The beauty of handwriting can never be replaced by technology - Yorkshire Post Letters

I read Christa Ackroyd’s piece in The Yorkshire Post Magazine – November 16 ‘A signature feature of the old ways that seem to be slipping away’ and her reference to handwriting along with changes that have taken place over the years on how we contact each other these days.

As a local Calderdale writer (Sowerby) I am in the process of completing my fourth book, all based on the letter writing that has taken place during my life. It may be a declining subject but it has featured since my schooldays and the blessing of having an excellent English teacher. We even had a certain way to write and were taught in a style of a slight slope to the right.

There was a ‘Handwriting Trophy’ which we gained house points towards and hoped to win on Speech Days. It was circular and had beautiful Italic Handwriting on the Plaque.

When I see children in classrooms shown on TV, I am shocked to see how many children do not even know how to hold a pen or pencil correctly. My fountain pen was a gift for being Head Girl, it is a Conway Stewart with a gold nib costing 17/6 in 1959.

My book contents are letters covering a wide variety of social history subjects over many years. Many have been used as features in the Halifax Courier, along with archive photographs to illustrate them.

Texting and messaging is a quick and a handy facility to use, but a result can be the deterioration of our handwriting. Nothing compares to receiving a hand written letter, delivered by your friendly Postie.