Category Archives: amusements

amusements, photography

Weekly Photograph

As regular readers will have noticed we were in Oxford yesterday where I spotted this mega cup. It was in the window of Alice’s Shop in St Aldate’s, almost opposite Christ Church. It is absolutely magnificent and I reckon probably holds at least a gallon (4.5 litres) because, yes, that is a normal sized cake stand next to it!

Click the image for bigger views on Flickr
Mega Cup
Mega Cup
25 August 2013, Oxford

amusements

Something for the Weekend

Apologies for the hiatus over the last week or so; I’ve been frantically trying to catch up on lots of the things which were too urgent to be ignored any longer. September is going to be very busy, but I’ll try to keep up with posting here.
Meanwhile here’s an old Garfield for weekend amusement.

Click on the image for a larger view
garfield-1

amusements

More Auction Oddities

Another selection of oddities, curiosities and amusements from the catalogue of a recent sale at our local auction rooms.


An unusual Dunhill silver plated lighter, incorporating a small compact with mirror, a 1939 school vice-captain badge, six pickle forks, an Ideal cork remover and a set of wine coasters.
Just the thing to set up your teenage daughter at Benenden!
A collection of old London Transport bus tickets, ABC of London Transport booklets, Titans of the Track, 1946, other railway books, and a box containing coastal maps, a quantity of Hearts football programmes, and a small number of 45 rpm records, etc.
2 cartons containing an old First Field Dressing, 1941, pocket watches, cigarette lighters, corkscrews, old record needles, a saucy flip book, brushes, an old photograph, paper cuttings and magazines, and a tin of old coins incl. silver and copper, mainly British
Basically all the toot that was left after we removed the naughty magazine from under the bed.
Two 2nd World War tin helmets, canvas kit bags, a red fez with black tassels, a Smiths Sectric clock in bakelite case, a pair of Dollond 20×60 binoculars in leather case, an old Pilot radio in wooden case, Brown & Sharpe micrometer calliper, old boxed razor blades, cut throat razors, Richter drawing set in case, etc.
And this was what was left in the attic.
A large Korean frame containing modelled masks: Yangban Tal, Gaksi Tal, Jung Tal, Chorergi Tal, Imae Tal, Halmi Tal, Backjong Tal, Bune Tal and Senobi Tal, and a framed ‘King Diadem Ornaments’ Paekche, National Treasure No. 154.
… various interesting items incl. Christmas decorations in a small leather case, various items of treen incl. trinket boxes, carved animals, plaques, etc., a cuckoo clock, pictures and prints, 2 old dolls, sewing equipment, cutlery, old tins, a Contessa Nettel camera with leather case, brown leather collar box, etc.
More treasures from the attic.
A Wade Tetleys cookie jar, Wade Andy Capp figure, 3 Homepride Flour graders, a Wade Christmas tea pot in the form of a Christmas tree, 4 small Wade dishes, Wade ashtrays, Milky Way money box, Tom and Jerry mug, etc.
I know this stuff is collectable, but why????
An interesting group of ethnographic materials incl. an Indonesian mask, another mask, Tibetan wood bowl, 3 pottery oil lamps, stone axe, etc.
A late 19th century Ceylonese porcupine quill box, the interior inscribed Matara
Is that a box made of porcupine quills, or one for storing them?
A comprehensive collection of early silk Mandarin’s clothing comprising navy silk trousers with blue waistband, a black silk jacket with blue and gold trimmed sleeves, appliqué decoration, black satin hem and three gilt metal buttons, a pair of purple silk leggings with ties, a navy silk pleated skirt on blue waistband, two cream cotton jackets, cream silk trousers and another pair in crepe, a pair of cotton socks and two floral embroidered hair bands with ties.
A selection of old rakes, spades, garden forks, a lawn edger, also a vacuum cleaner and Black & Decker strimmer and a garden umbrella, etc.
Ah, and now we have what was left in the garden shed!
201

An extensive collection of dragons, some including coloured crystals, over four shelves, prints, stands, etc.
I’m just astonished at what it appears to be worth trying to sell!

amusements

World Thumb Wrestling Championships

The World Thumb Wrestling Championships are being held on Saturday 3 August at the Triangle Tavern in Lowestoft, Suffolk.
World Thumb Wrestling is a fun sport, where competitors are encouraged to glam up their thumbs and choose a ‘stage name’ for their thumb before entering into battle. There are men’s and ladies’ competitions.


Each Year the annual World Thumb Wrestling Championships is held at the Mecca of Thumb Wrestling, Lowestoft, Suffolk. On display are some of the World’s top thumb wrestlers who battle it out to see who will be the champions.
It seems that anyone can enter by buying a ticket online or registering at the venue before 14:00 on the day (spaces permitting).
There are more details as well as the rules, on the World Thumb Wrestling website at www.thumbwrestling.co.uk.

amusements, photography

Buggered Britain #19

Another instalment in my occasional series documenting some of the underbelly of Britain. Britain which we wouldn’t like visitors to see and which we wish wasn’t there. The trash, abused, decaying, destitute and otherwise buggered parts of our environment. Those parts which symbolise the current economic malaise; parts which, were the country flourishing, wouldn’t be there, would be better cared for, or made less inconvenient.
I’ve blogged this “yard” before in Buggered Britain #13.

Buggered Britain #18

As you can see, it doesn’t materially improve with keeping.