Tuesday again.

This  morning daughter Sarah  and granddaughter Lucy motored over  from Milton  Keynes and spent the  day with us. As always  it was lovely to  see them, and a  very pleasant  time was had by all.  Both of  them spent a good  deal of time educating your  blogger in the  ways of  the  computer. Many thanks  to both of  you.

Goodnight  all.

Tuesday.

Above are two photos of  the same weapon, which has recently been through my hands (for repair). Quite  small, it has a sixteen inch  brass barrel, a flintlock, and  a walnut stock.  It is, of course, very much  a military  piece (note the 'brown Bess' layout and proportions), and was probably for  naval use. It was made about the year 1780 to 1790.

I must say that I learned a great deal from the gun  during its repair.

Tuesday

Still having problems with this  disobliging machine, i.e.  computer, mainly re photies, now. the  ones above  are old stock - taken a year or  so ago; but it's being a  lovely summer re roses this  year, so  that although I took the photoes a couple of years ago, the roses depicted on it are again in full bloom, so not really cheating ?????

Saturday.

Been a pleasant day. Had lunch in Saint  Mary's Church- ham, cheese and salads. Shared a table  with friends. Photo of Saint Mary's below.  Looked round  four  gardens, then back  to tea with  next door neighbour.  Her mother who is Italian is the best pastry cook in our area. I'm glad to say   that  some of  her mother's produce put in a brief appearance.  Very civilised tea.

Saturday. 2.

Saturday.

At present our garden (admittedly very small) is full of roses in bloom. Today is 'open garden day' in our town  - Highdale, an anagramatic form of its proper name. Plan to have lunch  in  the church, then this afternoon, to go on an open garden crawl. We have thrown our garden open for the last two years,  but this  prevents our exploring our friends and neighbours' gardens, so this year that is what we intend to do. Shall  take the camera along and ask permission to use it.

Friday.

Looking  through  old  photographs and  found the above. Can't remember where I  took  the  photo but it must have been within  a few miles of  home- which  just  goes   to prove how  spoiled we are for lovely old buildings in Suffolk. Been working on a  silver clock hand pendant for a  granddaughter earlier today. I've always  made them for daughters (et cetera)  when they hit fifty, but if  I'm to make them for  granddaughters when they attain that age, I shall be in my nineties, and I'm not  sure that I shall  be  a reliable silversmith  by then. So, at Ann's suggestion, I think the rising generation can have them at thirty, and  as two of  them are fast approaching  that point, I'd better start now.  Gives me something to do, and keeps me off  the streets.

Off to bed now. Goodnight all.

Friday.

As you can see still lots  of  goldfinches about.

Just got back from Church;  attended a Communion  Service  in the Lady Chapel, whilst a coffee morning went  on in the  Nave - not altogether a happy mix. Could  wish there  was a way  of  holding these  two , plus sometimes a market in the  nave, at different TIMES. The nave is, I think  the  second longest in Suffolk, but.....   Being called upstairs for lunch now-  more  blog later perhaps.

Yesterday morning we drove over to Long Melford, where  an  antique  trade fair is held on the  first Wednesday  in every month, and bought  quite well.  Between us we bought five items. Ann bought a small horn beaker,  engraved with a sporting  (in this case - shooting)  scene, of about 1810 -  1830 date; and a set of nine silver teaspoons, hall marked for the year 1835 (William the fourth). I  did my sums afterwards, and found that Ann had paid about scrap silver value for the set.  I thought she'd bought  them for one of  the children  (or  grandchildren) but she said "No. I  bought  them for use.  We're getting a bit short of decent tea spoons".  About half way through  looking for  goodies, we adjourned to the lounge bar , of the  Bull Hotel  opposite and  ordered coffee. We were joined by five other customers from the fair, all old acquaintance.  Very pleasant half hour followed- strolling  down memory lane.

Thursday.

Yesterday morning, first thing, we motored over to Long Melford, where a monthly  antique fair is held on the first Wednesday of every month. It  is very much a trade fair, and we purchased, between us,  five items. Ann bought a small horn beaker, engraved (rather naively) with a sporting (shooting) scene, and a set of nine silver (William IV) tea spoons, for around (or rather below) their scrap silver value.  I thought she perhaps wanted them for one of the offspring, but she said "No.  For use. they're good big ones, and we're running a bit short of decent tea spoons."

Being called  upstairs, as  we should be  driving  into Ipswich- routine hospital appointment, I think.

More  later, I hope.

Tuesday.

Been a good day. Our friends John and Margaret came to lunch. After lunch (roast chicken) John and I retired to the Armoury to compare notes on recently  encountered  blunderbusses (blunderbii ?? No, I don't think so. Looks awkward). Both very  military looking, both English, and both probably  of naval origin. 
Ann's just called me up to supper.  More tomorrow, possibly.  In the meantime -Goodnight All.

Just had a pleasant weekend. Ann's middle  brother David. and his  wife Mo spent Saturday with us.
David, who is five years younger than I, retired at much the same time as I did, and I asked him how  he is managing his retirement; and how he's managing  to stay retired? He said something like :- "Mike. I think I know what your problem is. You've spent the last few years dealing in, and restoring, high quality antiques, and I know you're missing that. I think you've now got to turn yourself from a specialised dealer into a specialised collector". I  must  think that one out very carefully. It ties in with something my accountant said a few months ago.  That brings me to the two photographs. The top one  shows (from left to right) a candlestick of the thirteen  hundreds,  a candlestick of the  fourteen hundreds, a candlestick of the   sixteen hundreds, and a candlestick of the fifteen hundreds. The candlestick shown below is of the mid seventeen hundreds.  It is an English  chamber candlestick, dating from circa 1740-50, and is fitted with a pair of wick trimmers of the same period, and a slightly later douser, douter,  or  putter outer.

Between them they cover five different centuries. They are of great interest, but not of tremendous  value., and I think a similar approach to collecting may well be my way forward.

Comments from my blog friends would be welcome.

Thursday.

Above  is one of  the  two coaching Inns in the main street of Boxford  (opposite each other), and both appear to   be doing a roaring trade.

Above is a handsome young  walnut tree near the Churchyard  in Milton Keynes village, with a seat round the trunk; which always  seems to me to be a very convenient trick, the  chance of a wayside sit being, these days, almost impossible to resist.

Later this afternoon we are driving over to Aldham to  meet the proposed new Vicar and  his wife, the vixen. My late father in law's joke; he always  used to say that if we ever introduced 'lady  vicars' they  would probably be known as 'vixens'. 

I am being called upstairs to lunch. May  write some  more later.

Wednesday.

Took  the above photo through  the car nearside window earlier this  week. The  house  is a   (probably)  pre-Tudor moated manor house a few miles up the road towards Stowmarket. It is  a lovely looking old place, but given the closeness of the moat to one side of the house, probably  rather damp! Always  looks well though, and we always  slow down when passing it.

Been a 'bitty' sort of a day. Had a visit this morning from a health specialist of some sort (an 'ologist' from the local surgery) - nice woman - with a sense of humour. Rather enjoy her visits -  find them a bit  tiring, though.  Then this afternoon had a further interview with one of the Doctors from our surgery. Lots of questions, and he seems to enjoy  our visits to him, as do we. Between times today been 'pottering' in the workshop - finishing jobs, tidying up, spot of hoovering, etc. Place looks  better for my efforts, I must say.  Just 'phoned Kerry (one of our daughters) to wish her many  happy returns. She  sounded fairly bright and  cheerful.

Wish you all a very good night's rest.  Mike and Ann.



Got  a few more odd-jobs to be done down here, then going to grab what's left of an  early night I think.

Had the oddest experience (or rather series of ) over the the last week or so. It started off with a friend of ours showing me a post card from her son in New Zealand. I illustrate the postcard above. I was introduced to her son, the last time he was over here, which was three or four years ago. With the  postcard was a note saying  that if I was still about (!) I might be interested in it.  He had bought it in a museum in New Zealand, and asked (via his Mama) if,  given the likeness between meself and the  subject of the postcard, we were relations ? I shouldn't think  so , says  I, given the gentleman's  name
(Sir John Anderson, a Scottish name). However, I 'phoned brother Crowbard, he being  a keen researcher of family  trees, told him about the  matter, and got rather a surprise.   The connexion is via Sir John's mother, and my great grandmother. Crowbard is of opinion that we are probably fourth or fifth cousins.  It seems odd to me that  over such a long period  such  a likeness should have occurred.  Strange subject - genetics. Strange subject -coincidences.

Took this photo (or at least, I  think Sarah took it) a week or so ago, and I think  I may have shown it before. If so my apologies, but we both think it's  quite a good one, so bear with us.

Tuesday.

Took this  photie last week, running into  the thriving city of Ely from the Newmarket road. The  sun was on  the  Cathedral, and you'd hardly  believe that there was a thriving city below, and around the said cathedral.  Been having rather a job lately getting photographs onto the blog, but today Sarah (senior daughter) is spending the day with us, and after dealing firmly with the computer for about thirty seconds, reduced it to a compliant, whimpering wreck. Must try and keep the machine in it's place. It's  not so much kindness that  seems to work on the machine as firmness.

Monday.

I have been working  on the above (and below) illustrated clock , and  today  we  took  it  back to its owner (and its home). Having delivered it, and eventually  reinstalled it,  we (the clock owner, Ann and  meself) were having a  coffee, and  chatting;  and  came up with the  facts that I have been attending  to its needs, and doing any necessary repairs for  over forty years now. It is  a  great favourite of mine . It is a  very English clock. It  is an oak cased  thirty hour, long cased clock with a single hand and an alarum train that, when used, sounds like an old fashioned fire engine coming along over the  cobbles. However, I have now retired on  medical  advice, so will (in all  probability) not be seeing much of  the  clock in the future. Its owner  issued us with a general invitation to call on her, and take coffee with her whenever we are in her area. She  then went on  to  say that we could do any  necessary  adjustments to the  clock on these visits. I'm not at all sure that she took  the  retirement bit in, and even if she  did, she  didn't seem to take it too seriously, I'm afraid. But Ann nearly  always  answers the  'phone as I can't  really hear it (well not until  I put  the  loudspeaker on, and  not always  then), so I'll have to leave Ann to persuade our friend that  I  really  have retired. Oh well - we'll see.