Wreck This Journal: Newsprint

One of my favorite things to take home as a souvenir is a local newspaper from the places I visit. This goes for Northern Wisconsin as much as it does for Beijing, China.  Headlines, opinion pages, and even obituaries give a vivid representation of the culture and atmosphere of any given place.  So, when Wreck This Journal gave instructions to glue down a random page from a newspaper, I was ecstatic!

I got so excited I actually ended up using four pages in the journal to paste down various parts of The Daily Telegraph from London.  I clipped the title, interesting tidbits, and a few other little things to bring back some great memories of the U.K.  Who would have thought my Wreck This Journal would also serve as a scrapbook?!

First up, I clipped out the iconic title The Daily Telegraph.  I even added the price block of 90p, of which I always keep that much handy in a bowl on my nightstand.  It’s a nice reminder of how much I always kept in my pocket, so I could buy a newspaper each day to read in the park.  I tried to draw the Union Jack as the backdrop, but it turned out a tad odd!

The Daily Telegraph tries to hide a lame drawing of the Union Jack!

Next up, I attached some clippings that are so English they really capture the essence of London. Quirky headlines, the BBC schedule, and a spot of trivia are in every newspaper.  This particular issue of The Daily Telegraph is one of the older ones I have, dating back to 2009, (hence PM Brown). In the bottom corner of this page, I tried to document where and when I got this edition, but as you’ll see my memory got a little fuzzy, (I had to whip out my journals to find the date)!

Memorabilia fills this page along with a snappy shade of purple.

A newspaper just isn’t complete without mention of the weather.  The weather is a moody thing in the U.K. and I love how people talk about it as if its a member of the family instead of a natural phenomenon. The rain isn’t just something that waters the garden, but rather a temperamental cousin that makes you carry his umbrella.

During my last trip to London, I became quite reliant on the weather section in a free daily newspaper, The Metro.  I  actually started to learn the Celsius standard from experience rather the relying on a converter.  I knew 18°C and partial clouds meant I needed a hoodie and an umbrella.  As is happens, the same goes for 27°C and sunny, (sometimes the “cousin” makes surprise visit).

Hmmmm . . . looks to be a hot day in London.

Finally, I clipped the enigmatic crossword puzzle.  No day is complete without at least trying to crack the clues and complete the puzzle.  Strangely, I have better luck on U.K. puzzles than I do with American counterparts.  I haven’t completed the puzzle I clipped, but I will someday.

Just in case I get stuck on the Tube with nothing to do!

I’m already anxious to go back! Meanwhile, I’ll be living vicariously through my television during the Olympics later this summer!

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Sadly, newsprint is starting to go out of style, but I have hope that it will never completely die out. How else will we:

• do paper mache
• make origami hats
• have cheap placemats
• protect the table from a painting project
• save clippings for a scrapbook
• potty train puppies
• pack fragile items (shredded padding or wrap)
• lift ink with silly putty

What else should go on the list?

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c.b.w. 2012