Monday, 12 December 2011

Some thoughts on stationery (by C Hazell)

Stationery can feed the imagination with its plethora of writing materials, clean adhesives and eye catching neon’s.

It also, one must add, reigns it in and tidies it away.

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I order stationery on Fridays.

An office has an insatiable appetite for stationery. Along with the regular weekly consumables are the special requests from my co-workers.

On this particular Friday there was a Blue Colarado Foolscap Box File amongst other items.

I flipped through the thick glossy stationery catalogue – ‘box file yes’...’colarado... yup’....’blue...ok’

With one index finger simultaneously pinning down the vast publication and underlining the item’s code, I used the other to type:

-           9021367, return tab, a click of the mouse and the box is ordered.

A seamless unity between man and machine!

 What followed next was something of an ‘eureka’ moment. This blue file and a piece of writing I had read earlier in the day about an ant attack had now become united by the term Foolscap.

Foolscap.

Forgive me for misunderstanding but I had assumed, carelessly I admit, that the Foolscap signified a fool’s cap in this particular writing blog?  

Yes? No? Who knows. But this is far more likely: -

-          Foolscap: an archiving brand.

therefore

-          Foolscap Files: an archive of writing.

 The image of the dunce’s cone- shaped hat has now been replaced with a dignified filing system. A hush of embarrassment ensues while the change over takes place.

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Utility_sciss

Power Scissors

 One would be foolish in thinking that a pen is simply a pen.  Here are some of my favourite products that seem to belie the common notion that stationery has a limited capacity:

 

Pens – A LIFESTYLE CHOICE 

BIC Atlantis Stic Ballpoint – Underwater cities, ancient Greece...this is the pen for dreams, adventures and historians

Bic Soft Feel Clic Grip

Uni Jet Stream SX-101 Ballpoint – be blown away by the force!

Penac Soft Glider Ballpoint – Sunday afternoons, letters to friends, time and a pot of tea

Penac Chubby 10 Retractable Ballpoint

Penac Sleek Touch Retractable Bullpoint – the Carte Noir of pens

 

 

Post – TO GUARD AND PROTECT

New Guardian Gusset Envelope

Paper Tyger Security Envelopes – the scarecrow of the urban jungle

Plempix Damper

 

 

 

Accessories – INNOVATIONS IN THINGS YOU NEVER  KNEW YOU NEEDED

Tipp ex Pocket Mouse Correction tape – now you never need be without your correction fluid

Rapesco Puffa See Through Half Strip Stapler

Lipped Paper Clips – clamping down on the document like hunger bites into its favourite sandwich (granary bread, mature cheddar, mayonnaise, tomato, black pepper)

Fellows Earth Series Stackable Letter Tray – the desk is an ocean, awash with adrift papers like lost souls. Cultivate! Build! Give the papers a home, a stackable one.

 

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Stationary. Stationery.

Stationary = static, still, like a latent car.

Stationery = paper, office supplies and the like.

e becomes opposed to a

Stationery is rarely stationary.

Stationery has migratory characteristics.

 

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The Foolscap Journal is an occaional journal of just one piece of writing, edited by Michael Lawton. Submissions are welcome and should be sent to mlawton(at)hotmail.co.uk.