Farewell Aunt Nornie?

Today we bought a new colander, replacing the one that has travelled with us for nearly 35 years which, having lost one handle, is finally heading off to the re-cycling station. This is a deeply sensitive moment for the old one (shown here alongside its sparkling replacement) was inherited from gentle Great Aunt Nornie (Nora Edkins nee Tweedy) when we took over her flat and all its effects as impoverished newly weds in 1977. I think we finally finished up the powdered mustard a couple of years ago.

This was the same Great Aunt who walked out of her care home in Kent and made her way to the door of her niece's house in Liverpool in her bedroom slippers and with not a penny to her name 'because she wanted to be near her'.

We are pondering whether we have any other objects in regular use from the same period.  Had we not had a few throw-outs since then, we could probably produce the original bill of sale from Dickins and Jones which we suspected was her favourite store.

In another age, we would take the old one to the tinker who would no doubt rivet on another handle to see us through the next 35 years. Suggestions as to how we should use it around the house or garden would be welcomed.

PS: Aunt Nornie and her great niece shared a birthday (23 January). The digital factor of their ages was the same. When one was 7 the other was 61 (6+1=7).

New year's eve

The end of the year produced the usual spate of murders at Trevellan Towers. This time it was the sad loss of Mr Billy Bonka, that well-known chocolate manufacturer. One of this motley crew done it but whether it was the arnachist-favouring, artistic marchioness; the ruthless Belgian chocolate giant who was one of her former lovers; the Oxford-educated archaeologist expert on the Aztecs who had been having an affair with Mr Bonka; the psycho-analyst who turned out to be Mr Bonka's long-lost son; the famous pugilist from Noo York or the glamorous lady novelist who was another of his conquests; only we know. All that was needed was the application of zee leetle grey cells.

More photos here