Category: Home life

Friday, 12 January, 2018

A self indulgent post. I’d like to talk about some of my treasures. Some people would call it clutter, I suppose.

Most of it is in a glossy red Ikea wall unit in the living room. There are many stories and memories in these spaces.

One of my dolls (Krish likes this one), a tin I’ve had for decades, some diwali candles and my little menorah. My Doctor Who (#11) figure. The puppet was made by Robin in kindergarten. Robin was surprisingly not good at crafts considering his artistic talents but he curiously labelled everything pedantically alongside his classmates’ imaginative descriptions – ‘this is my doll.’ The green eggcup on the right belonged to my mother and was part of a set of heavy pottery. I saved just this piece due to the weight, although I always admired it.  The little figures at the front belong to Krish – they are things I’ve brought back from my solo adventures – all meant to convey travellers who always come home.

Two more tins,  with my favourite photo of myself at three years old on Lessada Street, where I spent my early childhood.  The china figures on the left are my mother’s The dolls at the front I bought on Chatsworth Road – they amused me! And on the right is my Muffin the Mule puppet, a Christmas present from my ex husband – it brought a huge smile to my face then and still does.  Muffin was a TV puppet when I was very young.

Dolls I’ve collected! Three of them were mum’s – the big one at the back and the one in front of her, and the wooden doll. At the back on the right is the only doll I’ve ever bought new, a little shabby now but I love her face. I bought the cowboy and girl in an antique shop. In the middle is an antique doll that dances when you wind her up. Many Christmases ago when I was alone, someone invited me to dinner with his family.  He gave me this doll, which I instantly loved. He didn’t like me very much so the doll was a complete surprise. The peasant doll is from my brother, bought on his Baltic cruise. Lastly, the very un-PC golliwog keychain I found in a shop somewhere

I’ve been collecting snowglobes for ages and here are a few. At the back is a linocut illustration from an old school friend who  makes wonderful prints. I’m fond of little religious icons but can’t afford more than silly ones. And I have a very small collection of vehicles. Look at the beautifully happy photo of Robin, taken when we visited La Habra one year.

Among the snowglobes is another un-PC possession, the salt and pepper shakers.  At the back on the left is Krish’s very Canadian moose, which he got as a gift one year with some hot chocolate.

More snowglobes! And on the left, two school prize books – for French. And on the right, a Pinocchio I bought in a lovely old toy shop in Porto. The shopkeeper was very old and spoke no English. I held his interest when I noticed he had writing on his hand – I stopped and showed him my hand, also written on. We shared a smiling moment.  I’m sure he isn’t there any more.

I’m quite fascinated with the Mexican day of the dead dolls.  The ones at the back in the centre are from my brother. The couple on the right we bought in Barcelona of all places – they were our first. The others I’ve picked up here and there. And another lovely – and cherubic – photo of Robin in what I thought was a gorgeous frame when I bought it many many years ago

Some of my dolls. I have one space in this wall unit stuffed with them. My dream is to get them all adopted!

Stuffed toys. At the back left is a lovely teddy bear handmade by my niece, Suzanne.  At the back right, the first rag doll I made for my mum – passed back to me now. The rest are mostly gifts from Robin. All treasured.

An eclectic mix here!  A basket set. A Legolas figure. A ship I bought in Genoa. A Ganesha given to Krish one year at Christmas. A couple of old tins, and a shiny TTC token from Toronto.

More old tins, Another one of my dolls and at the front right my most precious treasure – a china figure of a white kitten climbing on a black boot, given to me by my maternal grandmother, Charlotte. She had also inherited it and I don’t know how old it was but she told me it was won at a fair by a relative. maybe at a coconut shy. When I was little and staying with my grandparents, she would tuck it into bed with me, saying that it would keep me safe. I’m so glad she gave it to me when she was still alive.

At the top of the wall unit, I have two of mum’s needlepoints, as well as a dolhouse Krish gave me to put together last year. To the left and the right are two prints from Budapest. A funny but not surprising to us story about them. I bought one for Krish for Christmas after visiting Budapest for the Christmas market in 2016. On my birthday, March 2017, he presented me with another different one from the same series. We had bought each other the same gift. Robin gave me the mug – it’s from the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

In the bedroom is the  mirror Krish bought in the Oxfam Charity shop in Dalston . In front of it a bit too much in the way of things but there they are. Notably, a photo of my Aunt Kitty (mum’s older sister) holding me in my grandmother’s back garden, an African doll I bought for my mum and reappropriated when the house was sold, cologne, my small jewellery collection, and some frozen Charlottes from my close friend, Denise.

There are more…of course.