Category Archives: amusements

World Stone Skimming Championships

The World Stone Skimming Championships are held every year on the last Sunday in September, this year 29 September, at Easdale Island, near Oban in Argyll, Scotland.
Easdale Island is the smallest permanently inhabited island of the Inner Hebrides. It was once the centre of a thriving Scottish slate mining industry, and one of the disused quarries forms a perfect arena for the World Stone Skimming Championships.
Anyone of any age and any level of skill can enter. Each competitor is allowed 3 skims using specially selected Easdale slate skimming stones. For a skim to qualify the stone must bounce at least three times — it is then judged on the distance achieved before it sinks.


For logistical reasons to do with ferries to the island etc. the maximum number of entrants to 350. Registration for the championships takes place at Easdale Island Community Hall from 11.00am until 1.00pm on the day (or when 350 competitors are registered if sooner). If you would like to compete just turn up as there are no qualifying rounds. The competition starts at 12 noon.
More information, rules and associated events are all on the World Stone Skimming Championships website at www.stoneskimming.com.

More Auction Amusements

Another of our occasional round-ups of the odd nd amusing from amongst the lots at our local auction house. As usual it is both the strange things people sell (and presumably buy) as well as the juxtapositions which amuse.
A large portrait of a Hippie girl with long auburn hair by Hubert Pattison (?), signed and dated 1973, wearing a large hat trimmed with feathers and a patterned waistcoat, watercolour, gilt frame
Why was Hubert Pattison weraing a large hat trimmed with feathers and a paterned waistcoat, and how do we know?
A carton containing boxes of old nick-nacks, Ogden’s snuff, an Ideal typewriter rubber, silver plated cutlery including knife rests, a roulette wheel, manicure items, a mending mushroom, etc.
A Lapis Lazuli miniature trinket box, two porcelain boxes in the form of a sombrero, a Dresden miniature dish and other box in the form of a hayrick.
Every home really should have a collection such as this!
A taxidermy display of a mallard duck and a kingfisher, in a glazed cabinet.
batThree Guinness shoe brushes, two decorative duck brushes, five oriental figures, porcelain clock, Wade narrow boat, four TG Green soup bowls, crested ware submarine, five Carltonware dishes and two spoons, a large plastic magazine rack, etc.
Twenty-three stoneware bottles, some advertising ginger beer, Strand Brewery, etc., two old soda siphons and three old glass bottles.
A sex of six glass rummers and six smaller, a quantity of further drinking glasses, two decanters and other glassware.
Emphasis mine.
A colourful tribal carved mask, two small silver picture frames, Sheffield plated small hip flask, a Russian monocular … a four-draw brass telescope, a pair of Trinoyix 8×30 binoculars in leather case, an Orange Brinovega fold-away radio, a fez, etc.
A small early 20th century Continental mantel garniture, of portico timepiece and pair of urns, in wood with gilt metal mounts.
Who ever talks about garniture?
A Victorian cricket bat, stamped Scarlett Windsor, and inscribed “Brocas Eton Augst 30th 1861″, in glazed display case.
Emphasis mine.
A 19th century Russian icon depicting St George with part-sheathed sword against a tooled gold ground.
Now that could be misinterpreted!

girl

A large pottery figure of a surprised naked girl seated on a stripy fish, signed Icnel, 15-25ins H. and a fish shaped vase with putto, signed G GIRARDI 127 Italy.
Seven antelope skins and a box of assorted purses, key rings, etc. made from similar hide.

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

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