Photo taken inlast Sunday in Ledbury. I shall return (having had a soft spot for cider all my life!)
This morning we went down to the car boot sale, as usual. As it was dry and the sun even came out at times, there were more folk outside than usual. Quite a few mums trying to sell what they'd bought their kids in previous Christmases to pay for this year's gifts. Other people - even more desperate - with pure junk . . .
Anyway, we wandered round, and my husband got a carved wooden candlestick for the grand sum of 50p. The minute he spotted it I knew it would be coming home with us as he has a soft spot for such things - he used to do a lot of turning himself, so he knows the work that goes into it.
I bought a small Welsh waffle blanket with a couple of small holes, which I am going to wash and hopefully turn into something useful - if I can't mend it, then perhaps cushion covers?
I also found an embroidery book I read about years and years ago and would have liked, but never got it - The Subversive Stitch. A bit of a Feminist book (and I am Earth Mother rather than Feminist) but very interesting to read about how women who sewed were treated in the past - well, exploited is probably the closer term, in many circumstances. I'll share it on here, as I know quite a few of my followers sew in one form or another, or appreciate sewn items.
Then I had a battle with myself over a pair of used vintage Laura Ashley curtains, which should fit the kitchen window (right colourway too, having a lot of yellow). They had slightly faded edges on one side though, so once again, I would need to work on them . . . Anyway, bartering brought them my way, so we shall see . . .
Then one of the stallholders we often chat with asked my husband if he would be interested in the written side of Military history (yes). From him we bought 3 postcard-photos (the same) of Pte. John Ross, of the 9th Battalion, the Royal Scots, who died in 1917 and is buried near Arras. There is a letter written from him to his mother, and Army Form B. 104-121 informing his mother (presumably) of the last resting place of John Ross near Rocliecourt, Arras, dated September 1917. I will do a seperate post for him when I have found out more of his history, but will have to wait until Tuesday, when the Records Office will be open next and I can go in and use one of their computers to look up the details . Poor boy - he looked about 16 in the photo. All the more poignantly, his writing style had similarity to my dad's, especially the "f" and the "&". I wonder how these items came so far from Edinburgh to end up in our part of Wales?
My research shows that he died on the same day and in the same battle as poet Edward Thomas . . . 9th April 1917.
A common enough name i suspect--it was a John ross, fighting on the wrong side [as usual with Scots?] who got himself deported to the 'colonies' and started my line of the Ross clan in New England. Aren't the soldiers always way too young to be sacrificed to wars created by pompous old men in high office?
ReplyDeleteI would be in too much danger from buying rather too much-I've never been!
ReplyDeleteLots of great goodies. Interesting about the death of the John Ross and your E Thomas being in the same battle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Morning Minion about the pomposity of the Generals who don't fight and whose sons are excused from the combat.
MM - it was ever thus I fear. I didn't know that you had a John Ross too! Or perhaps I had forgotten.
ReplyDeleteSuzie - our entire house is furnished with auction buys. I look on it as recycling, so it is very green! We have had some REAL bargains down the years.
Lynda - I had a feeling it was the Battle of Arras when I saw where he had been buried, poor lad. He was 23 when he died that day.