There is always an air of anticipation as I near the end of my notebook and begin to think about the next, something of sadness and excitement all rolled into one feeling. All those stories that people have told me, some in confidence and some at general press calls, I write what I think might be useful for my articles, might be useful for one day to be able to say, “Yes, I know that story, I know that fact.” Sometimes, I allow others to write in there, but with strict scrutiny, I lean over them as if to say, ‘you are honoured to write in here, only stick to the space I have given you and give me back my pen’. I almost hover my hand too, ensuring they know that they have a limited time to use MY book with MY pages. The new notebook – a special and delicate item unbeknown to its soon to be devastated state, will have more of these special words and the journey begins again.
I generally get through two a year and by June I look to the next fuchsia Panama Smythson notebook on my shelf. For the past however long, I sit and flick through the old, written pages, ‘uncornering’ the delicate silver lined blue pages, and generally try to put the abused notebook back into some orderly shape to keep the memories tidy for the future, whilst the new notebook has been taken out of its pale blue box – with a tied blue ribbon bow, pristine and crisp, ready for the horrors that it will be put through for the next six months and sits on the desk staring at me.
My pocket squashes them, my camera bag eats them, my Leica rubs up against them, they can handle it though, that’s the beauty of the Panama notebook and that’s why I love them so much. Always fuchsia, always Panama and always Smythson.
Make Love Not War will be the second notebook for 2012 how exciting.
This September will be the 125 anniversary of Smythson and I would like to find other Smythson Panama notebook writers to interview and compare notes.
Do get in touch with me to be part of my article.
La
x