The Gallery: Vintage

When I saw the theme for this weeks Gallery I got just a little bit excited. Not that I have a passion for Vintage or anything like that you understand.
I took lots of photos of my treasures and thought about this post for quite a while. Then tonight, when I sat down to write it I decided to make it about someone rather marvellous instead. Something much more precious than any piece of china or glass. Even more thrilling than a steal of a flea market find.

My Grandfather.

Here he is, in the middle with his splendid quiff; just joined up to the Army in 1939. His wartime career didn't get off to a particularly spectacular start. Fairly normal, thoroughly nice young chap signed up to do his duty with the Staffordshire Regiment, where he soon became a Staff Sergeant. 

A few years later he was sent to London on 'important' business. My Grandmother says that he didn't really tell her an awful lot about it, she just got invited down there to have lunch at the Ritz with him and some other nice fellows. He was stationed at Grosvenor Square and was to form part of the S.H.A.E.F. In 1944, General Eisenhower moved the operation to Camp Griffiss, Bushy Park and my Grandfather went with them.
It was from here that 'Operation Overlord' a.k.a the D.Day landings were planned.

From his military records we know that sometime after the move my Grandfather was sent (read dropped) in an intelligence capacity into Belgium. My Grandmother also has a painted piece of the Ardennes Forest that he bought for her during this time. The records suggest that he was instrumental in 'some' sort of spying and transmitting.
Whatever he did, he survived and in 1945 we know that he was working for a Brigadier in Holland as he sent my Grandmother two postcards.

He also sent her a business card from a hairdressers telling her that he had a haircut 'just here', so sweet.

He returned safely in 1946 and the rest as they say, is history.
He never told anyone what he did. As well as his British service medals he was also awarded the American Bronze Star Medal
for a person who 'distinguishes, or has distinguished, himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service,'
Amongst his paperwork sent by the M.O.D was correspondence that he had dealt with including this which I think you will agree is rather special!

Of course I would love to know exactly what he had done and what part he played in ending the War but he took the secret with him when he passed away in 2001. The man I knew was a quiet, generous, kind and gentle soul. An utter gentleman who wore his sports jacket and tie to dig the garden.
Fearless and brave with the best jellies in his pocket and always, always knew exactly where to find the dockleaves when you fell in nettles. We were Pooh and Christopher Robin, best friends and always together. The very best Grandad a little girl could have.



As always, there have been some beautiful posts and pictures on The Gallery for this topic, pop over and have a read!

Love,

SILENT SUNDAY

Of Course It's a Girl

Scrabbling around in my kitchen cupboards I found this the other day.


I bought it months ago, had put it away , shoved it with all the other plastic lids and boxes and forgotten all about it. It was from the pound shop, sometimes you you do actually find useful things in there. Sometimes you buy things you forget all about....anway

The girls were very bored; teeming down outside again of course, so I was trying to find other ways to grab their attention away from wrecking the play room.

They decided they wanted peanut butter dinosaurs and had great fun spreading it and trying to cut them out. Aren't they cute?!!




Obviously pink milk was 'the only thing to go with these Mummy', and they carried them into the dining room very carefully and we all sat down to have lunch. Bunny Lashes had arranged her dinosaurs and put them face to face.

"This is the boy and this is the girl" says she, pointing at them.

I hardly dare ask how she had come to this conclusion at such a tender age but had to as she was smiling at me, expecting a reply.

"Oh yes, how do you know that?"

"The girl has longer legs silly"

Cue much laughter at my obvious lack of dinosaur knowledge.

My punishment?
I got to eat the attractive offcuts.




Love,

SILENT SUNDAY - Broom Tennis

Magpie Monday - Feeding my obsession

I love that you find all the best things when you least expect it. I don't get to many markets or car boot sales so have to rely on the local charity shops for treasure and sometimes they really come up trumps!
I was happily pottering around the town, or having a 'mooch' as Grandma says when I decided to pop in to see a friend of mine who works in one of the many charity shops we have here.
I didn't see these lovely things at first as of course, my first concern was a good natter!

 They still had their bubblewrap on and were waiting to be priced.

They looked a little bit dusty and I wasn't sure how good the condition was really but the fact

that this piece had the original pottery salad servers made me think it had been taken pretty good care of.

Aren't they adorable!!!

There was even the matching butter dish, 

which already holds a new packet of scrummy Country Life.

When she uttered the words "Give me £6 for both of them" I didn't hesitate. 

I have become particularly fond of green lately! 

Pop over to MissLizzies Blog and see the other lovely finds for Magpie Monday

Love,

World War Twee?

So penned by Tanya Gold in the Telegraph last weekend.

Apparently, the current trend for Cupcakes, baking, home making and other such domestic delights are really not her cup of tea so to speak.
Well that's fair enough, we are, after all entitled to our opinions and she actually gets paid for hers.

But this article strikes me as just a teensy bit offensive. Just what is it so much that she objects to? It all sounds just a tad like jealousy to me. After all, for years women have been employed in typically male orientated workplaces. They have donned suits, heels, blow drys and mobiles to do battle in a male environment. There wasn't really much option to be a 'Professional' before was there?

Over the last ten years, with the rise of the internet and social media, women now have many other ways to earn. They also don't have to make the choice of work/home life should they choose not to. The lines are blurring and I think it's a jolly good thing.

If a woman wants to stay at home with her children or indeed without children and earn from the comfort of her kitchen or craft desk who is Tanya Gold to say that she shouldn't? Does this imply that the 60's never happened? It's as though she is suggesting that these very talented and creative women have somehow 'sold out'.

Surely the very ethos of feminism is choice and freedom for women? Am I missing something here? Does the fact that I choose to stay at home and am not terminally bored mean that I have let 'the girls' down?

She is scathing to women that don't put their careers first. She accuses Michelle Obama of hiding her light under a Cupcake stand and describes Samantha Cameron & The Duchess of Cambridge as 'models of almost insane domestic submission.'
These accusations are clearly not true. Michelle Obama is no stranger to rolling up her sleeves as proven by her Kitchen Garden at the White House and her workout with Desmond Tutu last week & her working on a playground.

Samantha Cameron cut her working hours when she was expecting her last baby, after the death of their son and to help her husband with his campaign. Now she dares to design handbags. Handbags! How dare she, such evil things. Why aren't you all carrying sack cloths you silly, vain creatures.
Are these actions really worthy of such an attack?

As for the Duchess of Cambridge; she is new to her Royal life. Love her or loathe her she is behaving impeccably. I would suspect that she has seen the mistakes previous Royal wives have made and is anxious not to repeat them in the glare of the worlds press. Does that really make her nothing more than 'a prop for her royal husband, like a talking, if very photogenic, cushion'?

Other comments such as 'cupcake mania', enforced domesticity', 'playing with sprinkles' do nothing to dispel the myth that women who work at or stay at home are docile, imprisoned or just plain silly. Which is just PLAIN SILLY in itself.

Perhaps La Gold should visit some of these women who make, bake, decorate, look after their families, do their books and run their websites late into the night?

Maybe 'Retro Feminity' is on the rise. Just maybe it's a smart option for the modern women who really do want to and indeed can have it all. Maybe women are remembering or just realising that it's ok to be pretty, a mother, have gingham curtains and earn a bloody good living too.

Personally, I love Cupcakes. Sprinkles? Sprinkle away.
I think it was time these militant feminists realised that sometimes, you actually do catch more flies with honey.

Would love to know what your thoughts are,

Love,

SILENT SUNDAY - In my garden