Monday 23 January 2017

Frozen to the Marrow! . . . and a drive-by



The above photo shows Malvern in the sun.  Believe me, Malvern showground did NOT look like this yesterday, or feel remotely like the warm sunny summer day when I took this photo!!!  We set off at 5 a.m. and it was cold here.  The forecast had shown a couple of wee clouds over Wales, and then clear skies later and there was mention of it warming up and a couple of rain showers.  Hmmm,  Had we known it was going to be BITTERLY cold all day, and picking with snow all the way there, we might well have stayed in bed!!

I don't enjoy driving for the best part of 3 hours in total darkness for starters, but it is necessary for winter forays to Malvern.  Concentration levels were high, driving into the snow showers - just tiny snow pips - when we stopped briefly, it was hardly anything - but driving into it was quite distracting.

We made good time though and got there just as the gates had opened and were walking round the first stalls before it was even properly light.  Because of the light levels, we made an expensive mistake buying something which which purported to be something it turned out NOT to be.  Dodgy dealers all look the same in the half light . . .  A lesson learned and hopefully we can get it away at not too large a loss.  However, this was made up for later when we bought another thing which - if it is verified as being what we think it is from our research - will have been an excellent purchase. Swings and roundabouts - no-one knows everything, no-one can possibly be an expert in everything, and sometimes you have to take a chance.

But my golly gosh, was it COLD there.  Crisp with a hard frost underfoot, and because the showground is in a natural ampthitheatre, the cold stayed all the time we were there.  The only warm place was the Avon Hall, where we lingered to try and thaw out a little.  Folk were starting to pack up around 11 a.m. because of the cold, and not many buyers about (who can blame them?)  In the unheated sheds, the cold was intense, what with the concrete floors and doors open.  I had felt shaky when we first got up around 4 a.m., and having slept SO badly for two nights in a row (less than 5 hours sleep each night), it took a good while to feel half-human.  The cold was penetrating, and I could literally feel the marrow in my bones chilling as we walked around.  I couldn't feel my feet either, and was glad after the first round of the Fleamarket, to get back to the car and have hot tea.  We always get a big sausage roll from the excellent baker who has a stall there each time, and I felt it wouldn't be amiss to have a Hereford Bun to follow it down - imagine a Chelsea Bun stuffed with fruit, apple and cinnamon and a little Hereford Cider too.  Scrummy!  I've not had one for months because of trying to avoid temptations, but a chilled body calls for sustenance.

Thus fortified, and a change of footwear from walking trainers to walking boots (this time with wool socks), we went round again, and made a couple of small purchases.  One of these will probably go no further than me, or at any rate, I shall enjoy it for a little while.


We spotted this on the stall of our friend Simon and I was absolutely drawn to it.  When you think of the trench art which is normally on offer at fairs, it is usually of the ashtray, brass vase variety.  Pretty enough with a pattern chased into the brass, but I have NEVER (nor has Simon) seen anything which cried so loudly "HOME".  I can imagine the chap who made this, thinking of the fireside in his childhood or family home - the simplicity of this fireplace suggests a home of fairly humble origins in a city.  He must have felt a strong connection with home when he made this, and I hope it brought him comfort, rather than a desperate homesickness.  The recipient would have been his mum, or his sweetheart or his mother.  Simon called this a "Sweetheart piece".  As I said, this little piece drew me to it, but even so I was quite unprepared for what happened when I picked it up . . .

I have written before about being - well, let's call it a bit "fey".  I have had experiences with objects before.   I am empathic, and I pick up on emotions.  This had emotions by the bucketful and the moment I picked it up I was overwhelmed with sadness and my eyes filled with tears.  In fact, I had to turn away so no-one noticed my face crumpling!  I put it down, and we discussed price.  I picked it up again, with the same emotional result.  It just had to come home with me.  As I said, when I saw it originally I was thinking what a wonderful example of social history, and thinking of selling it on at an Antiques Fair.  Now I will just enjoy it for a while.  I don't know who made it, only when.  I can make up a story behind it, but I do have a feeling that the young man who made it never made it home and was killed in the horrors of WW1.

Now to cheer us up, a photo of  the ridiculous purchase (Keith said: What on earth possessed you to buy THAT?")


I just couldn't resist this tatty half-bald and much-loved little toy dawgy.  His tail is nearly off - just a few huge coarse stitches keeping it in place, but his glass eyes give him a slightly leary look and he is a poppet.  Someone will fall for him I'm sure.  I need to do some running repairs on him this afternoon.

Right, time to be off as we are going to our original Unit to start dismantling it as we are pulling out of there at the end of the month.  Sales have been going downhill for the last 6 months so we have called it a day there.

P.S.  I very nearly forgot.  We decided to come home via a village where there is a property for sale which would suit us down to the ground (half a dozen miles from Hereford).  Well, driving through the village, we couldn't see it at all.  Then, just a couple of miles out of the village, I spotted it.  Set back from the road, and in the most marvellous setting.  Two more ticks . . .  We'll not go to view until the next viewing has taken place.  Pointless getting excited over nothing . . .

17 comments:

  1. Its funny how sometimes you pick things up from objects.
    I picked a 1968 sindy doll (i collect them) up at a local garden fete stall and instantly picked up the name Geraldine. No idea if it was the name of the original owner or her doll but it hit me as hard as a truck.
    Such a shame so many were killed in WWI, my nan lost her first husband, widowed at 19 and her cousin who died of injuries couple days after peace declared.

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    1. sharie - I think we once had this "extra sense" so to speak - we have huge brains and I think a lot of the skills we needed as hunter-gatherers have been lost. Some remain, however, with some of us. It's a genetic thing too - middle daughter had it as a child (probably still does) and I could always finish eldest daughter's sentences for her!

      So so many deaths in WW1. My husband's g. grandfather didn't even GO to war, but took part in gas tests and died of TB a couple of years later . . .

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  2. Hi BB Now perhaps you will trust you instincts. Once you get a few moments and are on your own and it is quiet sit with the object and then see what else you can get from it. It may take a couple of tries but write anything down that you get. Do not forget to use all of your senses including smell feelings hearing taste etc. Its called psychometry and it is a way of improving the information you pick up. It cannot harm you it is just residual energy an imprint and the more you use it the better the quality of information. You are not making it up either. I am sorry about you having to close the unit such a real shame as I know you have a real affinity for this. What about using your blog to advertise items then list on ebay. I have another friend who does this and she seems to be doing not too badly. Just an idea. Do you think it may be serendipity intervening bringing a kind of closure on one thing and then seeing a potential property within the same time frame and a viewing to boot. I am thinking positive for you. The house will choose and when the timing is right a new door will open and everything will happen. Sometimes you have to dream things in. Fingers crossed and toes plaited for you both. Pattypan. Xx

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    1. I shall do that my dear - just need that quiet moment! I am open to the residual energy of "things" when I am really relaxed - as we are when we are enjoying ourselves on a buying spree at Malvern. The energy of this piece was SO overwhelming though.

      Whilst one Unit is being closed down, we have another elsewhere, so panic not. We still do Fairs too, and just absolutely love what we do.

      The property we like, we have been watching for a couple of months now. In some ways it is totally different to what we thought we wanted, as it is a lot more modern, but then we don't need the maintenance of a very old property any more and want to be closer to amenities too. We would like to go and view it . . .

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  3. We went for a very short walk yesterday and it was so cold we came home pretty quickly!
    What a very unusual piece of trench art, something you will never find again and the dog is a cutie and needs a cuddle!
    Crossed fingers for selling/buying. I have sympathy at the moment!!

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    1. I hope your buying goes smoothly now (I trust you have fired a rocket in the direction of the solicitors!) I also hope your little bungalow can find a buyer. It must suit someone who doesn't need acres of space . . .

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  4. I am intrigued to know what the trench art item is exactly.
    Also I could not have resisted the dog either.

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    1. The soldiers had some spare time on their hands, and would turn dud shell cases into something, just to keep themselves occupied. In the main, they retain their shell shapes, just modified. This little piece is something quite different and the dealer selling it thought so too, we had a lovely discussion about it.

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  5. I'd submit that squirrel at the top to the disturbing, but hilarious "Crap Taxidermy" twitter account

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    1. Ah, Simon, I know that site from Facebook I think and this squirrel would DEFINITELY pass muster!

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    2. That site makes me howl with laughter!

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  6. I takes something very compelling to have me on the road at 5 a.m. in any weather--and at that, I'd best not be the one driving. Combining an early start with being cold all day--no thank you! I used to drive with my boss/friend to the wholesale auto auctions and feel miserable all day with the cold.
    What odd bits and pieces you've collected this time out! I've never heard the term 'trench art.' No doubt a hear-breaking story behind that piece.
    The shabby little dog was obviously much beloved.

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    1. We had a lie-in this time too! We get up at 3.30 a.m. in the summer, but a black winter's night has little allure. Fortunately it wasn't foggy this time, but the light snow was quite discombobulating!

      The trench art is very common over here. There are varying degrees of skill involved in its manufacture . . .

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  7. I had never heard "trench art" either. probably a product of living in the states.

    Love the first pic with the squirrel ..

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    1. Hi Thea, if you Goofle Trench Art and then look at the images, you will get a good idea about it.

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    2. very interesting .. thanks

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  8. I love this post BB. I have heard of trench art and even from your photo, you can tell it begs to be picked up and stroked. Looking forward to the 'story' you get from it if you take Pattypan'S advice x

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