Wednesday 1 August 2012

Blue Goes to Orange

...and from Olympia to Silver-Reed.

Of course, I'm talking about another typewriter.

I took half of my clothes wardrobe to Emmaus in Le Blanc today. In case you don't know of them, they work for the homeless in a variety of ways.  The site in Le Blanc is big, and sells just about everything.

It was buzzing today, when I took in my big black sack and smaller bag of clothes.  I hope they all find a good home - especially my Per Una suits - I'm sure I will never wear them again.

Anyway, Sue came with me and we had a quick look round although neither of us wanted to buy anything - except that Sue was looking for a little table to put a lamp on in her sitting room.  On the quick lookround I spied what was obviously a portable typewriter...

Case

Inside was a bright orange machine!

Silver-Reed 200 closer

Lovely!

Silver-Reed 200 badge

It was made by Seiko, in Japan...

 Serial number

...but that is about all I have been able to find out about it.

It works, but there is a cord or something that has come off, as it sends the platten all the way to the left immediately after the first letter is typed.  Which is not good.

I spoke to a very nice man in England, at a firm who, up until recently, sold another model of Silver-Reed machines, and he patiently explained that I must realise that this machine is VERY OLD and they were made, he thought, in the 1980's!  Good heavens, I thought, my daughter was made just before that, in the mid-1970s and I'm sure she doesn't think of herself as 'very old'...

I, personally, was made quite a long time before my typewriter and guess I will have to come to terms with my 'very old' status! (Excuse me while I adjust my hearing trumpet and make sure my Stannah Stairlift is still working)...


4 comments:

Marigold Jam said...

1980's is only yesterday isn't it? Very old indeed! Hope you can get it fixed but even if not it is rather attractive being that lovely orange colour isn't it?

moleymakes said...

These vintage typewriters remind me of my school days.

I learned to type on a huge manual Adler. Oh how I still wince when my pinkies missed the keys :)

At home I used to practise on a portable Olivetti.

Carol said...

Hahaha, oh dear, that makes me feel ancient! What a fabulous colour typewriter.
Official Yorkshire day celebrations began in 1975, after local government re-organisation did away with the Ridings. Each year a big parade takes place in a different town, I organised the one in 1994.
Carol xx

ted and bunny said...

the only portable typewriter I ever had, had the 'R' key missing, which made for quite interesting reading...
hope you've recovered from the watery traumas I've been reading about in past posts
xx