No digging here!

With the weather being so grim of late I have needed a fix of something slightly in keeping with these dark days. I remember as a child being especially fond at Christmas of such things as The Signal Man (1976) a BBC adaptation of the Dickens short story, The Stalls of Barchester (MR James) and also A Warning to the Curious (MR James) starring Peter Vaughan which had me cowering under the cushions.   

Friend Ferneyhough reminded me of an absolute gem (he watches it every Christmas) that petrified me and I watched it for the first time in years the other night. Really good for a winters night beside the fire. Another gem from good old Monty James - Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968). Michael Hordern is wonderful in the 1968 Jonathan Miller adaptation.

For the time being I hope you will enjoy this.......I won't be able to walk through the woods at Holkham Beach without looking over my shoulder......no digging here!

Market Finds No 9

I have a bit of a Market Finds backlog, even with the weather being so grim I have managed to find the odd nugget of treasure. This is quite a large nugget, possibly a jewel.

This huge framed and glazed print by Edwin La Dell (1951) caught my eye - I nearly missed it as it was tucked away, but the scene looked familiar. A Thames fishing scene not too dissimilar to the one provided by me old mucker and last of the Thames Professionals Styx (Roger Wyndham Barnes) perhaps? It is now hanging in its rightful place - my living room!

Edwin La Dell - Fishing at Marlow (1951)

After paying and lugging it back up the hill to home I cleaned it up and was overjoyed to discover it came from and once hung in a Lyons Tea Room and is indeed a Thames scene at Marlow. See the lovely boat houses in the background, tins of worms in the punt no doubt to maybe tempt an elusive barbel. Maggots in bran too I shouldn't wonder and pale ale cooling in the rivers sweet waters to compliment a pork pie lunch.

I particularly like the round faced gentleman and the way the standing angler is holding the line from the pin dressed in fishing mackintosh.

Edwin La Dell - Fishing at Marlow (1951)

The splendid River and Rowing Museum at Henley (home of the magnificent AE Hobbs collection of cased fish) knew all about my find of course and directed me to this on their website! Three cheers for Lyons Tea Rooms!

May the garland of friendship be evergreen

District Railway - 1913

Best dressed Christmas window!

Each Christmas without fail - there is a shop in town that always gets it just right. I don't quite know what it is, but when I see the annual Christmas display in Bridport Old Books I can't help but feel Christmas has come. You can't quite see it in my photo, which doesn't do the display justice by the way, but they always have a super piece of antiquarian ephemera which says "Seasons Greetings from Bridport" - splendid. I feel quite sad when it comes down!

What was in your stocking?

Were you lucky enough to get any fine knitwear like this? Or even a new briar pipe?

Happy Christmas!

Colmers Hill, Bridport - Stephen Banks

Christmas anticipations

F Gregory Brown - 1921

Charles Burton - 1930

Christmas Anticipations - 1922

Charles Burton - 1931

 

I do date from pagan times and age makes joints do creak

...The Wolves Are Running - Paul Bommer

Citrus Cheer



Our neighbour has fleetingly returned from his home in Portugal - the gift of his very own home grown tangerines, mandarins and clementines was just the ticket to add some extra fragrance of Christmas to our house. They taste just as good as they look. They were hanging on his trees in Portugal yesterday and now they are here, bringing with them their citrus cheer! 

Leave Us Not Little, Nor Yet Dark