Has Anyone Heard Of Henry Simpole 2016

[Seville]

I took some pictures out on the deck as it is a beautiful day here in Toronto. I am going to link to my Flickr page as it is just all round easier.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32903382@N07/albums/72157684895095775

 

Philip

[Ghost Plane]

As an aside, many members in assorted countries can't "pass through" FPN and see these thanks to their countries' rule and/or providers.

 

But thank you for getting these up for those who can.

[Seville]

Ah. Well in that case please go to Flickr and find Seville36. Go to the album list and voila you can find the pictures. Well in fact you can find all my pen pictures.

 

Philip

[Barkingpig]

Thank you for sharing your Flicker albums; this was one of the nicest surprise visits to some beautiful pens I have enjoyed. (The lap desk was surely an added treat!)

[Truffle Finder]

Well, thank you all for 'coming in' to this thread since I first mentioned about the SOL pen. It is so nice to see that 'new faces' have contributed to the contents of this thread!

"Keep coming back" as they say in AA!!!

Truffle Finder.

[esterbex]

Here's the link to the thread created by Chris Chalmers and dedicated to the journey to the Spirit of Life....an amazing collaboration and purpose. Thank you GP for your inspiration and Salman (smk) for your artistry. I am proud to say I also possess this work of art.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/153415-spirit-of-life-design-by-henry-simpole/?hl=%2Bspirit+%2Blife

[Truffle Finder]

Thank you for that Esterbex!

Yesterday morning, I spent over an hour looking at the contributions on the Spirit of Life pen thread, and it brought back some very happy memories!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

'Good morning!' to anyone reading this thread!

I'm pleased to say, that I am down here in Cornwall at my home in a small village. The sun is shining bright and there's not a cloud in the sky!

I drove to Clouds House in Wiltshire on Saturday, to attend their annual re-union there. As usual, it was very enjoyable to be there again, but sadly there weren't that many people who I recognised, but as one has to expect, those numbers do decrease as the years go by.

As I was driving back from Plymouth yesterday afternoon, I saw a sign by the side of the road indicating that there was a Car Boot Sale at the next turning on the right, so [as is my nature] I turned off the main road, paid my 50 pence admission, and parked the car, and had a good browse around.

There were about 30 stalls already set up, which is quite a small sized Boot Sale, anyway, at the second stall that I came to, I noticed a boxed desk set [by Sheaffer] complete with the trumpet, and fountain pen. I asked for the price, and the stall holder told me that it was £5.00! I paid the man, and moved on down the line!

A few stalls later, I saw a nylon stringed Spanish guitar, which looked brand new! I checked the 'action' on it, asked the price, and was told that it was £10.00! Needless to say that bought it, and moved along the line.

Near to the end of the line of stalls, I spotted an old camera, so I asked for the price, and was told that it was £20.00, so, after inspecting it, I concluded my Car Boot Sale visit, and left, to drive home!

A very productive day really!

Truffle Finder.

[Beechwood]

Sounds like a lovely day out TF.

 

From past experience there may be others on distant shores who are not familiar with the term 'car boot sale'

 

The idea is that if you have houshold items that you no longer need that you load up the car boot or trunk and take the car, often to a farmers field, and you would set out your belongings on a table, something like a wallpapering table and sell your goods.

 

The idea is very popular and you will find a car boot sale in most towns on a summer weekend, here is a link to a car boot sale that is held on York Racecourse

 

 

http://www.yorkcarboot.com/

 

Tales of fortunes being made are not unheard of, here is a story of a diamond ring bought for £10 that sold for £656,000

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/07/car-boot-sale-tenner-diamond-ring-sells-657000-sotherbys/

 

You can understand why Henry pulled in at the sale, who knows what treasures are to be found.

[Truffle Finder]

Thank you very much for that Maximan! I didn't really think about those of us who are from 'Parts Foreign', when I was writing about it.

Today, I met a very good friend of mine from down here in the West Country, at Tavistock Pannier Market. As is quite usual, we didn't find any fountain pen gems! But we went to a cafe to have some breakfast, and we chatted about [what else?] Fountain Pens! and we did a bit of horse trading. Whilst we were in the Pannier Market, I saw a gentleman who deals in pens and ball-points amongst other gift-type of things, but back in the days of Conway Stewart in Plymouth, he used to stock a few of them. Anyway, I asked him if he had any left to sell, and it turned out that he had got one left. It was a Regency model, in blue and white swirly patterned plastic, still in it's box, so I bought it! It was a totally unexpected purchase, but I am very pleased to have got it.

Truffle Finder.

[billydo]

Whilst searching for some pictures for Henry I came across this montage from a few years ago... thought you might like to see it again!

 

 

[esterbex]

[Truffle Finder]

As I have already said on here, that I was down in the West Country for a few days, but as usual when I'm down there, I have to use my Lap-top to keep in touch with the outside world! Normally, while I'm at my home computer, and I'm asked to sign-in, there is no problem, because I have 'saved' my password, which is great, because with two swift 'clicks' I'm signed-in as normal!

Then I go down to Cornwall, and it doesn't let me 'in'!!!

So, I go through the business of typing out a string of letters and numbers, and I then find that I have been admitted back in to the 'hallowed grounds' of the FPN members!

Then I drive back to London, and I find that I have been 'love-locked-out' again, because my 'saved' password has been changed!

So, I have gone through the procedure once again with the letters and numbers, and I'm now allowed to get on this thread, to have a moan!

Anyone would think that I was trying to hack into the NASA project or something!

Happy days!!!

Truffle Finder.

[esterbex]

Welcome back to these infamous halls and glad you made it home safely. Get some rest!

[Truffle Finder]

Hello again!

I've been making a few enquiries with regard to the Blue and White Swirl patterned Conway Stewart 'Regency' fountain pen.

From what I can gather, there were only a few of them made at the time, and apparently they only made them for a very limited amount of time. [Conway Stewart seemed to have gone through a stage whereby when they couldn't think of what to do next, they created another model of fountain pen!!!]

Sadly for Conway Stewart their strategy for their continued existence did not work out as they had hoped, and as we are all aware they folded up a few years ago.

Still, having said that, I'm looking forward to taking my uncommon 'Regency Pen' to Portobello Market tomorrow and put it in to my display cabinet.

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

Hello again!

I'm back from a rather humid day up at Portobello Road Antiques market.

The day kicked off with a nice middle-aged lady who wanted to sell her late husband's fountain pen. It was an Omas, in mint condition, and in it's box, with an accompanying booklet explaining all there is to know about the pen, it's filling instructions etc: and a bottle of turquoise ink. I'm not actually very well informed about modern manufactured fountain pens, but I can tell you that it is triangular in shape, both the body, and the cap! But I can't say what the name of the model is!]

I had heard recently that an Italian fountain pen manufacturer had gone into liquidation proceedings, but I wasn't sure of the make, anyway, when I mentioned this to the lady, she agreed that sadly it was Omas that had gone 'to the wall'!

The long and short of it, was that we agreed on a price for it and she parted company with me, [on good terms I might add!]

Shortly after she had left me, a pen dealer friend of mine appeared, and almost immediately 'homed in' on the pen that I had just bought! We discussed it for a while, and eventually agreed on a price, and he said that he would be back to collect it next Saturday! There's nothing like a quick turnaround occasionally!

An American gentleman and his friend were the next people to appear at my booth, and he seemed pretty interested in the New Regency Conway Stewart fountain Pen which I bought last week in Tavistock. He also looked at a Mont Blanc 149 pen holder for the desk top. Anyway, we talked prices for a while, and then he asked me if I accepted credit card payments. I explained that I didn't, but I told him that there were two ATM machines very close by. He then asked me if I could hold the two items until he returned, and then he left. I waited for about half an hour, but there was no sign of the man! I do wish that people wouldn't do that!!! He never did come back!

Fortunately a couple of fountain pen enthusiasts then came along to my booth, one of them had come to collect a Mont Blanc Pen that I had repaired for him, and he also wanted to do some 'horse-trading' with a Parker Maxima Vacumatic that he wanted to trade in with me. The other gentleman asked me if he could see a broad italic nibbed Sheaffer PFM that he had seen the last time he visited me. Needless to say, they both left my stand with two pens that they wanted, and I ended up with some money and a very acceptable Parker Maxima Vac: and they both went off to the cash machines and returned very promptly with the cash!!!

All in all, a very satisfactory day.

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

I'm pleased to say that I have done all my pen repairs that I picked up on Saturday. Most of them were pretty common pens from the 1940's or 50's, but two of them were much more complicated in terms of the major surgery that was required to sort them out.

I must say that I do thoroughly enjoy really getting 'stuck in' to doing the best possible job that I can. It really is a labour of love!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

I have been asked if I could restore two 1930's Onoto Magna fountain pens to working order. this is very good news, as one of them is a lever filler, and the other one is a more usual plunger filler. They will keep me busy for a while!

For those who are perhaps not familiar with the name Onoto, they were a very noble trade mark of the De La Rue company, who were noted for printing property deeds, maps, and more notably for printing paper money for all the previously 'pink bits' of the world!

The fountain pen part of their industry catered for the higher end of the 'professional' market, [doctors, solicitors etc:]

It is always a pleasure to work on these very noble fountain pens.

Truffle Finder.

[AKMA]

Will be in London Saturday for ordinations at St Paul's — will you be in Portobello Road, Henry? Where ought I look for you?

[Truffle Finder]

Thanks for your inquiry, about seeing me at my Booth in the Admiral Vernon Arcade, in the Portobello Road this Saturday.

When you get to Portobello Road, just ask for the Admiral Vernon, [it is the largest arcade down there]. I am on the ground floor, right at the back, with 'Henry the Penman' sign above my stand! I arrive there at about 9.00am, and I think about leaving at about 2.00pm.

I will look forward to seeing you this Saturday!

Truffle Finder.