Monthly Archives: April 2019

A Successful Day

We did a few parcels.

We bought a lot of stuff in, including a few medals.

I put a few bits on eBay including an enamelled coin, and photographed another ready for Thursday. I’m having a day off tomorrow, though the weather is looking pretty dire.

Enamelled William IV Half-crown 1836

Returning home, I found I’d passed my blood test, and don’t have another test until June. (This is more to do with Bank Holidays than the result – they can be very flexible when it suits them. They think I’m too stupid to notice as I’m (a) old and (b) not medically qualified – but I do notice.

Then we did laundry.

Number One Son cooked tea.

I checked eBay. The enamelled coin has sold already.

USA Enammelled Trade Dollar 1873 – sold already!

Interesting day.

Unfortunately I just discovered that I left my camera at work, so no photos today.

(As you can see – I have added photos since writing).

Last Minute Post

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I seem to have passed the blood test, as there was no panicky phone call this afternoon.

It was a troublesome visit for a number of reasons. I had trouble getting into the car park, for one thing. The man who got to the machine before me decided to reverse out. This took several minutes and nearly cause two accidents. I wasn’t sure why he did this, but he then drove in through the exit (which had a broken barrier), so I presume he was inconveniencing us to save a couple of pounds.

The main testing room was closed today. I suspect it’s part of the long running problem with water leaks. As a result the queue was longer than usual. I didn’t help matters as I’d forgotten my appointment card, which slowed things down.

They got the vein first time, which was good.

The barrier was still broken when I left, which was also good. I love free parking.

There was more to my day, including nine parcels and a Teddy Tail badge, but that’s a story for another day. It’s just that if I mention it I can use the photo. This gives me an excuse to use the Rupert badge too. I may as well chuck in the Cococubs badge too.

Cococubs badge

Rupert the Bear

A Loafing Sort of Day

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I had an early start, picked Number Two son up from work and was back home before 8 o’clock.

At that time the day could have taken one of two routes. One was a day of activity. The other was to become a lazy day. I went back to bed and slept like a log.

The cunning use of dramatic foreshadowing in the title has probably given you a clue.

Julia cooked vegetable crumble for tea.

I’m having trouble with the charging of my laptop.

Tomorrow is blood test day.

I’m sure there is more to life than this…

The photograph is of knitted rabbits and chicks – part of Julia’s fundraising efforts with the group/

My Latest Acquisition

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This came through the post today. It’s nice to know the post is still working, as I am still waiting for a parcel from two weeks ago.

It’s an RAF Eagle made from perspex (or lucite or plexiglass if you prefer). This is typical WW2 work – they didn’t have any perspex in the Great War. Well, I’m fairly sure they didn’t. It was first developed in the nineteenth century but seems to have been commercially available from the 1930s.

Traditionally it’s always said to be from aircraft windows, and it’s true that it is mainly made up in ways that reflect its use by the RAF. Apart from the availability of perspex there was also access to workshops. It’s a myth that “trench art” was made in the trenches. When you examine the facts you’ll see a lot was made after the war and made by people with access to decent tools. And, of course, when you look at eBay, you can see that a lot of it looks like it has been made in the last ten years.

I’ll photograph a few more pieces later.

RAF Eagle Sweetheart WW2

Some Interesting Coins

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Despite what I say, there are some interesting coins. Some, like the one in the Featured Image, are interesting because of the picture they have on them. Penguins are a guaranteed winner. I mean, who can resist a Penguin?

Here are a few others that I put on recently. They aren’t quite as interesting as Penguins, but they are considerably better than some of the coins you see around.

Falkland Islands 50p

We bought a couple of collections today, including one that had some interesting old coins.

This was one of them.

Louis XVI 2 Sols 1793

It’s a 2 sols of Louis XVI. It appears to be dated 1793, though it’s a bit worn so you have to look closely. It was quite a big year for Louis, on account of him being executed by guillotine in January 1793. The sol, or sou, was made up of 12 deniers and 20 sols made a livre (pound).

You may notice that this uses the letters L S and D and 12, 20 and 240 – very much along the lines of the UK’s pre-decimal coinage.

The French adopted the decimal system in 1795, being the third country in the world to do so after Russia (1704) and the USA (1787).

This was another that cropped up.

Papal 20 Baiocchi 1860

It’s a 20 Baiocchi of the Papal States, dated 1860. Pope Pius IX is the man on the front. I recall him and the Papal States and Garibaldi from my school history. Unfortunately I don’t recall it well enough to write more about it. I’m going to have to do some reading.

Catching Up on Scones – Scone Chronicles XVI

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Having been kept at home this morning by various jobs, we popped out to do a bit of shopping this afternoon. It was raining a bit so we went to TESCO in Bulwell because it has a car park under the shop and you can walk from car to shop under cover.

I’m in such a state these days that if I get wet I’ll probably need a going over with WD-40.

We are currently on diets as the kids are cooking and trying to make us lose weight, so we decided to sneak a scone while we were out. It was a mistake.

Dirty knives

Dry scones

The cutlery was dirty, the tea was OK but the scones were dry and tasteless. We did have cheese scones to be fair, so there was a lack of jam to help things along. We were trying to avoid excessive amounts of fat and sugar. Honestly.

Definitely not moreish.

Must do better TESCO.

Below, I have put the links for the first 15 parts of this series – I had to do that as I couldn’t remember if I’d covered TESCO before. I hadn’t.

Tearoom Tour – Number 1 – Thoresby Park

Another Sweetheart Brooch

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Great War Sweetheart Brooch

In real life it’s only about an inch high. It’s the badge of the Royal Artillery inside a good luck horseshoe.

The top scroll translates as “Everywhere” and is the battle honour of the RA, which has been engaged everywhere the army has been.

Very short post as I have to get on.

Back to Work

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It’s been a funny start to the week. With Monday being a Bank Holiday, I had yesterday off and will be having tomorrow off as usual.

I really should work harder.

We had a lot of parcels, several vexatious enquiries and some things to put on eBay. We now have 1,200 items in our eBay shop, compared to around 600 a year ago so things are going well.

We also had some good sales today, including a sovereign before we were officially open. People seem to be buying sovereigns at the moment – it’s probably something to do with worries over the breakdown of society after we leave the EU.

I put some sweetheart brooches, some Masonic bits and a cap badge on this afternoon. It’s not as worthwhile as ending world hunger, but it pays a few bills.

Royal Engineers Sweetheart brooch – Great War

Grenadier Guards Sweetheart Brooch WW2

Mustn’t Grumble…

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I really am being spoiled this weekend, with another yet another relaxing day.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing – it never is though, is it?

My arthritis flared up a few days ago. I now have it in three fingers, two on the right hand and one on the left. After a couple of days aching it was so bad yesterday that I could barely use my hands. Typing was OK and I could handle a knife and fork (carefully) but writing, for instance, was nearly impossible and the aches were spreading up my arms. Finally I gave in took paracetemol, and when that did nothing, tried ibruprofen. I’m not supposed to have that but I’m not sure why.

It didn’t seem to cause any problems, but then it didn’t do much to kill the pain either. This morning the pain was still bad and dressing was difficult. Then, as the morning advanced, the pain disappeared. It’s now disappeared entirely, leaving just a couple of stiff knuckles.

I’ve been racking my brains for any clue as to what could have set it off. I’ve done nothing strenuous with my hands, not changed my diet and haven’t a clue what could have set it off.

Anyway, not to grumble.

I’m going to have to do some research on this because if it comes back I’ve decided to go to the doctor. It was that bad…

The only thing I’ve had that I don’t generally have kefir, and that’s supposed to be good for you. It’s even good for arthritis according to this article. I’m mystified.

To be honest, I spend most of my life mystified so that’s no surprise.

Another Relaxing Day

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I’ve done very little but sit down, read and eat today.

Julia cooked an excellent roast lamb dinner with a multiplicity of vegetables (potatoes, beans, brussels, carrots and celariac) and we had chocolate cake for dessert. I’m digesting that as I write.

The young couple next door (as I persist in calling them, in an elderly sort of way) brought us simnel cake cup cakes. I like them. And I like simnel cake too, just to avoid ambiguity.

I also wrote a sonnet. It’s a proper one, fourteen lines, iambic pentameters, a rhyme scheme and a volta. It took me twenty minutes and actually makes reasonable sense. Despite this, it still isn’t particularly good, but it’s a start. It just goes to show how constant practice makes it easier to write.

Now I just need a way of improving the quality.

I may search the internet for “How to Write Like Shakespeare”. I found this article. It’s not a great help, being geared more towards plays than poetry. I then found this article when adding “sonnet” to the search.

I also found a random sonnet generator, but I won’t post a link because it isn’t very good.

Six minutes to midnight – time to press the button.

Simnel Cake and Easter Chick

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Life after the Care Farm