Robert Killington

My wife tells me that there are hamsters that have known nothing but Brexit…

She’s right as they only live for around three years.

In May 2018, I subscribed to the Studio Neat Kickstarter campaign for the Mark One pen. I selected the two pen option, deciding to have one white and one black pen.

The design of the pen is very simple. Straight sided with a retractable refill. The pen body is aluminium coated with cerakote. The refill is a Schmidt P8126. Not much one can say about the refills that hasn’t already been said. The refills are also used in Retro 51s. I have a Retro 51 (or two, okay, three. Okay, make that four) so I know the refills are good.

The Mark One pens are nicely balanced in the hand, and easy to write with. I took one of the pens and added it to the pen loop on my daily carry notebook. I’ve used it everyday since it arrived. It is easy to write with, and for longer writing sessions I have had no issues such as hand cramp.

The pens are plain. There is no clip, nothing to stop the pen rolling off the desk. The package it comes in is made of cork, and once opened provides a pen tray, which allows you to keep the pen on the desk. You just have to remember to put it back in the pen tray.

You may have noticed that it took around ten months from backing the project to getting the pens. It had originally been hoped to have had the pens before Christmas 2018. It seems, though, that the white pen was more difficult to produce than the black. Production was slower for the white pens. It was frustrating having to wait so long for the pens to arrive. Were they worth it the wait? Yes.

Want to give one a try? You can order them from Studio Neat.

The matter is the UK’s “decision” to leave the EU. Note, please, that the UK is not leaving Europe. I’m afraid the rest of Europe is stuck with us — the UK is going nowhere. At least not in the physical sense.

The fuss and nonsense that’s happening now in the House of Commons, and replayed ad nauseam on news programmes, is the result of poor judgment on the part of politicians in 2015 and 2016. The referendum result was, apparently, only advisory. It was an indication of how voters felt about being in, or out, of the EU. I only found out that the referendum was advisory, rather than a mandate after the results were announced. I suspect it was the same for many people. Being advisory there was no need for the Government to act upon the result. On the day after the referendum, there seemed to an air of confusion, as though people were asking themselves, “OMG! what have we done?” Of the electorate, only 37% voted to leave the EU. That means that 63% voted to remain (35%) or couldn’t be arsed to vote (28%). That, however, is how the system works in the UK.

The issue now is that Members of Parliament are divided in their opinions and the best course of action, and have, apparently, drawn lots of red lines they say they will not cross. There’ll probably be shortage of red ink and paint in the next couple of months. Some MPs are refusing to talk to each other unless things are taken off or put on the table. Beware of low flying clichés.

Some people are calling for another referendum. What will the question be? “Did you mean it last time?” or “Do you want to leave now you know the havoc that attempting to do so has created?” Others are saying it would be undemocratic to have a second referendum. What is undemocratic about asking voters if they’ve changed their minds? Isn’t the electorate allowed to change its mind now the chaos created by trying to agree the leaving process is visible?

I wonder if those who want to push ahead with leaving the EU are too focused on the goal? Have they got too close to the trees to be able to see the wood? Something similar appeared to happen in 1996, when climbers on Everest, it has been suggested, were so intent on reaching the summit they ignored safety considerations. Eight people died on Everest over three days.

Leaving the EU is, one hopes, unlikely to lead to any deaths, although doom-mongers are predicting the UK economy will be badly affected, and there will be shortages of food and medicines because of long queues at ports. The alternative, it seems, is to allow free movement of goods and people into and out of the UK, keep the association with security and research bodies open, and allow qualifications to be recognised. Of course, there are potential benefits to leaving the EU. Control of immigration into the UK. No need to follow EU laws, although manufacturers will still need to comply with EU standards if they wish to sell their products to the remaining members of the EU.

This is a poorly researched, badly written article. It’s based on heresy; or do I mean hearsay? Add to that the boredom from listening to endless apparently baseless speculation on news programmes, and the wall-to-wall coverage of MPs behaving like school children. It’s almost enough to make one want to emigrate…

A goal is a dream with a deadline.

This book was published recently. It is the last book in the Shetland series. Previous books have been turned into the TV series Shetland. The stories follow Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez, a native of Shetland, and based in Lerwick. I’ve found the stories engrossing. The description of the land and seascape evocative of islands off the coast of Scotland. The weather plays a part in the stories too, and is well described, showing how it can determine the activities that can be undertaken. If you want to get a feel for whether living on an island off the coast of Scotland is for you, this series of books will be you an idea of what it is like.

The story covers a few days, yet packs on a lot. Describing the situation, the landscape. The dialogue seems natural. The story is written from different view points as it progresses. The characters are well described and make mistakes in how they respond in various situations. This is especially true of the interactions between Jimmy Perez and his boss, Willow, who has flown in from the mainland to lead the investigation.

Towards the end of the book there’s what could have been a cliffhanger; leaving an opening for another story. I like that the narrative carries on past the point where the perpetrator is revealed. Especially as this is the last in the Shetland series.

I bought this book at a local independent bookshop.

I can’t remember why I bought this book. It was probably prompted by something I read. It’s catalogued as a children’s book, and published in the UK by Puffin Books. I think some of the best books are written for children – look at the Harry Potter series by J K Rowling.

I enjoyed this story, which I have now discovered is the first of a series of five. The blurb on the back of the book says:

“Charles and Meg, and their friend Calvin, travel through a ‘wrinkle in time’ in search of their missing father. But can they beat the evil forces they meet on their dangerous journey through time and space?”

Spoiler alert: it’s a feel good book …

I found the story engrossing. I was quickly absorbed by the story. The characters are developed in the first part of the book. I found it easy to suspend my hold on reality and enjoy the story.

For a child, there are some interesting learning points, such as, adults make mistakes too – I’ll just mention the issues caused when they arrive on a two dimensional planet. It’s very tempting to give too much of the plot away, so I’ll stop here. If you, or your children, are into science fiction, you (or they) may find this a good read.

You can probably get this book from all good bookshops, and Amazon. Although Amazon is cheap, I encourage you to find and support your local independent book shop.

Latest subscription box from Nero’s Notes arrived today. A lovely Poach My Lobster notebook, Faber-Castell eraser pencil protector, a Calepino pencil AND stickers!

The Cutty Sark looked quite dramatic yesterday.

In the past week, I have come across two magazines in a newsagent. The finds have been serendipitous. I have been wanting to have a look at these magazines for a while without committing to a subscription. What are they? They are:

Flow Magazine; and

Daphne’s Diary.

I’ve enjoyed looking at Flow Magazine, I bought the copy I found. The contents are a mix of self-help articles and creative ideas. I got issue 26 which came with four postcards. These were black and white pictures of Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. It also contained a small booklet with the title Creativity Takes Courage which explains ways to build on one’s creativity, leading to a body of work.

In Daphne’s Diary, I found a lot more of interest to me, and I bought the rather battered copy as it appeared to be the only one they had. It’s an eclectic mix of articles ranging from short stories to recipes to things to make. The presentation is light. The magazine also came with ‘extras’. There were jam jar stickers to go with the article on making jam, and a “mini bullet journal” with instructions on how to use it. The notebook is A6 size and has only a few pages. Useful for scribbling notes rather than setting up a bullet journal!

Where did I find them? In that ubiquitous UK newsagents and stationers, W H Smith.

Make an enemy of Envy

Good advice from Austin Kleon.

I read “The Inside Out Revolution” by Michael Neill over the weekend. I was surprised how quickly I read it, and how many notes I made. I use book darts to mark interesting points in a book, and the edge of this one is spattered with these markers. The book looks at where ones feelings come from.

To me, the book’s message is that if you are in the fast lane and stressed out by it, you need to get into the slow lane and get a chance to look around you so you can get your bearings again.

I’m going to read this book again in a few weeks, as I think there’s more to learn from it.

Testing Irco for posting a photo.

Testing Irco for posting.

Latest Pocket Subscription from Nero’s Notes. What a great selection of goodies.

Is this a cure for my stationery addiction? Or a sign of it? 😉

On 31 August 2018, HMRC published an update to VAT Notice 731: Cash accounting scheme to replace the March 2015 edition.

On 4 September 2018, HMRC published new guidance for organisations that are not VAT registered on how to claim a refund using the online service.

Latest subscription box from Nero’s Notes. A complete fun letter writing kit.

Here, maybe, is a photo I was attempting to show to @stulennon.

Testing posting a photo.

Testing posting a photo.

Adding a photo using iOS app caused a problem last time. Trying again. Has it worked?

Still testing. I thought I’d try a photo of the last subscription box I got from Nero’s Notes. Looking forward to next month’s box. :)

Hello, I’m having a look around and playing with this to get to know it better.