think writing in general (with any sort of pen and paper) is turning more into an art form than a popular and viable means of communication. I don't mind too much. I've always wanted to be an artist - so if being able to write a letter makes me such, that's cool =)

Quick Aside: Tracy Lee, don't miss this weeks Geed of the Week Philip Wang (TWSBI). He races his Ducati Monster 696 in his spare time.

=) Eric

[Keith E Bartlett]

Hi Tracy,
Thank you for your reply.
I can't remember the coolest bit of drumming
I've ever done because I've done so much drumming
over the years in lots of different places. The best job
I ever had though as a drummer was playing on the
cruise ships out of Miami.

[Tracy Lee]

Now that sounds fun, Keith! How great to have too many coo moments to choose.

Eric, I will absolutely check that out. I wonder, does he also carry a Ducati pen?

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[eriquito]

Eric, I will absolutely check that out. I wonder, does he also carry a Ducati pen?

If he does, he didn't mention it.

And now I'm kicking myself. Why didn't I ask him that very question?!?

I guess I was just so excited to be talking to someone who owns a Ducati =)
Yeah, that's it.

[gordyt]

If he does, he didn't mention it.

And now I'm kicking myself. Why didn't I ask him that very question?!?

I guess I was just so excited to be talking to someone who owns a Ducati =)
Yeah, that's it.

Eric don't feel too bad about not asking him. While listening to the interview, the moment that Ducati came up, my mind immediately flashed back to the wonderful scene in the movie Fled where they were racing with Ducati 916's in Atlanta and on Stone Mountain.

[eriquito]

Eric don't feel too bad about not asking him. While listening to the interview, the moment that Ducati came up, my mind immediately flashed back to the wonderful scene in the movie Fled where they were racing with Ducati 916's in Atlanta and on Stone Mountain.

Alright, you talked me into it. I won't feel bad =)

Since you listened to the interview you must have noticed me stumbling for words when he said Ducati. My brain was suggesting "you're my new best friend" while my heart was pushing for a direct "I love you!"

[AndyLa]

Welcome Keith! I've always wanted to learn to play drums. I had one of those crappy starter sets when I was younger. But I unfortunately had no rhythm. I've had the opposite reaction, older people asking ME what a fountain pen is haha. Christmas time was particularly entertaining, the stories I was told. My aunt walked into a store that sells "fine writing instruments" and she was asked if she was looking for a gift for an older gentleman. Boy did his jaw drop at the mention of a twenty three year old female! Oh, and my sister being told that TSWBI's don't exist at art browns and that bay state blue was practically a bio haphazard.
As for Ducati's... those are some sexy bikes! My friends dad has a yellow one and he fired it up for us. Boy did it purrrrr!

[Maja]

Welcome to FPGeeks, Keith!

I spent several wonderful days visiting Lyme Regis (in west Dorset) in the early 90s. I'm a huge Thomas Hardy fan, and a big admirer of the novels of the late John Fowles. Both of these authors had novels set in that county, so I just had to visit.
I wasn't into fountain pens at the time, but I'm sure I could have found some neat pens during my travels, if I had tried.

[Keith E Bartlett]

Hi Maja,
So glad you enjoyed Dorset and the Lyme Regis area. It's a very beautiful county with all it's hills and valleys.
I live on the outskirts of Poole but I travel to Portland once a week to teach at one of the schools there and it's
always a treat to be in the countryside on that side of Dorset.
I'm so glad you have the same interest in fountain pens as I do. Unfortunately, it drives my wife nuts when I see
a new pen that I want to buy and also the mess I tend to get in when I clean out my pens in the kitchen. It's a great hobby though and I'm glad to be a fountain pen geek.
Kind regards, Keith.