Friday 2.

Earlier today I was allowed to examine the above and below photographed weapon, and realised it would make rather a good            MYSTERY OBJECT.
                                   ________________________

It is not a rifle, but a smooth bored gun, much the same size bore as a modern .410.  It is well made, and well decorated.

It was made with a quite specific target in mind, which I hope you will be able work out from the illustrations.

I have withheld one photograph, which is of the date that the gun was made. I hope you will be able to work out the purpose of the gun, its lock type, where it was made (roughly), and the date at which it was made.

After I had given it a light clean  this afternoon, it is now back with its appreciative owner.
                                         ____________________________________

                                                Good Night, and Good Guessing.

Friday.

We spent yesterday at Lambeth Palace, with a group from Bury Saint Edmund's Cathedral, and at the invitation of a friend of ours who is a retired Canon of the Cathedral.  Lambeth Palace is a glorious mish mash of periods and restorations.  It dates, we were told , from the 1300s (or even a little earlier in parts). In the mid 1600s a large group of Cromwell's troopers were quartered in the Palace, as were their horses. After the dilapidations from this visit were put right, it was decided (around 1830) that the Palace needed to have a more medieval look, so, to achieve  this, a large area of real medieval buildings were pulled down, and then replaced with very grand looking stone buildings.  A while after this was completed Hitler's Luftwaffe had a shot at seeing what they could do to improve the Palace's appearance. It's still a fascinating place to spend a day -there's even a museum of gardening to look round, as well as a very interesting garden. It needs more than a day to begin to appreciate it.
It was, though, a most informative day.  I'm only sorry that my camera is going to have to be replaced, so I missed the opportunity of taking some good photos.

Monday.

Ann has quite a collection of Dianthus in the borders of our small garden. Above is the Dianthus 'Starburst' which I bought her at the Great Cornard Garden Centre yesterday afternoon. Ann says it is a very striking little flower.

Sunday.

 After a completely normal Sunday morning, we spent a most unexpected Sunday afternoon. Immediately after lunch the gasman cameth (a quote there somewhere, I think, or more probably, looking at it, a misquote) and put our central heating to rights in about ten minutes flat, which left the afternoon free. Where would you like to go? asks Ann, and as she said she had no preference in the matter I said that as it was the last Sunday in the month what about the antique fair near Rougham?  I thought Ann looked at me a bit slantendicular, but she agreed.  A few miles up the road  memory finally kicked in and I said "Er, do you remember what I said after the last time we went to this fair ?"
"Yes" said Ann. "It was on the lines of - Never Again !!!!!".   So then we discussed the matter a bit further and decided to go to Sudbury, where I had been tipped off  that there was a percussion musket for sale in an 'antique shop' window, so thither we went, and found that this much was true. The shop was closed, but I could see quite as much as I wanted of the musket, which had been made in India about thirty years ago - so much for the 'Antique' part.  Ann then said that she'd never shown me the Garden centre and coffee bar in Great Cornard, that she and friend Sue had discovered. So off we went again, and had very pleasant tea/coffee (one of each) and scones, followed by a look round the garden centre, where I bought Ann a rather striking Dianthus plant (Dianthus Starburst, I think) which I've forgotten to illustrate, but will tomorrow, if I remember.  Today's photos are of Suffolk lanes and cottages.

 As I said at the beginning - an unexpected, but in the end, very pleasant, afternoon out.

                                     Goodnight All.

Friday.

                                                             
                                                         MYSTERY OBJECT.
                                                         _________________

Been busy in my workshop almost all of today putting a small, ingenious, pocket tinder box, back into full working order.  Decided it was time I put up a Mystery Object, but couldn't think of anything. Then realised that I see the  object illustrated,  in my workshop, everyday! In fact I'd stopped seeing it until an  old friend (a retired G.P.) was in my workshop a few weeks ago; he  drew my attention to it, and wanted to know if it was for sale?  I was a bit surprised at this (it's not at all the sort of thing he usually likes - goes for very fine mechanical objects, which I sometimes have to repair for him), so I told him that I didn't really want to sell it as it belonged to my grandfather (the Norfolk Fenland one - a clue). Told him I'd give him a yell if I ever changed my mind, which satisfied him (I think).   I've included a foot ruler in the lower picture to give some idea of scale.

( P.S. -   Crowbard - if you remember it and its use, I'll hold up your comment for a day or so, to give everyone else a chance, if you don't mind).

Off to bed now -  Good Night All.

Wednesday 2.

 Still just messing about with pictures . Took these at Clare last week.They show, above and below, what I think is my favourite sun dial in Suffolk. It is not the earliest by a very long way. I know of many small Suffolk Churches with 'scratch dials' or 'Mass dials', usually (for obvious reasons) on the South side of a buttress, most of which are very early. This one dates from 1790, and gives the very good advice to the citizens of Clare to 'Go about your business' or to put it another way 'Stop wasting your time studying the exact hour of the day' which, when I took the photo, was about twenty minutes to two in the afternoon. This photo will repay embiggening.

Wednesday.

Just been wrestling with photographs again, with limited success. Above and below are Grannie's Nightcaps. You will have to embiggen the photos to get details.

Below is a very lovely rose, the colour is misleading - it is a dark red, with a glorious scent (embiggening won't. I'm afraid, help here).

Will keep trying.
Feel I'm starting to win here.

Monday.

Motored over to Ely today to lunch with Ann's brothers and their wives, at our usual place, the Fire Engine house. I love the way, when I order 'pigeon casserole' I get a complete wood pigeon.  By the way Maggie, the flower above is on the bush 'Golden Celebration' that you gave us for our golden wedding anniversary last year. It has survived the winter well, and is now full of bud. It's a lovely rose, thank you, and, as you can see, the flowers are a beautiful golden colour.

The house above was more or less derelict a year or two ago, but is now once again a handsome old Suffolk Manor House.
I think perhaps I'm beginning to get the hang of photographs on blog again. Hope so anyway. Will keep trying.

Sunday (still)

No, seem to have lost it again! I'm going to leave this until tomorrow, and try again. Seemed to be making progress there for a moment.

Good night everyone.

Sunday.

Not at all the photo I wanted, but seem to be making some sort of progress. Here goes!!!!!

Sunday.

Hectic day yesterday. Just before nine a.m. we picked up Hilary and motored over to our favourite farm shop for breakfast. Joined John and Gloria, Ruth, and Jill, so seven of us. Lovely breakfast (as always there) and bright, breezy conversation. After breakfast, all did a little shopping at the very well stocked farm shop, then back to Highdale. The roads in town were chocker (i.e. chock or choke full, Lori), because it was the day of the Highdale Agricultural Show.  I'm afraid I didn't even take my camera, as my computer still flatly refuses to publish pictures on the blog.  The show was as good as usual, except that one or two of the stewards seemed to be chucking their weight about as to who could go where, and by which route. One in particular (a young woman ) appeared to be in training to become a Nazi Traffic Warden!!!!!  Oh well, all in all, it was a very interesting morning, and we purchased one or two bits (including a workshop cardigan for me).  At two p.m., having snatched a bite to eat at the fair, we went to our usual Scrabble Club. Won the first game. Hilary won the second (on our table, that is).
Walked home just after four. All the town seemed to be walking to their respective homes at that point - a good, but tiring day.  My apologies about the lack of photos.  I'll keep working on it (but, at the moment, I'm afraid, the computer is winning - the idle beast!).

Wednesday

 Still working hard at the problem of illustrating blog. Today our friends John and Margaret came to lunch. After lunch John spent about three hours trying to make the computer return to its duties. This was partially successful (hence the photos). Above is Boxford Church. Taken about ten days ago.

Above is Edwardstone Church.  Below is interior  of Edwardstone Church.  Both taken a few days ago.

Must now go and wrestle with computer to try and make machine accept new photos for blogging purposes. I have to  confess I feel very little confidence in my powers of persuasion regarding this machine.  

Friday.

You'll probably have noticed that there are no pictures (pretty or otherwise) with this blog entry. This is because, once again, my camera. or the system, seems to be reluctant to print them. So I intend to carry on publishing the occasional, but unillustrated, blog entry until I can persuade the machinery to accept pictures again.  Been a fairly busy week; the highlight was the Long Melford antique fair, which was reasonably  successful. Sold quite  well, and had two items brought into the fair, which I was able to purchase - a military English percussion pistol, and a 1796 pattern light cavalry sabre in its scabbard. Some work to be done on the pistol, and the sword could do with a light clean. Keith and Jill  Pinn called this afternoon, and had  tea with us. Jill purchased a snuff box and sold me a very nice chip carved, fruitwood  watch holder (dated, in the carving, 1758). Probably Welsh.
  Even better is that, at long last, the roof repairs seem to be starting. A young neighbour (a professional roofer, whose work I have seen - and admired) is prepared to take the job in hand. Comes well recommended - we shall see.
About to climb the wooden hill to Bedfordshire now, so will bid you all a very Good Night.

Sunday.

Been a good, busy day. At about 8.30 a.m. we motored over to Copdock, where (on the first Sunday in the month) two antique fairs are held. Also we had to deliver two clocks in the area.  Got back (the fairs and deliveries all done) nicely in time to get to Morning Service at the Church we usually attend a mile or two out of Highdale.  Took all three of the photos from the churchyard, after the service.  It really is a lovely  area; and aren't we having a glorious spring ?

                                                       Good Night All.

Thursday.

 On Monday we motored to London to view, and eventually bid at, Bonham's Arms and Armour sale.  On Tuesday and Wednesday a tube strike took place so that grandson Matthew and meself, made our way from Chiswick to Knightsbridge by 'bus. There is, as you can see from the photos, a lot to be said for travelling by 'bus. I would recommend bagging the front seats on the top deck of a double decker. Don't know where the above photo was taken - somewhere in London.

 The above and below photos are  of Hyde Park.

 The above photo is of the Albert Memorial, with some trees in the way (the more trees the better, as far as the Memorial is concerned). I told Matthew of Lord Peter Whimsey's reported remark when the blackout started during the early days in the last war:-  "If only the Albert Memorial could be floodlit for the duration, we could, with the Luftwaffe's assistance, be fairly sure of getting rid of the damn thing. It's an eyesore!"  Matthew was astonished  to hear of his Lordship's outspoken views. Matthew, is a complete Londoner, and can't understand anyone not liking it (or even bits of it).

   

The above photo  was taken yesterday morning. We had about an hour to spare before the auction, so wandered along to the V. and A. museum, and pottered around it for half an hour.  Glad to report that we purchased six of the lots back at the auction, and that  Ann and I arrived home safely in Suffolk just after ten thirty yesterday evening. It had been an enjoyable, and, I hope, eventually a profitable trip.