With nearly 100 entries into our "I love stationery because......." competition, it took much deliberation to decide a winner. We received poems, photos of stationery collections arranged into shapes, recollections of childhood memories and much more. And so, without further ado, our winner is Andrea Hewitt from Rainham, Essex. We felt her answer encapsulated the childhood nostalgia we have for stationery, and the pure enjoyment and wonder of stationery shopping. "I Love Stationery Because...........it’s managed to stay unchanged and unchallenged in more ways than one throughout the years.  When I was a child at school starting a new term or school year, my brother and I would take a trip to the shops to get fully kitted out with not only new uniform but new stationery too. It could be anything from pens, pencils, rulers, rubbers even a new pencil case to house our stash of goodies.  I remember once buying a pencil sharpener that looked like a cake, with white icing and a red cherry on top. Rubbers that not only looked like sweets but smelt like them too. It soon become the norm at school to have some amazing addition to our already packed to the brim pencil case!  I haven’t changed today either some 40 plus years on.  If I start a new job or even a new venture that involves writing of some kind a trip to a stationer is a must. It doesn’t have to be a well-known one either, it could be a little hidden shop down the local High Street to a Supermarket it makes no difference to me! As soon as I walk in, I’m mesmerised with the rows and rows of various stationery, leaving my Stationery Widow behind (my husband), as I speed off down the aisles like a child in a sweet shop. My persona changing from that of a grown up to that of the child I used to be.If I had to choose which item is my favourite, serious thought would have to come into play.  Knowing though in my heart of hearts the fountain pen would always win hands down.  My first one was a Waterman belonging to my Grandad, it was jade green with a gold nib, that used ink from a bottle, which fascinated me immensely.  So much so that this choice of pen followed me throughout my School years and beyond, mainly using cartridges that would have more ink on my blotting paper than on my work, but the fun of using them was enough to see me through.  My pen taking pride of place on my desk ready and waiting for its next mission.For me there is no contender yet to prevent me from having my stationery fix, and finding an excuse to even just go and look at what’s on offer, to join all the other things currently housed in my prized pencil case."

Andrea Hewitt