Early doors for Sunbury Antiques Market…

Tags

Antiques, Brady Of Halesowen, Christmas Presents, Magalite, Sunbury Antiques Market, Vintage

If you are at a loose end on a Tuesday then I suggest you get an early night in order to rise before the sun and visit Sunbury Antiques Market.

With two inches of rain falling over the rest of the country today, tomorrow looks fair for a trip to Sunbury. With falling temperatures the rain is set to fall for a couple of days.

As for Sunbury there will be good bargains to be had, make a wish and what you may think of you will find. At 6am the lights will go on and dealers will queue at the gates, holding their familiar tartan refugee plastic bags and trollies. At 6.30am the gates will open and for some it will be pandemonium as dealers descend on stands.

Dealers will be buying stock for Christmas and anyone not in the trade but with the inside track will be buying Christmas gifts. This is where those in the know go.

Armed with a Barbour, torch and a large Brady game bag I will endeavour to cover a few dealers within an hour before I head West down the M4 and onwards to Bristol.

See http://sunburyantiques.com/ this is a must visit market for the discerning buyer…forget the online site ‘notonthehighstreet’ this is where the true eclectic mix of items are found.

A date with destiny…

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Redditch, Vintage fishing Tackle

The National Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair 2013 poster printed using fine letterpress by Tilley Printing.

In case you have not saved the date here are the details for the next National Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair 2013.

Fishing Fantasy…

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Fishing, Fishing and Flying, Radio 4, Vintage Books

Fishing Fantasy

On this November Monday, ‘Tales’ is another year older. Unfortunately I can’t head to the river to fish today even though I live only a stones throw from the banks of the Thames. However I will immerse myself in a ‘Fishing Fantasy’, a book by J. Hughes-Parry.

I have recently read on fellow bloggers sites about what they call good writing, Radio 4 covered this with ‘Words On Water’ last Thursday.

Fishing and Flying, “written with charm and fluency and salted with knowledge gained at first hand…facinating”.

‘TheTuesdaySwim’ – referred to a book called ‘Fishing and Flying’ by Terence Horsley which was noted on the reverse of Fishing Fantasy along with Water Symphony by H. E. Towner Coston, all published by Eyre & Spottiswoode. There is something about these old titles and the way the words are crafted that makes them enjoyable to read and for me the illustrations are a joy to look at.

A ceramic fish box from ‘Little Tales’.

My morning started with my son wishing me a Happy Birthday and giving me a ceramic fish box that he had glazed, one now wonders what to store in it…

Vintage hand made centre pin…

Tags

Centre Pin Reel, Chris Lythe Centre Pin Reel, Fishing Tackle, Garry Mills, Hand-Made, Hardy LRH Lightweight, Vintage

A vintage hand-made centre pin reel.

With the interest in hand-made centre pin reels being the talking point this weekend I thought I’d share this image of a hand-made reel I picked up.

Detail of hand-made alloy reel

Being made out a solid of alloy block that seems to be well-engineered with rose wood handles, brass round-headed screws along with a latch to release the spool from the spindle. It also has a boss cover to the spindle similar to those found on the Hardy LRH Lightweight range.

Clearly not to the specifications of a Chris Lythe reel or one from Garry Mills, of Mills Tackle, but I would imagin this was made long ago. It had that vinatge feel about it.

Hand made centre pin, spinning freely

The spool is well made and with some light machine oil spins freely but not in the same way as a Trudex or Speedia.

Back plate

The ree is pleasing to look at but the detail of the milling and overall finish indicates that this was either a prototype or had been made by an apprentice. All the same a worthy reel to fish with or just place in room with other vintage tackle.

If anyone has any clues as to who may have produced this reel please get in touch. See http://www.chrislythe-centrepins.co.uk/ and http://www.milltackle.co.uk/

Coot-karma and barbel on the Kennet…

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Barbel, KitKat, Moorhen, River Chicken, River Kennet, W R Products Speedia De Luxe

14lb 2oz barbel from the Kennet

My good friend Mr Nick Clark sent me a picture of his latest catch, a 14.02oz Barbel from the River Kennet.

Having sat out in the rain for most of the day with his only companion being a moorhen, who seemed to keep a watchful eye on proceedings. Nick observed that his bank side friend had wonderful green legs also a liking for the odd halibut pellet, slurp of soup and  Kit Kat. Nick quoted that it may be a bit of ‘coot-karma’ that lead to this magnificent catch. Nick however is a good fisherman with great skill.

It’s great to see that Nick used a classic Speedia De Luxe, then this is one of his favoured reels.

Fishing on Four…

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BBC Radio 4, charles Rangeley-Wilson, Chris Yates, Dexter Petley, Fishing, John Andrews, Luke Jennings, Polly Putnam, Words on Water, Writing

I took time out this morning to listen to this wonderful broadcast on Radio Four, let me share it with you. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01nthzc/Words_on_Water/

Words on Water

Words on Water covers some of the best angling writers, an insight as to what makes their writing so compelling to read and what makes fishing so enticing.

Barbel on The Creek…

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Barbel Fishing, Collectors, Redditch, Vintage fishing Tackle

I have done little fishing of late, today would have been an ideal day for a spot of barbel fishing. The temperature was higher than expected for this time of year and with the water still flowing fast and with colour, a cast upstream may well have produce some sport.

Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair

To those of you who are avid vintage tackle collectors may I remind you that this coming weekend in Redditch is the Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair, doors open early and entry costs £2.00.

The Fallen…

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Memorial, Poppy Appeal, Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday, War

They Gave All

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them”.

These very famous words are just a part of a poem by Laurence Binyon that he called The Fallen. It was first published in the Times newspaper on 21 September 1914. As this was very early in the war, it was written as a reaction to the high casualty rates of the British Expeditionary Force at Mons and Le Cateau, but the four famous lines have now taken an existence of their own that apply to all war casualties:

Bomber Command Memorial

For The Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children, England mourns for her dead across the sea. Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of spirit, Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres. There is music in the midst of desolation And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young, Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted, They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

They mingle not with laughing comrades again; They sit no more at familiar tables of home; They have no lot in our labour of the day-time; They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust, Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain, As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness, To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Robert Binyon, 1869-1943

Something for the weekend part II

Tags

Books, Cooking, Fish, Recipes, Sea Fish

Fish by Mitch Tonks.

As an advocate of fish and sea food there are a few books you should have to hand. If you are wondering what to cook, get yourself down to you local fish monger and buy some fresh fish. For this weekend I would suggest some halibut or plaice. There are some really good recipes in these books.

Support your local fish monger…

What I am really missing is the time to get to the South Coast to catch some flat fish or a cod.

Your Plaice or mine…

Tags

Art, Collectings, Fishing Tackle, French, Painting, Sunbury Antiques Market, Vintage

Today was spent with one of London’s leading copywriters thinking of ideas in his kitchen a mile or two from the home of Sunbury Antiques Market. We both have a passion for art and collecting an array of eclectic vintage items for both the home and garden.

I have said before and will say again you could furnish an entire home from one or two visits to Sunbury Antiques Market. You’ll find anything from fine French linnen, walnut day beds,Christian Dell lamps, Eames chairs, Fritz Hansen and Jacobsen tables, vintage clothing, paintings, sculptures and for those with a passion for angling the odd Allcocks Aerial reel, Brady bag or the odd stuffed fish.

Next Tuesday is already a sell out, so if you are looking for those Christmas presents you can’t find on the high street then you should set your alarm clock for at least 5am to be at the market for 6.30am where most of the London dealers, collectors and interior design gurus will be descending.

Make sure you arm yourself with a bundle of cash, a strong large bag and a torch, and if ‘Jack Frost’ is about some warm clothing.

Both Steve and I have furnished our houses from antique stalls in France and the UK with a fair amount of it from ‘Chateau Kempton’, markets in Paris and the odd piece from Sandown. One item of note Steve found was a Michelin Man trophy, a most stunning piece that now takes pride of place in a cabinet. This writer also has a very keen eye for art and his painting collection is breathtaking. Again some of it from France and other paintings found in galleries and on that well know Internet auction site eBay…the bain of many an antiques dealer.

The only problem for Steve and I is that we like the same things so it’s a bit of a scrum on market day as to who gets to the best stuff first…

We both enjoy a days fishing but few days this year have allowed us time or the occasion to head to the coast, maybe a visit to Brighton Car Boot will be tempting enough.

See http://sunburyantiques.com/ for dates of the next markets.