We brought it down from the loft a few weeks ago after the Dude got a library book called 'The Story Machine', all about a boy who finds a typewriter and ... well it's fairly self explanatory. So conversation developed and I explained I had a typewriter, did he want to see it.
So it came down, still in it's original case but it needed a REALLY good clean and the ribbon barely has any ink left (which isn't surprising given the last time it was used properly will be close to 25 years ago). A little cleaning later and it's lovely and shiny. The Dude had a little play but given the state of the ribbon he quickly got bored. But I decided to investigate if you can still buy ribbons for manual typewriters .... and guess what? You can, for less than a tenner too!
That got me thinking and I decided to investigate a bit more about this specific typewriter. I even managed to find the serial number on it. It is a Imperial 'Good Companion' Model 6 and based on the serial number I think it was manufactured in 1964. So it's 51 years old. And it works! The Imperial company used to produce these typewriters in Leceister but the factory was closed in 1974. (The year I was born!) When I was telling my dad what I'd discovered he informed me, he thinks it either cost £18 or £24 when my mum bought it.
I remember playing with it when I was younger and typing out nonsense just to see, and hear, it working. I also remember my mum actually typing letters on it before we bought our first computer (which was an old Apple Mac!) so that must have been round about 1984.
I've even managed to find an instruction manual online for it. I'm so excited to have found out so much about it. I've always loved this typewriter and I'm not sure why. But I do know that I'll be getting a new ribbon for it and hopefully it will continue to be loved by my children.
thats so cool!
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