It looks like we’ve dodged it for the time being. It isn’t even raining at the moment, though it is grey, damp and cold. No, not as cold as those of you who live in Canada and the northern US, or many other places. I watch Aussie Gold Hunters and am constantly amazed at the amount of snow I see on that. Actually, I’m amazed to see any. Australia in my mind is a desert surrounded by beaches. It’s beyond me why anyone would live in a bit where it snows. If it happened to me I would load up the car and drive somewhere warmer.

The main anecdote of the day. A mother and son with limited English entered the shop. It got off to a bad start because we were (a) busy and (b) working to a deadline. They didn’t have an appointment and they left the front door open.

Silver Britannia coin

Then they took a load of rammel out of a bag and heaped it up on the counter, wanting us to bid on it. Even from several yards away I could tell that the cameo was plastic – shells don’t come in bright red – and plastic is not usually mounted in gold. The ones in the link are exceptional – a normal average cameo brooch is more like £75 – £100. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to look at a bit of quality.

They actually had nothing we wanted to buy, a most of it was either base metal, fake or very low value. Eventually the mother pulled her ear ring out – it had a coin mounted on it and was bent and worn. It was probably also a jeweller’s copy and they are generally 9 carat gold copies of 22 carat originals. It definitely wasn’t a collectable coin.

I suppose I should have admired their enterprise, but instead I felt resentful that they stole half an hour from us. It’s probably time I retired . . .

Silver Britannia coin