Our other hobbies and passions

[firedrake1942]

I like the original Wolfenstein 3d . Very clunky but that's the charm of it. (IF you can consider a gore fest charming !)

[olderisbetter]

Unless the car is a Lada or fiat 131 which was basicallt a brick with half a brick ontop..

[GBond]

Reminds me of Duke Nukem 3D we used to play in school.

The Lada, Fiat, and Volvo 240 are all best rendered using 8 bits.

[palacebear]

Previously in this thread I referred to my Bakelite-collecting hobby, particularly old Bakelite clocks and valve radios. This weekend I've struck gold (or Bakelite) and other things too! We moved into our present house last September. Like many people, we shoved a lot of boxes up in the loft to be sorted through at a later date. The date has arrived and sorting has started. However, right at the back of the loft, and not ours, but left by a previous occupant, were a couple of cardboard boxes and bin-bags.

Our first 'find' was a 'Swan' brand tea and coffee serving set in polished stainless steel with varnished wooden handles and a matching tray. Looks 1970's to me.

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The next find is a 1950's 'Brexton' picnic box, complete with all original china, cutlery, flasks and continers inside. The box is a bit scruffy, but the cutlery, plates, cups, flasks etc., look completely unused. I rather think this'll be going in Max's boot for days out.

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The china pieces have a great kitschy pattern on them, and are typically 1950's.

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In addition to these, there are a number of pieces of 1960's ornamental china, and three Smiths electric clocks in Bakelite cases. The clocks are intact and appear undamaged. I haven't taken pics of them yet as they're all now dismantled awaiting cleaning and the kiss-of-life!

[firedrake1942]

I have one of those in Neddy's boot!

[palacebear]

Better condition and for four people!

[firedrake1942]

The pattern is less interesting than yours tho !

[palacebear]

Your pattern is more genteel... appropriate for a Sunday drive in a Moggie, and a picnic. Mine's more 'weekend at the beach in a VW camper'

[Shropshiremoggie]

A series of posts from ' palacebear ' which I find interesting . For many years I worked for a company that diversified and formed BSR Housewares . Part of the group were Goblin ( BVC ) , Bulpitts ( Swan Brand ) , Judge International , Tenby Electrical , plus various other subsidiaries.

[palacebear]

@ shropshiremoggie: I take it that's Goblin of teasmade fame??

[Shropshiremoggie]

Yes palacebear , Goblin Teasmade . Originally a vacuum cleaner company , hence Goblin British Vacuum Company ( I think ) . Memory fading with age . Helped a colleague of mine ( ex. Chairman of the parent group and MD of Housewares ) clear his garage and found the inevitable Teasmade . It was destined for the tip , however I rescued it and it now takes up space in my garage instead of his !!!!!!!!

[palacebear]

I remember seeing a Goblin vacuum cleaner (and a 50s/60s 'space-age' Hoover Constellation) for sale at a big antiques fair in Kent a few years back.
My Goblin teasmade is very early 50's. It still works but the rare-as-hens-teeth kettle plug is cracked, so I've disconnected it internally. Clock, alarm and lights still work. I keep it in our guest bedroom. I don't know why I'm attracted to old house-wares etc... a psychologist's dream!

[Shropshiremoggie]

Palacebear -have you visited the ' antique centre ' at Bobbington Airport ( Halfpenny Green ) . One of the dispays features quite a few Bakelite wirelesses ! Not sure of condition .

[palacebear]

Thanks. I'd not heard of that, but will go take a look sometime soon. Bound to find something to have a little spend on !

[olderisbetter]

I have never seen the antique place at bobbington but there is also one on the Bridgnorth road at rudge.

[Shropshiremoggie]

A few old petrol cans at Rudge , unfortunately many have been re-painted which ( in my opinion ) spoils and reduces their value . Forgot to mention in my previous post the company I worked for also owned Styla Car Accessories and Eversure . Both well known in the sixties and seventies . Later , in a nomadic career , I also worked for a company that bought Valan , well known for car aerials .

[SteveClem]

Unless the car is a Lada or fiat 131 which was basicallt a brick with half a brick ontop..

Ah, now... the Lada. We had a couple of them in the late 70's/early 80's. Surprisingly solid cars and dead reliable. Got one because I was 'management ' in one of the miner's strikes, and we had to cross picket lines. Now although the dreaded Arthur Scargill had agreed that we could go in and do maintenance cover,some of the lads still called us scabs and threw bricks.
The Lada, being a good soviet car, was almost immune from class warfare...and if a brick landed the metal was really thick. My mate's mark 2 Escort was trashed while he was on duty keeping a pit pumped dry ready for the end of the strike. Never could work out why people did that.

[olderisbetter]

@Shropshiremoggie, I have not been to the Rudge place in a while but yes i know what you mean, Some trendy painting can kill the original features of antiques,
@SteveClem, No joke the lada was robust, My mate drove his into a hedge off roading and it just had a few scratches, He went on to niva 4x4 it got into mad places off road.

[olderisbetter]

@Palacebear, I love that picnic set i have a 2 person set in the loft with Ridgway homemaker pattern which i just loved when i was young, I will have to go through some boxes and take pictures of the odd things i have kept, See kitchy Ridgway home maker pattern in pic.

[palacebear]

I've liked Homemaker for years. It was originally a 'budget' tableware range sold by Woolworths. It's very sought-after these days. Dinner plates often fetch £20/25 each. If you've got a Homemaker teapot, look after it! It'll fetch three figures on a good day. The same pattern was also made, in smaller quantities, transfer-printed in red and is extremely rare now.