Typewriters…

You may say they are a writer’s essential tool. Many authors throughout history have relied on the typewriter for their trade, some no doubt still do, unswayed by the lure of modern solutions. The typewriter never fails to conjure up an image of Murder, She Wrote in my mind.

I am not one of those that hail the nostalgia of a typewriter though. I admire them for their contribution to writing and would never seek to belittle the device. But for personal preference I prefer to work on the modern machine – the lighter touch, the in-built spell check, the backlit keyboard, the softer tap.

There is something completely unmistakable about the sound of a typewriter. It has the power to silence a room within seconds. This happened in my office recently. I was overjoyed to see a typewriter released from the confines of its cupboard and set to work, the clack clack vroom totally at odds with the rest of the office.

Then a couple of weeks later there was the obligatory PAT testing. The anticipation was almost too much to bear. Would the old faithful pass or would it be condemned to live out the rest of its existence in some private hole? My excitement was almost un-containable when… it passed!

So the typewriter is not yet obsolete. It thrives for the few remaining believers and proudly clack clack vrooms away. How much longer will the typewriter last? I think I will be sorry to see it go when the dream ends.

Elloise Hopkins