Paper & Penmanship Q&A with Tabitha at The Last Post

There are still a few tickets left for our Paper & Penmanship event at Homemade London on Sunday and I thought it was about time you got to know some of the girls behind the brilliant sessions. So meet Tabitha. She runs letter writing club The Last Post and she's going to be running our session on love letters.


What do you love most about writing letters?

Gosh it's hard to pick one thing. I like choosing the right pen, paper and envelope for the recipient. I love sitting down for a rare, quiet ten minutes and just putting nice things onto paper. But what I love most of all is the anticipation of a response! Getting home to find something in the letterbox that isn't bill shaped is just fabulous.

What was the last handwritten letter you received? Who was it from?

I recently wrote to a lovely chap called Craig Oldham who commissioned the wonderful Hand.Written.Letter.Project. I told him about The Last Post and how much I loved his exhibition. He wrote back last week to recommend some books and give me ideas for themes (he suggested letters to your favourite letter of the alphabet - what a sweetheart). I was so happy to receive such a charming letter back - I felt like Marge when Ringo responded to her fan mail.

Where are your favourite stationery shops?

There's a beautiful little stationers in Berlin called RSVP which sells these gorgeous Kaweco Pens and, bizarrely, multi-coloured masking tape. Another favourite is Cassegrain, Paris - they have a portfolio in the shop full of stationery they've made for Marc Jacobs and Issey Miyake. Here in London, if money were no object, it'd be Smythson every time. I once shelled out about £40 on their Giles Deacon notecards. There are three left in the box; I don't love anyone enough to part with them. Clearly money generally is an object, so most of my stuff is ahem, liberated from the office or purchased at the wonderful Paperchase.

Tell us about a brilliant secret Sluttery thing that we'll love!

To give letters a bit of sparkle or create bespoke cards on the cheap, treat yourself to a box of these Cavallini & Co rubber stamps. I've just spotted the Flora and Fauna set...I need that bunny in my life right now.

What's the best love letter you've ever read?

The best love letter I've ever read was written by my brother when he was seven. It simply said, 'To Emma, I love you. Please go out with me, I am so much better than Tom.' Swoon. What a smoothie.

Want to meet Tabitha and write some love letters? Head over to Homemade London where you can buy tickets. Tabitha's session is in the morning and you'll get three interesting events for just £15.