If you've got it, flaunt it!

Last night, we went round to a friend of ours to transact some business. Sadly, due to illness he was liquidating a few assets, among which were a very large box of fountain pens and other writing implements.

Now, for those that don't know, Mrs B is a pen freak. She has about 150 pens at the moment, as well as a similar number of different inks and a plethora of (penal? penile?) paraphernalia like old adverts, displays etc. She prefers old pens and will sit for hours grinding nibs, polishing barrels and generally tinkering with them as they are all used by her as she writes for several hours each night just for the joy of improving her "hand". The two specialist pen shops in Brighton are frequently visited and many hours spent in them discussing all aspects of "pen porn" with the, similarly smitten, owners and staff.

The chap whom we visited last night, used to work at the local Parker factory before his illness and he, Mrs B and another friend who was there (also a Parker employee) spent a happy couple of hours discussing Duofolds, Sonnets, prototypes that were never produced and other such things. I sat there as the discussion regarding the Acme 23-1A prototype milling machine which was used to ream the 1986 Laque barrel thread reached new heights of intensity and pondered on the enthusiasm engendered by such matters. Mrs B informed them that she had a Parker Victory (the first pen ever produced at the local factory) and there was an almost orgasmic excitement. We heard stories of boardroom wrangles, prototype pens produced and manufactured in their 1000s and then buried (quite literally) in a large field as the pen market changed, fond recollections of emplyees long gone and Mrs B was in her seventh heaven. Incidentally, I suggested that they pass on my brilliant "Homage to Thunderbirds" marketing idea - the Parker "Yus, Milady" but it was met by a spontaneous burst of indifference.

Now, this is the really sad bit........ I had been gently teasing about their enthusiasm all evening (although, between you, me and the gatepost, it was actually all quite fascinating) and the time came to pay them some readies for these pens. As I piled the notes onto the table, I noticed that one of the £20 had an AA serial number and made a comment about maybe they ought to hang on to it as there is a demand for such notes in a reasonable condition. Someone made the fatal mistake of asking me about banknotes and I was off! It was, I think, at the point where I was telling them the names of the last 10 Chief Cashiers of the Bank of England (together with their dates) that I noticed the glazed looks and the automatic nodding of heads as they drifted quietly into their own little worlds that I realised I was just as guilty as them about enthusiasm.

In fairness, I can generally relate notaphilic facts in an interesting way but it made me realise that what floats my boat is not necessarily anything other than the Titanic to others. Mrs B is lucky insofar as she has access to local people with whom she can discuss her passions. There are few who share mine, although I am fortunate that I am often passed the odd foreign note by friends and acquaintances who are aware of my peculiar needs.

Perhaps there are closet note collectors locally who, like freemasons, have secret signs of identification. Once they make themselves known to each other, they can revel in the joys of intaglio printing, lust at the Kilkenny Bank $4 note of 1820 and have heated discussions about the Trans-Caucasus 20 kopek forgery scandal.

For the moment however, I spend my time on the internet: Electronic discourse and image swapping. It's not the same doing it on your own, as many a schoolboy will testify, but it's better than nothing.

At least it stops me from being too much of a banknote bore, which reminds me, there was only one note ever produced that featured a boar; this was the 1927 20 kapeek note produced in .................................... Oops, sorreeeeee!

I suppose, in summary, I enjoy listening to people enthusing about their interests (apart from cars!). As an avid collector of information and facts, there is always something that I can glean and, really, you can't knock enthusiasm. The world would be a poorer place without it.

A forum to which I subscribe has a number of people talented in so many different ways. As time goes by and those talents emerge or are admitted, I am filled with admiration for their skills. To hell with modesty, be proud in what you can do and share that pride with others - their world will be the better for it.

Take Mrs B once more: she enjoys painting but doesn't really figure that she has a great talent in that direction. As someone who can't draw a comparison, let alone a picture, I totally admire what she does and, as I sit chatting on my forum, she's sitting alongside me either painting, drawing or writing. Much to her chagrin, I've scanned in one of her pictures, most of which are inspired by the Rackham and Tenniel illustrations from Alice in Wonderland, a book of which she has many, many different editions. As with all the uploaded images, just click on the image to see it full size.


She can knock out a couple of these a night and, although the scan doesn't do it justice, it's an example of the many talents hidden from the world by people that should celebrate and share their abilities. Incidentally, I've put a few in an album, together with some of her handwriting - if you're interested, here's the link.