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Sunday 18 July 2010

Stationary, Oh stationary, where for art thou stationary?







Now, my love for stationary goes back to when I was knee high to a grass hopper, my dream used to be (and secretly may still be) to own my own stationary shop. Shelve after shelve, row upon row of pretty pens, stupendous staplers and noteworthy notebooks. Oh yes, to be the proprietor of 'Sarah's Stationary Shop' was my be all and end all!!


Yes, I may have grown up a bit (just a bit),but my secret love of stationary is still there. I still get excited when I walk into WHSmith and see all of their stationary set up, just so on the shelf, calling your name, telling you to buy it!!

I first learnt of the shop called PaperChase when I was about 13 years old, I had never been in one, as for all I knew about PaperChase was that it was a stationary shop in London, where you were lucky enough to go if you were an SW10 child living in Chelsea with £20.00 per week for pocket money!!
So, you're wondering how I came to learn about the oh so pleasant PaperChase?? Through being 13 and reading Just 17 magazine. Do you remember that?! I used to love reading the weekly/fortnightly (can't remember which) issues. Getting my two adorable aunties to unbeknowingly buy it for me. Knowing that if my Dad were to know I were reading it, would confiscate it and forbid me from ever setting my eyes on it again, ever! With it's raunchy agony aunt problem pages and audacious articles on sex and frivolity!!
At just 13, and now being 26, I do kind of see where my Dad was coming from!! As he did eventually find it, and confiscate it! :(

Anyway, back to how I discovered PaperChase. It was in the photo articles of Just 17 magazine. Glossy colour photos of pens and pencils, notepads and pencil cases-just beautiful. I needed to visit this haven for stationary lovers-alas I never did.

Until...

I had the most fortunate event of entering a PaperChase some 12 years later at the age of 25, and nearly had a panic attack at seeing all of the gorgeous items. If I could have borrowed a bank to buy literally the whole shop if not the whole chain, then I would have!! But I behaved and managed to control myself and left with a shiny new pen, a gorgeous notebook and an impressive iPhone cover-all matching, ofcourse.
You ask yourselves how I managed to walk away, I did this safe in the knowledge that my beloved PaperChase shop was a mere 40 minute drive away. I just pray they don't go into liquidation!!!


Now some of you may think I am some sort of stationary wierdo but deepdown, I know you all feel the same. Man, woman or child; we all have the 'stationary geek' inside us!! I have even successfully converted my partner of 8 years into a 'stationary geek', although he won't admit it!! He may admit to being a 'techno geek' though as he sits next to me playing with his not one,but two (yes two) IBM thinkpads that he has purchased from Ebay!!!

I will now leave you to sit and think of the many happy childhood memories you may have involving your love of stationary and all things beautiful and shiny!!

2 comments:

abz said...

OMGosh! My Stationery Addict friend, we have just had a PaperChase open in Chi, and I am in love with it! (shame my wallet isn't!). I love stationery just as much as you, and had to control myself in there, I came out with just two pencils (one black with shiny stars, and a triangle yellow and black jumbo one), a lovely eraser all smooth, and a cat pencil tin (double layers, woop woop!).

I love your writing, KEEP DOING IT! (you have to now, as I have put this blog page in my favourites menu!)

I love you, and you may have just got me looking at doing a blog blog too. ;) Mwah xxx

Ellie Porter said...

I am a stationary geek also! I love all the pretty things and the best part of my administration job is doing the stationary order! lol.