Dear Filofax

I am of the Filofax generation. I fell in love with Filofax in my teens and I'm still smitten. A young love full of sweet Filofax memories evolving into mature companionship with the occasional passion on finding new Filofax collections online.

Then: Filofax was a romantic date at Paperchase in Tottenham Court Road, or a quick rendezvous at WH Smith on the way home from school. Filofax was full of hope for the future. Revision timetables and exercise schedules that, this time, I was going to stick to. Lists of things to accomplish by the end of the week, this year, before I'm 30.

Now: Like eccentric old men who still use their fountain pens for writing and wear fob watches tucked into their waistcoat pockets, I don't quite trust having my life trapped entirely inside a technical device which could fail on me at any time. I like to be able to see everything at once, spread out on the table if necessary or at least viewable with a quick flick of the page.

I still have three standard sized Filofaxes. A cloth covered 'student' Filofax that I did indeed use as a student 30 years ago and is my current diary and life support system. A pink plastic Filofax that I bought my sister for her birthday when she was 17 or 18 (she's now 48) and is full of years' worth of obsolete addresses and telephone numbers. (Actually my 5yo daughter has taken that one and is busily colouring in the pages as her first Filofax project. As I said, the numbers are obsolete.) And a slim black leather Filofax that I bought in my twenties when I was trying to be sophisticated. It now holds seven years of detailed monthly spending records, to date. With an overview page at the back showing average spending each year. Obsessive - moi?

There have been others including a pocket sized leather Filofax from when giant hold-alls went out of fashion and small handbags were in. I gave it to a friend on a whim one day, when big bags were back and my life was more complicated than could fit into a miniature Filofax. Aah, I call it my whim-away and have fond memories. I hope she's taking good care of it.

At one time a Filofax was my Bar and Bat Mitzvah present of choice, however times change. My brother, being of the post-fountain pen generation, got four calculators for his Bar Mitzvah. Now I buy disposable calculators for a pound. I sometimes still give a Filofax if the recipient is a special sort of young adult who I think would appreciate the exquisiteness of such a gift.

But what about me, Filofax? I've not bought a new one for myself for 25 years. A whole generation of Filofax has passed me by. I'm broody for one last new Filofax to keep me young. But I'm set in my ways now. I have very specific needs. If I were to invest in a new Filofax, this is what I would hope to fill it with...

1. A weekly diary with one week shown on a double spread. However, the backs of each sheet should be plain lined, with only the dates of the week at the top, so that I can write a weekly action list before detailing each day. This would also allow me to insert extra pages between the weeks for e.g. a weekly menu plan and extra notes pertaining to events that week such as addresses, what to bring, or flight details.

2. A yearly planner on a concertina fold-away sheet so I can see the whole year on one page. Please repeat this planner on the back of the sheet so I have two planners. I might want to use one for tracking hours or progress on long term projects and the other for blocking off holidays, trips, and leisure pursuits, for example. Whatever you use a yearly planner for, the small cells get filled up very quickly so it would be great to have two.

3. A years' worth of whole months on a page. People who like projects and challenges often set themselves a task for each month. In fact anyone who likes lists (almost every Filofaxer) is likely to start planning their months with glee whether they follow through or not.

4. A folded double page showing a weekly chart for timetabling. And one on the back too please. In fact I'd like a few of these as schedules change from season to season.

5. Monthly spread sheets to record income and expenditure.

6. Lined paper for other records - hours worked, weight lost, expenses incurred, etc.

7. Graph paper for plotting my own. Some records need to be compared with other data for full effect and appreciation doncha know.  

8. The subject dividers do not need headings. I like to write my own so don't plasticate the tabs. And please include two sets of dividers as I might have 12 different sections to label.

So thank you for a lifetime of love, support, passion, companionship, security, and stability Filofax. Thank you for putting up with my obsessive list making and planning. Thank you for not making a big deal when I failed to achieve the bottom of the list or the goal at the end of the month (a nifty tearing out of a page and no trace of it remains).

This is not a sponsored, collaborative, or in any otherwise compensated post. However, I am happy to change that if an offer were made.

With all My love,
Rachel