Pen that is? If you grew up in the times when neat cursive handwriting was a must is school, you probably had a Parker pen. You might have had ink in a little bottle, or if you’re getting on a bit, those old ink wells in desks might have been filled by the school.

Visiting Sherri the other day, she reminisces and mourns the loss of those days. Of course you didn’t get to use an ink pen in the beginning, it was something to aspire to when your writing skills with a pencil were deemed acceptable. Luckily mine was very neat and my progress to ink was swift and only very occasionally marred with a tiny splash or smudge of blue.

A few years ago I was browsing in a big chain office supply store, when I came across Parker again. Fancying the idea of writing with one, I splashed out around a tenner. This is what I bought.

Remember the Quink?

I was hoping that my handwriting would return to the prize winning standard of the 8 year old G. Alas no, there’s no hope, unless . . . perhaps if I treated myself to a seriously posh expensive one. What do you think? No laughing in the back there please.