The Newspaper Rings my Bell

Last night I read Saturday's Telegraph newspaper instead of the usual surfing online news via twitter. It made a nice change to leisurely read some features rather than online bulletins.

Reading an actual newspaper is a treat I usually save for train journeys and weekend visits to a coffee shop but due to prolonged BT broadband issues at home, spanning some 18 days, I'm rediscovering the luxury of good old fashioned print.

There is something quite satisfying about reading a full article instead of scan reading a news bulletin, much as I would sub-edit copy at work. Even more satisfying is reading the paper from cover to cover, so long as I don't revert to 'sub' mode and start spotting typos and scribbling in the margins! There is also a sense of nostalgia about the sound of turning the pages, the smell of the print and the black paw prints from the ink afterwards.

One of my regular 'go-to' columns is The Daily Telegraph Obituaries where I often discover inspirational life stories of people from the world of aviation, motorsport or military history. Usually on finishing the column I find myself adding another biography to my wish list.

As I write this (with a notepad and pen) I can hear the village church bells ringing outside and I find myself taken back to a bygone age. Sometimes it's nice to escape the modern world and take time out. Once I am reconnected to broadband I vow to pick up the paper a bit more and resist the temptation to surf the net.

So, reading the newspaper rings my bell today. What's your non-digital leisure time escape? Put down your iPad, Smartphone or Kindle and go rediscover...