Re: How's your handwriting?

I`ve always had appalling handwriting as I`m left-handed, which wasn`t encouraged at my school. But I taught myself to read and write by copying my older sister`s efforts so when I did go to school, I was already using my left hand and they gave up trying to stop me.
That`s my excuse anyway!

Re: How's your handwriting?

I write back-hand-I'm told its very neat but difficult to read I've never had any problems reading it

Re: How's your handwriting?

Other than checks, grocery lists and birthday/Xmas cards, I cannot remember when I've actually written anything in ages. Penmanship was adequate, but has deteriorated with non use.

Re: How's your handwriting?

My handwriting used to be really neat but I'm afraid it first started to deteriorate when I was at university. The pressure of trying to get every important word from the lectures onto the page (there were no ready-printed handouts in the 60's!) led to it becoming a bit of a scribble and using a ball-point instead of a fountain pen made things worse.

When I look back at the beautiful writing on some old family papers, I feel really sorry that these skills have been lost nowadays.

Re: How's your handwriting?

You are right MrsH. My Dad had the most beautiful writing and his brother writes almost identically - obviously they went to the same school. I get a bit of a shiver when I see my uncle's writing now as my dad died 16 years ago.

Re: How's your handwriting?

Did you have what was called the Palmer Method of handwriting taught in school?

Re: How's your handwriting?

Not as far as I was aware DM.

Re: How's your handwriting?

The Palmer Method was developed by Austin Norman Palmer around 1888 and was introduced in the 1894 book Palmer's Guide to Business Writing. The Palmer Method became the most popular handwriting system in the early 1900s. It continued its dominance until displaced by the movement to teach printing instead of cursive as the dominant handwriting style for students.

This was used in almost all schools, particularly the Catholic ones. My Mom and aunts all wrote beautiful Palmer method, I had it in primary school; you had to spend hours practicing your letter forms in a workbook!

Re: How's your handwriting?

That's interesting, especially as I did attend a Catholic school, although I was not Catholic myself. I found this web site to get an illustration and confirmed that we were actually taught Italic in primary school.

Re: How's your handwriting?

I can't remember being tought to write but I suppose I was, somehow.
Another handwriting questions - why do all handwritten menus etc in France appear to have a uniform hand whilst there are so many writing styles here?