It’s the last Stationery Freaks episode before Christmas, and after a slightly chaotic month we’re back with a free-form catch-up full of notebook temptation, planning experiments, and advent calendar joy.

Helen reviews two very premium stationery advent calendars — Martha Brook(s) and Tom’s Studio — including what you actually get, which one feels more “decorative vs functional,” and the one item she absolutely refuses to touch (again).

Rob shares his new structured SmartPlanner time-blocking experiment (and why he’s moved from pen to pencil), an everyday-carry bag confession featuring nine notebooks, and an early idea he’s calling The Wallpaper Method: learning notes on a giant scroll.

We also chat about “analog wellbeing,” why January is peak notebook season, end-of-year reflection (hello, Collins ledger), and what we’ll be tackling in the first episode of 2026.

In this special on-the-road episode, Rob and Helen meet in person for the first time in almost six years — to celebrate Mark+Fold’s 10-year anniversary at their Brick Lane pop-up.

Recorded between a noisy East London bar and the beautifully minimalist Mark+Fold shop, this episode is a blend of celebration, nostalgia, and stationery-fueled creativity.

Apologies for some of the audio quality - London doesn't have many quiet bars and restuarants!

You’ll hear:

• The Stationery Freaks origin story — how a shared love of pens and notebooks sparked a 7-year podcast
• Why Mark+Fold’s aesthetic hits so deeply for creatives
• How notebooks help ideas become real — from novels to meetings to films
• What Helen did and didn’t buy (and what Rob tried to encourage…)

Plus two brilliant spontaneous mini-interviews:

• Terri, a writer whose tiny handwriting and Bangkok-sourced micro-nib pens inspired us both
• Vicky, a second-generation bookbinder behind the stitching of Mark+Fold’s planners and notebooks

It’s a celebration of longevity — Mark+Fold’s 10 years, Stationery Freaks’ 7 years — and the creative habits, tools, and people that keep us all moving from idea → creation.

Links & Mentions

• Mark+Fold Pop-Up Shop – Open until 25th November 2025 - Find the store at 228 Brick Lane, London, E2 7EE
• Mark+Fold Monthly Planners & Notebooks
• Choosing Keeping (London stationery shop)
• Blackwing Pencils
• Hobonichi Techo & A6 notebooks
• Oxford Notebooks & Yellow Legal Pads

Key Moments

00:00 — Meeting in person for the first time in years
03:10 — Why Mark+Fold’s design philosophy resonates
07:40 — How the Stationery Freaks podcast began
14:00 — Why we record even when the audio is imperfect
18:30 — What we learned from early listeners & global analytics
22:50 — Interview with Terry (writer + micro-nib pen enthusiast)
30:40 — Interview with Vicky (bookbinder who sews Mark+Fold’s planners)
38:00 — Live from the shop floor — Helen “lightly shopping”
46:00 — Reflections on creativity, tools, and 10 years of making things

Household stationery isn’t “our precious pens and paper in our study” — it’s the everyday tools that keep a home ticking. We talk freezer-proof labels, kitchen whiteboards, year-at-a-glance calendars we forget to update, junk-drawer essentials, elastic bands vs Velcro ties for cables, and even a full Kanban wall system that helps a building business run.

Plus: Magic Click (a colour-pen system we need help decoding), why shrink-wrap on notebooks should be illegal, and the enduring magic of handwritten notes in old recipe books.

What We Cover

• Labelling the real world: freezer labels that don’t fall off, pens that actually write on them, and why chalk pens disappointed.
• Whiteboards at home: revision, “blurting” study technique, and why office whiteboards triple in size the moment they enter a house.
• Family calendars: wall planners vs Google Calendar; how to stop answering “What’s for tea?” 47 times.
• The junk drawer: string, Sellotape ends, last 3 Post-its, elastic bands—and occasionally £40.
• Cable wrangling: elastic bands vs Velcro ties (and cats stealing the Velcro).
• Kitchen Kanban: a visual, Post-it based board for a builder’s workload (columns from “mentioned” to “invoiced”).
• Notes on doors: Berlin-style paper rolls to leave messages (and why phones killed the habit).
• Measuring kids’ growth: doorframe ticks vs logging in Apple Notes.
• Sticky label removal: we’ve tried dishwasher runs, washing-up liquid, alcohol… still tacky! (Your hacks welcome.)
• Brands behaving oddly: a Moleskine “travel case” too small for a Cahier; shrink-wrapped notebooks you can’t test.
• Why we love marginalia: old cookbooks and Reader’s Digest repair manuals with handwritten tweaks.
• Content recommendations: Andrew Huberman’s interview with Steven Pressfield (resistance, turning pro, doing the work).
• Event tease: Rob & Helen at a November stationery event (with a shop… send help).

Listener Shout-Outs

• Lisa (In Berlin, in a kitchen): topic idea + brilliant list — thank you Lisa!
• Nat: for sending Magic Click (and introducing us to Barbara Thames’ creativity/play angle).
• Anonymous newsletter supporter: your generosity genuinely helps keep this ad-free. Thank you!

Resources & Mentions

• Magic Click colour-pen system — creator Barbara Tammes (if you’ve used it, tell us how!).
• Label makers: DYMO.
• Notebooks & shops: Moleskine, Waterstones, Dingbats (reporter), Tom’s Studio (pens & inks).
• Other: Vinted (finds), Nokia notebooks at a conference, Reader’s Digest Repair Manuals, The Newt (Somerset).
• Podcasts: Steven Pressfield — The War of Art, Turning Pro; Dr Andrew Huberman interview with Steven Pressfield.

Where to Find Us

• Newsletter & archive: stationeryfreaks.com → Substack
• Instagram: @stationeryfreaksuk
• Say hello / ideas: via the website or Insta DMs