my Ceredigion and my Cardigan Bay » bargains

Photos: Arts and Crafts Oak Candlesticks from Carmarthen Showground

Paul Williams — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:54:09 +0000

I spent the best part of this damp morning at Carmarthen Showground Antiques and Flea market distributing the 2010 Wales Antiques Guide. A side benefit of this is getting in early before the civilians, and having a good look around the stalls and meeting the mostly laconic and downbeat stall holders.

The goods on offer were piled high and of a pretty good standard; with more cash I would have come home with a lot more that I did.

So here’s the star lot; one pair of arts and crafts candlesticks, oak, carved, 16 inches high and probably late 19th or early 20th century. I’m unable to identify the maker but I suspect a Welsh connection. I guess they could possibly be made for ecclesiastical use though I’d have expected something a little more ‘gothic revival’.

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Making Coffee the Harry Palmer Way

Paul Williams — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:27:43 +0000

While stumbling about the internet looking for info on the magnificently retro Russell Hobbs brushed stainless steel coffee percolator, I found the the Harry Palmer Movie site.
I’d had it in mind that Deighton had give is then un-named anti-hero some fancy-dan device for brewing his coffee. I was nearly right. It seems that the executive producer had put together a product placement deal to promote the Insta-Brewer, a rather nasty looking cafetiere and it features rather prominently in The Ipcress File.

So apart from learning that Deighton taught Caine how to crack an egg I learnt that my vintage Russell Hobbs Model 3008 looks cooler than an Insta-Brewer. And it makes damn fine coffee.

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Disposable Sharps for Vinyl Junkies; Gramophone Needles and the Damage Done

Paul Williams — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:47:07 +0000

Every day, I confess, I visit a certain charity shop. It is a rather unreconstructed affair; no pricing policies, no Fair Trade, no over-priced secondhand books and no visiting window dresser. You’ll gather that this is my kind of charity shop. It’s old school and I like it because there’s most likely something worth buying. As often as not it’s a ‘nothing’, a ‘yes-thing’ that’s cool to have around, but not a thing that will make worry about getting too rich, too quick.

Here are today’s treasures.

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£1 never better spent; until tomorrow.

Grammophon-Nadeldosen / Gramophone Needle Tins: Geschichte und Katalog mit aktuellen Bewertungen / History and Catalogue with current Valuations

The Auction Surplus Shop Crosshands: John Dawson and Rosa De Bartolomeo

Paul Williams — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:59:19 +0000

A reminder to any antiques, antiques related, book, or auction business in Wales COULD be listed here and at Wales Antiques; all you need to do is ask!

And here’s someone who did just that…

The Auction Surplus Shop
Crosshands (End M4)
Llanelli
Carmarthenshire
Carms SA14 6LR
tel: 01269 844505
email: auctionsurplus@gmail.com
Open: Mon-Sat 11-3; not Wed
Est: 1988; Environment Agency licensed
Owners: John Dawson, Rosa De Bartolomeo
“furniture which is pleasing, well made, functional and of good material”

Junk Shop Vinyl: Nancy and Lee

Paul Williams — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:51:57 +0000

Taking a cue from super-readable blog, Diggin’ It, I thought I’d post a bit of junk shop vinyl.

This is the 1968 Reprise album by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood.

It’s a weird, though surprisingly successful, pairing and reading the track listing you know this is going to be a patchy album; even the good is going to be over-shadowed by the spooky psyche-pop masterpiece Some Velvet Morning.

Here is that track listing.

You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
Elusive Dreams
Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman
Summer Wine
Storybook Children
Sundown, Sundown
Jackson
Some Velvet Morning
Sand
Lady Bird
I’ve Been Down So Long (It Looks Like Up to Me)

See what I mean?

Some Velvet Morning has been much covered and recently most notably by Kate and Bobby…

All that for 49p at Barnardo’s in Cardigan.