On Saturday 20th June I took part in a Zoom meeting as part of the excellent, "Stories of Our Lives" project which aims to bring local people together to share their memories and thoughts on various themes and create a written record to be included in a Blog.
Last week's theme was "a cherished object from your past".
I had trouble choosing an object to bring to the meeting, having so much clutter!
I finally opted for this tiny china replica of Teignmouth Lighthouse an item of "crested ware" produced in vast quantities in the inter-war period.
This example is by one of the leading manufacturers W.H. Goss and carries the crest of "Redditch", at that time a town in North Worcestershire famous for needle manufacturing and now a much larger "new town" for Birmingham commuters.
As Redditch was the home town of my maternal Grandmother I have long associated this article with memories of her, however, the introductory meditation on Saturday rekindled a memory of seeing it in my mother's glass-fronted display cabinet in which was kept the family's "posh" china tea set only to be used for special visitors.
Interestingly in recent years as I have studied my family history involving several trips to Redditch and Worcestershire's county record office in Worcester the artefact has acquired another layer of significance.
It can now evoke more personal memories.
One of my visits to Worcester coincided with my 50th birthday and I spent that day watching a cricket match Lancashire v Worcestershire at the iconic New Road cricket ground in the shadow of Worcester Cathedral; something I had always wanted to do.
On another occasion I visited Redditch and journeyed further to Withybed Green on its outskirts where my grandmothers Childhood home was located.
Calling in a pub for lunch I got chatting with the landlady who informed me, when she knew of the reason for my visit that one of her regulars with the same name as my grandmother's maiden name was also engaged in family history research and might shortly be calling in.
Unbelievably he called in as I was just about to leave (in fact we very nearly missed each other). He was a very nice man and showed me around the local churchyard where my Great-grandfather and other family members are buried and provided contact details of another relative who I later contacted and visited overnight on a further fact garnering expedition.
Tony Goulding © 2020
Pictures; crested ware, from the collection of Tony Goulding, New Road , Worcester, By Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0, File:New Road Worcester - 3 - geograph-891443.jpg - Wikimedia Commons.https commo
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| The crested china |
I had trouble choosing an object to bring to the meeting, having so much clutter!
I finally opted for this tiny china replica of Teignmouth Lighthouse an item of "crested ware" produced in vast quantities in the inter-war period.
This example is by one of the leading manufacturers W.H. Goss and carries the crest of "Redditch", at that time a town in North Worcestershire famous for needle manufacturing and now a much larger "new town" for Birmingham commuters.
As Redditch was the home town of my maternal Grandmother I have long associated this article with memories of her, however, the introductory meditation on Saturday rekindled a memory of seeing it in my mother's glass-fronted display cabinet in which was kept the family's "posh" china tea set only to be used for special visitors.
Interestingly in recent years as I have studied my family history involving several trips to Redditch and Worcestershire's county record office in Worcester the artefact has acquired another layer of significance.
It can now evoke more personal memories.
One of my visits to Worcester coincided with my 50th birthday and I spent that day watching a cricket match Lancashire v Worcestershire at the iconic New Road cricket ground in the shadow of Worcester Cathedral; something I had always wanted to do.
 |
| New Road Worcester |
Calling in a pub for lunch I got chatting with the landlady who informed me, when she knew of the reason for my visit that one of her regulars with the same name as my grandmother's maiden name was also engaged in family history research and might shortly be calling in.
Unbelievably he called in as I was just about to leave (in fact we very nearly missed each other). He was a very nice man and showed me around the local churchyard where my Great-grandfather and other family members are buried and provided contact details of another relative who I later contacted and visited overnight on a further fact garnering expedition.
Tony Goulding © 2020
Pictures; crested ware, from the collection of Tony Goulding, New Road , Worcester, By Stephen McKay, CC BY-SA 2.0, File:New Road Worcester - 3 - geograph-891443.jpg - Wikimedia Commons.https commo
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