General Chat

My Great Grandfather's ivory shoe horn - don't like the fact that it's ivory but it's still in use

Why don,t you write to the British Museum,They have people there who,s job it is to Preserve things like that,They may be able to tell you how to clean it safely. Hal.

Many! but my favourite is my Grandad Ernies Graft. Thats a trenching spade for those that have not Turned the Sod in anger! Demobbed from the Great War, suffering from I believe post traumatic stress disorder, after having dug trenches and been shelled in them what did he do? Came back to Blighty, took to the bottle for 10 years and dug trenches for the footings of new homes! Sorted himself out, gave up the booze and went to work for the Kodak until he died in '57. A quiet shy countryman, who would not talk of his life in France. Ernies Graft has E.J.D on the handle, his initials. I use it often, this week to dig a grave for Sylvester the Cat. Nuff' said.

Nearly forgot - l have gt grandparents family Bible,which had qute alot of info regards births & deaths of my nan and her 12 siblings:o)))) Jude sarf wales

I have a musical jug that was passed to me by my mum. She got it from her parents who got it from my grandad's aunty. I don't know where it came from before that. It plays the Eton Boating song (yes it does still play) Mel

My eldest sister wore my mother's wedding veil -and so have all my mother's grand daughters. Wonder if my grand daughters will use it. My husband has a walking stick that belonged to his gt gt grand father, with his name, occupation and a date (1877) on an engraved silver strip around the top. Hubbie used it recently when he put his back out.

I have 3 engagement rings from 2 of great grandmothers. One g grandmother didn't like the ring she was given and went out and bought herself another one. It is inscribed and fits me perfectly. All 3 rings have gold bands and platinum settings to hold the stones. Crista

Thats a lovely story Jenny, I have a cake stand that was my grandmothers and also a handpainted tea pot We dont drink tea so we dont use the teapot but i do a lot of baking so the cakestand gets used, It also fuelled my enthusiam to start collecting them and i must have about 25 now,!

tHAT IS LOVELY Jenny Ithink old linen and cotton should be stored in ACID FREE white tissue paper.So precious. We too have our family christening robe,the family bible with generations listed in it,cut glass from my parents wedding.a lovely inlaid chair with an embroidered seat which was done by my husband's Grandma.The most precious to me in terms of fascination is a peepshow which was on sale at the Chrystal Palace exhibition of 1851.It has been on Antiques Road show.It is of no great value,but it is lovely Rose

My mother has the christening robe she was christened in and I and my brothers and most of our children were christened in it. Recently my mother handed me a small box containing a brooch which had been given to her by my Dad's 100 year old aunt when I was a baby - that was over 50 years ago. I don't know whether my aunt was given it or bought it. I was also given the family bible that my grandparents had plus a small glass - something to treasure!

MY HUBBY

My mother has the christening robe made by my great-grandmother for her daughter (my mum's mum) in 1893. Mum and her 3 siblings were all christened in it - but as mum is the only one of them to have children and since my brother isn't married and I'm not a church-goer, not sure if anyone else ever will be. Also have family bibles from both sides of the family, and although they are neither very old or very valuable money-wise, I treasure the book of prayers given my my gt grandfather to his second wife on their wedding day and inscribed; also a shove ha'penny board made by my husband's grandfather from wood that came from the bar of a pub he used to run. nell

l still use my grandmothers silver thimble and l have my husbands grandmothers old wooden ironing board, l stopped using it about 4yrs ago,but its still useable. l also found an old union jack and bunting which could have been used to decorate the outside of the house during the celebration at the end of ww2 - its quite delicate now. My old egg spoon is in the cutlery drawer,its egg shaped!! Jude sarf wales

WOW Margeret. You beat me. Not that i meant it that way. Are you not frightened of washing the Robe. Mine has probably not been keep quiet as it should have been. But since it has been with me I hardly dare look at it in case it falls apart. Just thinking now....... I could take a photograph of it and send it to you. Could you do the same? I am very intereted in this kind of thing. Jenny

Loved that Jen, it will keep going though, you need it for young'uns kids!!!! No seroisly though, there must be a site on Google that could advise you how to store it. Kim x

That's lovely Jenny. We don't have anything a special as that, but have all sorts of bits and bobs - like Granny's bracelet, great Grandad's bible, Grandad's decanter and I use Granny's recipe book and scales every week and all sorts of cheapy stuff like an ancient bottle opener and table spoons etc. they are great!!! Jacquie

Hi Jenny, I also have a christening robe that my mother was chistened in and her mother before her myself and my sister and brother was christened in it., my mother was 93 when she died 2 years ago and her mother who died in 1977 was 95. Some of my children were christened in the robe as was my sisters children and 1 of my grandchildren also waiting for a great grand child to see if it will be used again. the last time it was used was 17 years ago. Only this summer did I get it out washed it and carefully put it away again. This to would only fit a small baby. Margaret

How lovely Jenny, something there to treasure, mine isn't quite so delicate it's a garden trowel, which was Gt Grandfathers!.. Dad has two big lead lined trunks, which came back from India in 1909, with Gt Grandfathers swords still in one of them!..

I am wondering if anyone can beat this? My mum has just had her 74th birthday. She was Christened in a lovely Christening Robe made of Indian muslin, that my Grandfather bought back from India when he was out fighting there. Mum is the eldest of seven. All were Christened in the same robe. I am the eldest of 8, we were all Christened in the same robe. Fifteen of my Mums brothers and sister children were Christened in it and at least seven of my nieces and nephew wore it also. Ok because it had gone out of fashion and also discoloured, it was worn underneath a more modern one for my Cousins, Nieces and Nephew. My eldest Niece has emailed me to ask if i could sent it down to her for her new baby to be Christened in it. I am sure if i took it out of its tissue paper it will fall into shreads. It is almost yellow now and i am positive it would only fit a very small baby, around four or five pounds in weight. Hope someone found this interesting. Jenny