Wednesday 2.

My readers will probably have noticed that  the previous blog entry was unillustrated. That was really because the above illustrated granddaughter was shopping with her grandmother (Ann). Both having just returned from these junkettings, I was able to beg granddaughter's assistance, insert photograph successfully, and complete today's blog entry.

Many, many thanks granddaughter.

Wednesday.

Must just record that we woke up this morning to the first snow of the winter. About half an inch deep overall (if that)  and it's mostly  all gone now. If there is such a thing as a 'Frost Hollow' we must live in the opposite of it - probably it's called a warm patch in meteorological circles.  I don't mind this a bit, though.  Now I'm rather past building snow men or indulging in snowball   fighting, I've rather realised that snow is overrated  stuff, and anyway it's arrival is completely unpredictable. I only really believe in it when it's actually here, and I'm in no hurry for that to  occur.

Been getting on, slowly but steadily in the workshop. Still working on the little lantern alarm clock, but got one or two other jobs in hand. Progress report in a day or two perhaps.

Warm Regards to ALL me readers.

Monday.

The two swords pictured are both English, are both gentleman's  'small swords', and were both made in the first half of the 18th century. The top one would have been carried by  a gentleman as part of his normal dress. The lower one was made for a boy of between six and eight years. It is of equal quality and effectiveness as the larger one - it is potentially deadly. Someone once said that childhood was a Victorian invention, and I think there's  something in that  idea.  If you look at eighteenth century oil  paintings of families, the children (even quite young ones) are dressed as miniature adults. Sometimes the boys   are even armed as miniature adults.

Ann has an English version of a 'Nuremburg Kitchen' , which is furnished with all the fittings of a kitchen of the early nineteenth century.  In one sense it is not a toy, but is designed and built  to familiarise a young lady with the necessary fittings and instruments of the household items that a young woman is going to need to run the household she will eventually govern.  The smaller of  the two swords is a perfectly proportioned weapon of the type that a young gentleman (boy) will need to teach  him to wear, and when necessary , to use that mark of a gentleman - the smallsword. 

Following on this idea,  I've even come across very small flintlock pistols that are too small to fit into adult hands, but could be used by six to nine year olds very comfortably. Like all tools they would have had to be 'learned'.  I've even come across the odd pair of unmistakable duelling pistols (but very small, and with little sign of regular usage, I'm glad to report). 

Going back to  swords, the child sized ones are not even particularly rare. Over the years I've come across half a dozen or so of them. I don't ever recall, though, reading of one being misused, or of any  boys being puncture with one. Perhaps the  Georgian young gentleman was more responsible that his modern counterpart. Or, and this is what I started out to  suggest, perhaps the pre-Victorian boy was expected to behave  responsibly, and as a result of that expectation,  did behave more responsibly  than might be  expected of his modern counterpart?

Friday.

Couple of quick snaps to demonstrate how well  the old and new can blend. After  twenty five years or so without a TV we bought the above one about a year ago and put it in front of the sitting room fireplace. After  a few months  our friend Sue (who helps Ann about the house) said to me "Mike, that television set spoils the look of your lovely old fireplace. You're not  going to leave it there, are you?"
So I asked her where we should put the new telly, and she said to leave it with her, and she'd give it some thought. The next time I wandered through, I found she'd moved the above carved oak chest from it's previous place in a window bay, and put the new machine on top of it.  It proved, as I said a few lines back, how well the old and the new can blend. A few years ago we lived next door to Sue and  Chris  for about a year, and we've never lost touch with them.  Sue, as you  can see, has excellent taste.

Sunday.

The two photographs shown are of my grandfather's eel glaive - they belonged to his grandfather-  who had the glaive made by  a member of the Evison family probably  around 1850. The last time they were used was about 1955 by grandfather Trower and meself , when we caught a fairly large amount of eels, which my grandmother converted into an eel pie. Do you know, the more I write, the more I am convinced that I've told you this before, so I'll now  apply the handbrake and stop this tale.

Today has been a pottering about the workshop sort of day. There was a hard frost this morning, I've just been out checking the car and locking up .   There's a full moon tonight, and another hard frost, I  think.

I wish  you all a good night's sleep. I think perhaps tonight will be a hot water bottle night.

Saturday.

Not really mystery objects; but  all  three items standing on top of the spice cupboard in our kitchen are  very collectable pieces of   ?????.  We do not really collect this, but we do have several pieces of it about the home that we have collected over the years.  Every so often we meet someone who says, on seeing these  "AH Yes, I collect ?????  I have done for years. Rarely see it for sale these days".  It's a simple, very descriptive word ; well it is when you work out what it means. No prizes for guessing what the word is, but think of the kudos when I say "Very few people knew this  word, but old - so and so - did straight away."

Friday.

I recorded on yesterday's blog that on Sudbury Market, earlier in the day, I purchased a brace of partridges.  This afternoon Freja borrowed one of her Grannie's cookery books, looked up  partridges (roast) and prepared them for dinner this evening. She wrapped each of them in a rasher of lean bacon, and made a sauce of cream, boiled onions, and various herbs and spices. Looking back, I can't think why I  didn't buy three partridges.  I've always said that a partridge is the correct size to feed one person. In fact, the two birds fed the three of us quite satisfactorily, but one each would have been easier for Freja to prepare and serve.  As a dish it was a resounding success with all of us.

Above is Freja sitting down to her meal, and still wearing her cook's  apron, and  an air of  quiet triumph at her culinary success, she being a true  Horner (and therefore, of course - modest). We all enjoyed our evening meal immensely. Her late father did a great deal of shooting in the forests of  Northern Sweden. He always made up his recipes as he went along, but never kept a record of them.
This always seemed a pity to me, but he obviously taught his daughters well. I've eaten everything  he shot or caught from elk down to freshwater fish, over their thirty years of marriage,  and I never knew him to use a cookery book; or to cook a less than perfect, locally sourced, meal, so his system of memory, and tasting and adjusting as he went along, worked well for him, and I think his daughter has inherited his skills.

Good night all.

Thursday.

Above picture is of  our sitting room.  We are having motoring problems at the moment - I'm not allowed to drive (medical advice), nor is Ann for a few more days (after cataract op.)  This morning I had an appointment in the Hearing department at Sudbury  Medical centre. Our next door neighbour very kindly volunteered to run us to Sudbury. New and more powerful hearing aids prescribed. After that we went to the Market Place (today was Market Day in  Sudbury, and we all bought something. My contribution was a brace of partridges, which Ann says will be tomorrow's  lunch. Freja took the below photograph of one end of Sudbury Market Place and the church. As you can see, it was a lovely bright day, although a couple of the stall holders told me that it was snowing hard at six  this morning.
However at mid day it was lovely in the sun, but not so lovely in the shade - in fact cold and miz in the shade. We had coffee, etc. at David's just off the market place, before we motored home.

          What it is to have Good Neighbours!!!!!

Good night, everyone.

Wednesday.

 Yesterday afternoon the three of us walked into town with various commissions to execute. The first of these was to buy Ann some flowers for the  house, which I do most weeks (or as necessary). Freja and I had found some nice daffs in a bucket outside the flower shop, so took a couple of bunches into the shop with a view to purchase. The shop lady who is an old friend demurred (if that's the right word) over the daffs because they were French. She , like me, feels that the  French aught not to be encouraged. She said she was expecting some English ones in in the next day or so, and  they would be  half the price of the French ones and, of course, of better quality.  On the other hand, only the French ones were available at that point so I went against her advice and bought the ones in hand. Ann came into the shop at that point and said how nice the daffs were.  So everyone (bar possibly the shop lady) was pleased. They were in bud when purchased, but (as you can see in the above photo),  have come out completely  today, and are looking well.

________________________________

The above picture was painted by Ruth in Norway in 1991, and on a copper sheet. The four of us had hired a remote  ski cottage in Norway for a week in late May. We saw no one else during that week, saving one elderly lady walking in the forest who Ruth thought was probably a troll.  From our cottage we could hear a river. We explored and found the river about three hundred yards from the cottage. It was fed by the waterfall, and I decided on a  quick swim. I jumped in and found it was heart- stoppingly cold. Not surprising as the river was fed by snow melt water. I did a quick swim round the circular pool at the base of the fall, then was pleased to accept the assistance of Ruth and  Lasse out of the pool and onto the surrounding rocks. It was a lovely week. 

Got to go now; being called up to supper.

Good Night  All.

Sunday .

The above two photies show (top) meself, and (lower) granddaughter Freja (who is  staying on with us for a month or so -heavy work - she is  looking  after us both !!!!!!).  Freja is making very light work of sorting out my blog, too,  using the written directions Ruth left me. They seem to work for her, I'm glad to say. Sometimes they even work for  me (for  a while).   Anyway, it's all good  practice, and Ruth can see that I'm still trying - and making some headway.

Saturday.

Upper photo (lower sword) shows  antler gripped hunting sword, silver hilted, English, and dating from 1734. I know that is a very precise date, but if  you  look at the sword knuckle bow, you will  see hallmarks. They are London silver hallmarks for the year 1734.

Upper sword is of bronze, and dates from about 2,000 years B.C. It was made in Luristan (more or less where Persia now stands). It handles surprisingly well.

Friday.

This chap is Yusuf.  He lives on the back of the scullery door. He is made  from an elderly coacoanut (and one of my old work aprons) His job is (was) to deter the grandchildren from the wine racks  nearby.  I don't think this works very well, especially as Jusuf now has a rather beery, leery, (but  cheery) look  himself.

I haven't yet written the main news this week, which is that Ann had the cataract removed from her right eye on Wednesday  (she had the one in her left eye successfully  removed  on July the fourth).  She is still sporting what appears to be an unusually large monocle (a guard) over her right eye, which she'll be wearing for a day or so yet. She's also been advised not to drive for a month (and, as I've been medically advised  not to drive again, that leaves us  relying on taxis / and friends for a short times - which could be a lot worse. )


I must say that Ann seems to be recovering very well from the op already, which is great.  I'm writing a lot today, to take advantage of Ruth's new, written record, of how to  put photies onto blog entries - so far it's working quite well.

Ruth plans to return to Sweden, via London, tomorrow. Grand daughter Freja , plans to stay with us until February, which is great. They have really been pulling their weight!, as have all our family, God bless 'em!

More later perhaps.

Thursday 2.

Ruth has been working very hard and has made me a nice, clear, list of things to do when I wish to put a picture on my blog. I've just followed said list and produced a picture of the small lantern timepiece alarm I've been working on (on and off) for the last few weeks. To give you an idea of its size, it is four inches across the dial, and five and a half inches from the base of the dial to the top of the arch. I've not called it a clock, as there is no 'hour strike' - just a going train and an alarm train. I think I've done rather more than half the necessary work . I will try and take an 'after' picture when all's done. The movement is of verge type escapement working on a short (behind the clock) bob pendulum. It was made by a London maker John Pyke, who is recorded as working circa  1730 to 1745. The clock  is rather a little charmer.




Goodnight all.

Thursday.

Snapshot of second daughter, Ruth, and her eldest daughter, taken early last Sunday morning (I  think) doing their daily dozen  (exercises that is) in our sitting room, before going to Church. The  spare feet to the left of the picture are Ann's, very sensibly not doing exercises of  any sort or number. I suppose I must have been up (someone took the picture), but not too sure of anything that early in the morning.

Tuesday.

Odd incident this afternoon.  Talking to youngest grand-daughter, who's staying with us - lives in Sweden in the ordinary way, and will be 19 in March.  She is a great fan of the  Italian singer Pavarotti, who she considers was the best singer ever!  I was telling her about my  grandfather, who sang base (could sing basso profundo- very deep voice) and she was quite interested. I had several of  his old 78 records, but gave them to  Sarah a few years ago, so had nothing to let her listen to, but was telling her about the late Peter Dawson (an Australian singer), who was my Grandfather Horner's favourite. At this point Ruth  wandered off, and we carried on talking about base singers. After a bit  Ruth  came back with  her ........ well, it's a small computer..... and said "Which  of  Peter Dawson's songs did Great Grandpa Horner prefer?"  I said "Both his  and my favourite was 'Rocked in  the Cradle of the Deep",   
"That's lucky" said Ruth"because I've got a record of him singing that here."   She switched her 'Smart Phone' on, and played it, and it was better even than I  remembered it as being.  I looked at Swedish grand daughter, and said "What about that, then?"  She is a  sportsman,  and said "Pa, I think I've changed my opinion".

In fairness to daughter and grand daughter, so  have  I.  About modern electronic gadgetry, which is incredible.

Sunday.

Late in december (but just before Christmas, I think) we realised that these snowdrops were showing white. This morning, as we were leaving for Church, we realised that they were in  flower so took the above snap.

I'd been asked, by John Smith, our organist,  who takes any services the new vicar can't do, to read the Old Testament lesson. It was from the 60th chapter of Isaiah (the first six verses). Part of it reads "darkness shall cover the  earth, and gross darkness the people;"    Later in the service, during the sermon, John asked whether anyone knew  the difference between 'darkness' and 'gross darkness', and as there were no replies to this, John went on to tell us that gross darkness was one hundred and forty four times darker than darkness. After Ann had relayed this down my ear trumpet I spent the rest of the sermon giggling quietly to meself.  After the service I told John that I always learn something  from his sermons (this is true enough) and this time  I'd learnt how to  distinguish between darkness and gross darkness.

I should perhaps (in the new Vicar's  defence) explain that he has five parishes to cover , so John also has to cover four out of five Sunday morning services.  I don't think anyone really minds this because John's sermons are always  fun.

Goodnight, everyone.

Thursday.

I mentioned  yesterday that I'd bought a pewter flagon at the Long Melford monthly antique fair. Here is a photograph of the flagon. It appears to be of late 18th / early 19th century date and of Anglo / Dutch make. It has a maker's mark under the base,  a rose and crown with initials A.  G.   It is a fairly hefty vessel, standing eleven inches from the base to the top of the thumbpiece. An attractive piece (if you happen to like pewter, as I do. I'm very lucky in that Ann does, too, although I think it is rather a blokes' metal).  Ah well - some research to be done on it, I think.

I perhaps should add that pewter (like a good many antiques) has gone down  in price over the last few years, and that, after a good haggle (I know the vendor) it changed hands  at a price of £30.  Twenty years ago there'd have been a nought on the end of that. Still, I think it's probably a good investment, and we both like it.

Must knock off now and do some work. Regards to all,   Mike.

Wednesday.

Today the five of us  motored over to Long  Melford and went to Graham Turner's Antique Fair in the Village Hall.  Ruth bought a very nice pair of  late eighteenth century brass candlesticks, 'Adam' style, seamed and of a larger size than is usual-eleven and a half inches high. She is (rightly) very pleased with them. I bought  Ann a small New Hall  tea bowl, and I also bought a lidded pewter  flagon. We then went across the road to the Bull Inn and met up with an old friend for coffee. Ruth took the above photo outside a lovely  old  house, opposite the Bull. Drove back to Sudbury just after mid-day, and lunched at  a coffee bar 'David's'. Very decent light lunch but it  took forty five minutes to serve us. After lunch we went to a newish charity shop, and ALL of us found something to buy (a paper back book that I'd not read, by Ian Rankin,  in my case) so everyone was pleased.  Got home about half past  two feeling that we'd all  had a  good morning out.
Good night everyone.

Tuesday.

The above picture is one of Ann's embroideries. It is probably worth embiggening as the details are usually good. Ann hasn't done one  of  these lately as they are very  time consuming. Ruth, her girls, and Ann went out for a walk this morning, and took my camera with them to take Blog photos for me.  I've been pottering in my  workshop - doing odd jobs.

Ann,  Ruth, and the girls have just come back, as it's starting to rain, and as they  knew I'd be working downstairs in the undercroft, they also  knew I'd never see the rain, so wouldn't take the washing in. I'm afraid I couldn't fault this reasoning, but the girls ran home and got it in before the rain re-damped  it much.

We didn't stay up to  see the New  Year in last night, although I  think Ruth and  the girls did. Ann and I were in bed by about eleven, although I was vaguely aware of fireworks going off somewhere in the vicinity a while  later - didn't really wake us though.

Nearly lunch time  so  must knock off now.