Being Mrs C

Postcard wonderings

When this postcard fell out of a book that I picked up in a charity shop a few months ago I didn't really think much of it. Then I turned it over and my mind started wondering.

I'm now full of questions. Who are (were?) Ruth and Bill? Whose birthday photos is Bill talking about and what waterfall is it that he mentions? Who are the "new couple" and what advert has Ruth recently placed?

The card was postmarked 1998 but somehow the message on it seems to almost be from an older time. The address on it isn't that far away and is in fact only round the corner from where a friend lives here in St Albans. It's an area where it could as easily have been an older person as a young family living there. I guess it will just remain a mystery, but then I've always liked a good mystery.

Needleworker

Since digging out my old guide blanket a few months back I've been fascinated to look back at various old things associated with the Brownies and Guides from the period when I was involved with them. 

I remember spending hours with my copy of The Brownie Guide Handbook trying to work out how I could get more badges for my uniform. I managed to get my hands on an old copy of the edition that I had at the time - the 1980 third edition - and it's fascinating to read back and see what you had to do at the time to earn various badges. It's all very much written in a time gone by and I have to say that sadly I'm not sure I can see some of today's children reaching the same levels. The book contains some gems about the skills and hobbies that children used to have in the days before computer games and non-stop children's TV.

I thought it would be interesting to share with you some of what had to be done to earn your Brownie interest badges, starting with one close to my heart: Needleworker

1. Know and use in the following clauses four of these stitches:

    chain, blanket, stem, cross, fly, running

2. Make an article of your own choice, you can use a sewing machine if you want

3. Use a simple paper pattern to make a ball or similar article, and be prepared to show the tester how the pattern was placed on the fabric.

Vintage girl guides

Little Miss C pulled open a drawer in the study earlier and in doing so found Mr C's old Scout camp badges (and some swimming awards - I had no idea I'd married a man so talented!) and it got me thinking about my time in the Brownies and Guides. 

I still have all my old badges from my three years in the Brownies and year in the Guides. I went away to camp a couple of times and was quite jealous of the camp blankets that some of the older members had with their many many badges on them. In my attempt to be like them I started collecting sew on badges from pretty much everywhere I went and they all went on my travel rug along with my guiding badges.

The ones from tourist attractions far outnumber the ones I actually earned, and looking back at them now I wonder why on earth I chose to put them all on such a colourful blanket. They look hideous!

I loved my time in the Brownies and was quite sad that when I moved at the age of 11 or 12 I couldn't find another Guide group close to where I was as I wish I'd been able to be involved for longer. I also hope that LMC will be interested in joining when she's old enough. Bearing in mind I was a Guide and her Dad a Scout I'm guessing some desire will have rubbed off on her. What I may look to do before then though is find a plainer blanket for my badges (and if he lets me Mr C's Scout badges too) and then maybe she can take it to camp one day with her.

Looking online I'm amazed that I can't find a full detailed list of all old Brownie and Guide Badges and details of what they were. The following is therefore from memory and if I get the time I may even set up some pages myself as I'm sure I can't be the only person who wants to know what they all were for!

Picture 1 - Guide cap badge

Picture 2 (L-R) - Musician, Jester, Hostess, Collector, Pathfinder interest badges

Picture 3 - First Aider, Animal Lover, Swimmer, Craft interest badges

Picture 4 - Green badge (name forgotten) showing I was in Brownies for 2? years, Blue badge showing I was in Brownies before becoming a Guide, Gnome, Kelpie and Sprite patrol badges

Picture 5 - Venture badge (something to do with going on a trip with Brownies I think), Footpath, Road and Highway badges (no idea how I got there, but I do remember being annoyed that they changed the style before I got three that went together!), seconder and sixer stripes, Guide Writer and Collector badges, Guide Snowdrop patrol badge.

Vintage toy finds

I've spent (far too much) time recently looking online at vintage Fisher Price toys. It started with the realisation that the lovely Fisher Price horse that I had as a child, that Little Miss C is now playing with is over thirty years old. I hadn't really thought about it as that before. 

This particular French site (Little Vintage) has some lovely stuff on (including my horse!) and combined with the 1930s Housewife Challenge that may bloggers are currently undertaking it has really made me want to make sure that LMC gets to experience many of these old fashioned toys, rather than becoming addicted to ones that require batteries and make huge amounts of noise.

I'm always looking out for old things in charity shops and today a trip over to Harpenden to meet with a friend gave me the opportunity to make the most of the selection there which always seems to be so much better than what's available in St Albans.

The Posting Box shape sorter is adorable, but no where near as much so as the almost doll like little girl on the box. The box states that it is copyrighted 1966 and looking into the history of Merit toys and J & L Randall, the company behind them, it seems that they were particularly known for producing toys in the 50s and 60s.

 

Inside the box was still the leaflet outlining the whole nursery toy range of which the Posting Box was part. Some of the toys on it are ones where similar modern day equivalents are readily available, whilst others are a little stranger.

The second thing I found was a bit stranger, but equally lovely and vintage - round carousel bells: basically eight metal bells arranged on a plastic centre piece. All tuned perfectly and make a lovely clear sound when struck with the hammer. It's a bit old for LMC to play with herself, but she was fascinated when I played on it. She generally loves all things musical and we easily spend time picking out tunes together on the piano. It's definitely one to hang on to until she's a bit older, and bring out occasionally to keep her entertained.

There are plenty more finds I've made recently to share with you soon - more toys and books!

Vintage Maps

Sometime you find something small in a charity shop that really makes your day and that's exactly what happened today.

I've always loved old maps and would love to get some old ones of where we live and other special places framed and put up on the walls. The cover of this little tin therefore really attracted my attention when I was looking along the shelves for books and I was pleased to find that it still contained some of the map stickers that it was originally sold with.

Admittedly there are no where near the 200 tantalisingly promised on the tin, but some, even with duplicates, is far better than none. 

I just wish I knew what era these maps were originally from. There's something almost romantic looking about them and the colours used in them and the shapes remind me of both the old luggage labels that used to adorn people's luggage when they travelled the world, and also the stamps that appeared in their passport.

Somewhere I used to have a copy of my mum's old school atlas. Might be time to seek it out again for a spot of nostalgia.