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Monday 18 March 2013

Saving the best until last ...

I've had a bit of a wallow in nostalgia this week, my lovelies! There is a little charity shop that I visit once a week or so, where the two ladies who run it treat me with great amusement and think me very odd that I like 'old' things! "Oh, we hate that sort of stuff" they say with relish ... "we've just thrown a load out, because they were ... old", when I inquire whether they have any lace doilies, old leather suitcases, eiderdowns or china teasets. I have left my phone number and given them strict instructions not to dispose of anything without first contacting me, and I will come as soon as is humanly possible, to avoid the offending items from cluttering their shop.  My perseverance paid off this time ...


The other day, they said that they had a load of stuff coming in as an old lady had died, and her son had been clearing out her house. The lady had a china cabinet, containing a complete teaset, that for as long as he could remember, had never been used, but had been his mother's pride and joy ... would I be interested?


They unpacked 39 pieces of pristine, mint condition, bone china.  Twelve teacups and saucers, twelve side plates, a sandwich plate, milk jug and sugar bowl. A complete set, with not a chip or hairline crack in sight, the gold unscratched and untarnished ... just perfect.


Imprisoned for years behind glass doors, no red-lipstick  had ever stained the cups, nor sugar-mouse-pink  Fondant Fancies been delicately placed on the plates ...


Saved for best.  But best had never happened ... nothing in the life of the old lady was special enough to use the 'best' teaset. The ethos of her day was "waste not, want not" as beautifully illustrated by Hettie Brown above.

 I, as you know, am thrifty by nature and follow this to the letter.  However, I too, used to save things for 'best', as I wrongly thought it would be wasteful not to.  The children's clothes, when they were young were often passed on, practically unworn, because they had been saved for best, not enjoyed and worn just for the hell of it.  I used to squirrel away special toiletries, candles, bedding and china ... not any more! If someone has given me something as a gift, instead of putting it away and forgetting about it, I use it ... I luxuriate in rose-scented baths surrounded by beautiful, scented candles, and dry myself on pretty towels ... on a Monday!  Don't save for best, save for the wet, windy, dull, down-in-the-dumps days when a little luxury will go a long way to cheering you up. Hiding beautiful things away, that are made to be enjoyed ... now that is a waste!


These men's hankies would have been given to a husband or Dad for Christmas or a birthday ... and then dutifully packed away, never to be seen again, in his sock drawer.  These have a special poignancy for me ... my Dad used this type of handkerchief, and his name was Tommy ...


Was the little boy or girl who excitedly opened these roller skates on Christmas morning then instructed to "put them away until the next fine day" but the sun never shone and they remained on the shelf in the garden shed, until now?


What stories do these items tell? Years of being hidden away without ever having the chance to shine, to be loved, used and enjoyed? Sadly, we'll never know ...

Love, Claire xxx


37 comments:

  1. Morning Mrs...It's a generation thing Claire...We always had to change out best clothes and put away our toys to keep nice for another day..Perhaps all this treasure wouldn't be here for US to fall in love with if folks hadn't kept it for best in those days...Gosh I sound old! LOVE the nostalgia behind your finds...Those skates brought back happy memories..(never could skate though! )Keep cosy..we have snow falling today! Love Maria x

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  2. Fantastic skates Claire! Like you say, a bit sad they've never been used. My bunch are all very well worn, perhaps from a family of roller sking children?
    Have a good week
    Ellie
    x

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  3. Oh wow, what a great find. That's a beautiful tea set. So sad that she never used it though. I hope you'll put it to good use, and you're so right - I love using special things on an everyday basis too.
    Have a great week, Claire,
    xx

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  4. I would use that amazing teaset, everyday. The rollerskates are great! x

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  5. Hello Clarie
    How right you are and mea culpa!!! I do hide away things for best....for Christmas,special visitors and other. The trouble is Christmas is once a year and special visitors are not plentiful so my "best" continues to be hidden. Today and very much today as it is fiesta day here in Spain I'm getting out my best to use if only for my eyes only!
    OH! wow if I could write here in green you'd see just how envious I am of your incredible find ...beautiful!!! I wish I wish.
    Thank you for such a delightful post.

    keep well

    Amanda :-)

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  6. I'm with you on this one, if nothing else over these last few years, I've learnt life's too short. So now I have 'best' everyday! :) x

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  7. What you say is so true, Claire. I bought my mother-in-law an old-fashioned, very pretty nightie and dressing gown set and she said, "Oh that's too nice to wear"! I never put things away not to be used but I do put things out of harm's way, eg. perfect eidys on top of cupboards where I can admire them but the furry friends can't rip them. I'm sure this lady would be thrilled that you have become the custodian of her tea set.
    Hen x

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  8. That's the saddest bit about finding pristine vintage treasure isn't it, the thought that it was never used and enjoyed, always put away for that high day or holiday but never getting out. Perhaps the joy for your lovely find was that she got to sit and admire it on a daily basis?
    Nicky
    x

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  9. What a beautiful Post Claire. I often think about these untold stories too as I'm sifting through the op shops. My Grandparents definitely lived like this, storing special things for special occasions only - an entire set of Wedgewood China still sits untouched behind glass cabinets in their home, never used. Those skates are awesome :-) Mel x

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  10. What lovely Flyer roller skates! I found your lovely blog by way of Vintage Tea Time, then in one of your bog post saw you were friends with Maria. Clapping Wildly ~ any friend of Marias is a friend of mine ! Great posts.

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  11. I realised several years ago that it was silly to have a certain skirt or jumper saved for 'best' since I am anti-social to a point and don't go anywhere that 'best' clothes are needed. Similarly with lovely towels I bought, because I loved the colour, how silly to just have them sitting, albeit on show in the bathroom.I started collecting some ceramic ware my late mother had and which over the years had diminished to just a couple of pieces. I stuck it on a shelf where it looked lovely, now I use it. Mind you, the same can't be said for a beautiful bone chine coffee service that I bought for her and dad on their silver wedding anniversary back in the early 70s. I don't drink coffee......

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  12. So good that those treasures have ended up with you! The teaset is so pretty (I have three, and I do use them, even though they are precious to me!) and the skates take me back to the Christmas when I was five! Oh I loved my skates!
    x
    PS A book will be on its way to you very soon! Just email me your address (my email is on my blog) and I'll send it on its way!

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  13. Oh wow!!! I love the China!! My better half reminded me that there was no point in collecting china if I wasn't going to use it ... so now I do ... and the cuppa's and cake I have at home now tastes so much better being served in or on china ... !!! xxx

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  14. I do love to read your posts, how happy the tea set must be now being used as it was meant to be. I love to use my special china everyday, that's what makes it special :) xx

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  15. What a wonderful shop you have found, and what a find! I hope it is used as it should be from now on. I also hope that the feet that the roller skates were for, still fit! Take care. Chel x

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  16. Oooh now you do realise you will have to keep this little shop secret! I think the owner of the teaset would be thrilled to know that it has gone to someone who will appreciate it. I often wonder if my girls will hanker after any of the stuff I've collected over the years or whether they will take the position of the old dearies and go completely minimal - you never can tell! Jane x

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  17. Even though it seems incredible to most people reading your blog that ANYone would not appreciate 'old stuff', you're fortunate that the shop owners do hold back such treasures for you! The tea cups are a lovely find ... I guess they were meant to be in your hands ;) I agree to use the best now. I have a whole set of good dishes from my mom and I love using them for everyday. Even though I have to hand wash them, as I wash them I remember all those happy family gatherings we had together eating off of these dishes. And tea sets are so functional on top of being so beautiful. When it comes to kids' toys, they look so unloved if they don't have a lot of wear and tear on them. When a threadbare teddy and dog-eared books are passed along, the next owner can just imagine the many hours a child spent adoring those toys. Great post Claire :) Wendy

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  18. Hello Claire, maybe it is about these Lord
    very careful to keep good service in the window,
    then we can still find tea sets
    still intact and valuable.
    Love Susy x

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  19. Fantastic tea set and all the other things too.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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  20. I loved my roller skates, we all had them when I was a girl. Mine completely fell apart eventually so I don't think they will have turned up in a charity shop anywhere! Love the tea set, though I must admit to not using my vintage china as often as I could through sheer laziness. I used it so much more when our dishwasher was broken a while ago. Love Mrs RV x

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  21. Oh my! The reason my 10th-birthday-present roller skates got squirrelled away, never to see the light of day again until they went to the charity shop was because the first time I took them out for a spin I managed to break my arm within about 5 minutes. A full plaster cast right up to my armpit for 6 weeks was quite a talking point at school though. Pity it wasn't my writing hand ...

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  22. claire what a simply lovely teaset,your charity shop sounds marvellous but should not be run by people who throw things away!!!We all save things for best but I agree we should use lovely things on a daily basis if possible,I quite often have tea in my Crown Derby!'bye for now Pam.

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  23. The tea set looks fantastic how sad that these items have been unloved and unused.
    Sarah x

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  24. A beautiful post Claire. It made me think. Such a shame not to use beautiful things. The tea set looks charming! What a joy it must be to drink from those pretty cups :-)

    Have a lovely week!

    Madelief x

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  25. I loved this post Claire!

    Firstly, I think it's really lovely that this lady's tea set, her pride and joy, will be appreciated by someone like you who will use it and love it.

    Also, you are so right about saving things for best. I use to save things like nice towels and bedding and expensive candles, and for what?? Much better to use them to perk up a cold wet Monday.

    Gillian x

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  26. Hi Claire,

    You have shared a beautiful post and found the most beautiful old treasures. It really does make you want to use all your lovely things and not put them off for another day.
    The china tea set is gorgeous and how lovely that it has gone to you, who will really appreciate it.
    I had an old pair of roller skates like those and because we lived near a park, most of my summer days would be spent skating around the rink with my siblings and friends. They were really fun times.

    Have a lovely week
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  27. Hello Claire
    Such a pretty tea set, yes you are right we should use our cherished china, and I do, I always have my tea in a pretty teapot and china cups..
    I shall still keep Great Auntie Hilda's for best, as I want to pass it on through the family
    Happy Week
    Thea x

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  28. I totally agree with you, don't put things away for the best, use them. In my youth we had special clothes for sundays, I didn't raise my children this way. Love the china set, and the skaters bring back memories; me learning to skate in the park. Lovely post, groetjes, Gerda

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  29. thanks for ur wonderful post...i agree, no point having lovely things sitting in cupbords and gathering dust! mezz x

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  30. Your post made me smile, my mother had an entire room that was for 'best'! we never went in there = if someone visited they went into 'the front roon' whilst the rest of the house was a turmoil (housework was never done in our house no kidding) this one room would be immaculate. We had no carpet in most rooms, only lino - yet this room had a rug (nobody stepped on it of course). I do love old china and think you have a real treasure there. Betty x

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  31. Me too ... I think lovely things should be used and enjoyed ... cute teaset ... Bee xx

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  32. You are so right! Why have nice things and never use them. And what a find that tea set was!

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  33. Such a beautiful find Claire..your tea set is a real treasure and you are so right that lovely things should be used and enjoyed!
    Susan x

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  34. Such a lovely tea set, and so true that we should use and enjoy all the things we have and make the most of them. I enjoyed reading this post very much!
    Helen x

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  35. Oh Claire, how I echo your sentiments! I too am guilty though for saving things for best.Especially clothes, that was how I was brought up. It is silly really, we should enjoy things because tomorrow never comes.Enjoy your week XX

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  36. Loved your description of the old ladies who think you've lost the plot wanting old stuff Claire. You made me think back when you talked about saving for best. Think that's for us who had a 70's childhood. We were talking about this the other day, how our parents are of the war generation, brought up by parents who fought in the first war and lived through a depression. Their thrifty ways and need to save for best rather than be devil may care really left its mark didn't it. Mind you I bought a fab dress for a posh do, the posh do didn't happen so I thought what the hell and wore it on the school run - felt quite liberating. X

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  37. Oh I really enjoyed reading this post Claire. I definitely agree. Nothing should be kept for best it should be enjoyed everyday. You reminded me of a coat I had as a child. It's was red with black fur trim. I loved it but was only allowed to wear it on Sundays. I don't know how well it would have faired going to school everyday.
    Ali x

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I love to hear what you think of my ramblings and value all your comments ... I will try and get back to you, but am sorry if I don't always manage this ... sometimes real life just gets in the way! Claire xxx