New UK member - from somewhere in the middle

Hello everyone. I appear to have done things in slightly the wrong order - I know that the expected course of action upon joining a forum is to introduce oneself before making any other form of contribution. I can, however, be mildly subversive at times, so I will admit that I have already contributed to a thread!

So, my name is Richard, I live in rural Buckinghamshire and work in IT - I'm a software dude. IT is the ideal occupation for me - I love technical stuff and have terrible handwriting, so being able to type stuff that other people need to read has always been advantageous. There is, however, a however and that however is this - there are times when even I can't read my handwriting.

Many years ago, when I was at school, we were taught how to write using fountain pens with broad nibs and around 10-15 years ago, I realised that using a fountain pen forced me to slow my writing. I bought a Messenger pen and the rest is history.

I have a number of pens - some old such as my Sheaffer Imperial and Parker 51, or more modern - Sheaffer (again), Waterman, Ingersoll, Kaweco and Messenger. I also have a couple of vintage(ish) Mont Blanc's - a 146 from (I believe) the 1960's and a 1980's Noblesse.

Most days, I will use one or other of my pens - I use them mostly for note-taking at work, I use a Kaweco Sport Brass for journaling and working on fiction ideas (I'm a novelist in my spare time).

Other things I like are vintage watches (I buy, restore and sell nice watches - Rolex, Omega and Seiko mainly) and old fishing gear - I belong to the Traditional Fisherman's Forum which encourages it's members to fish with vintage tackle such as split cane rods and centre-pin reels, whilst wearing tweed, drinking tea and generally showing respect to all around.

I also enjoy restoring and using vintage pushbikes and motorbikes - I've recently completed a 1970's Pashley for my wife and a 1968 BSA Bantam for myself.

That's me, thank you for allowing me in and I promise to behave myself.

Hello and welcome to FPG. :welcome:

Greetings and welcome! Looks like we have affinity for watches in common, too. I attempt to service pocket watches and occasionally it has worked out ok. Repair? Some day.

Normally I'd be pushing the London Pen Club (see my signature), but there's also a Southern Pen Club that's started up recently, alternating between Fleet and Petersfield. Of course it all depends just where abouts in Bucks you are.

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.

Welcome to the forum.

Hi Richard :welcome:

Welcome:)

When I saw "in the middle" I automatically assumed near Northampton. Close enough, I suppose. Though that depends on where in Buckinghamshire you are.

Welcome to the forum!

Hi everyone - thank you for the warm welcome, and AzJon is pretty darned close - I'm in North Bucks, around 15 miles from Northampton

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DickBrowne

Hi everyone - thank you for the warm welcome, and AzJon is pretty darned close - I'm in North Bucks, around 15 miles from Northampton

---

A beautiful area. I lived in the very small duel village of Lois- Weedon for a short stretch. I miss it there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AzJon

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DickBrowne

Hi everyone - thank you for the warm welcome, and AzJon is pretty darned close - I'm in North Bucks, around 15 miles from Northampton

---

A beautiful area. I lived in the very small duel village of Lois- Weedon for a short stretch. I miss it there.

---

I know Weedon well - amongst our other vintage interests, my wife and I are keen on industrial history with a particular interest in the inland waterways network of the UK, traditional narrow boats (with proper two-cylinder engines and a good old-fashioned boatmans cabin) float our collective boats, if you'll pardon the phrase! We moored our boat on the Grand Union Canal for a number of years and would regularly pass through Weedon on the way up to Braunston.

Fascinating. I had never considered the inland waterways. Makes sense, it was just never something that occurred to me.

I was on the church side of Weedon and loved my strolls over to the Crown for a pint. Always nice for getting out of London!