Wednesday 5 February 2014

W.


January is always one of those months. Time to reflect, restore and regroup. Expectations are simple - keep warm, keep healthy and keep the washing pile ticking over. However once you turn the calendar page to February there is suddenly no excuse for leaving the Christmas lights on the weeping cherry outside, and by the time you do bring them in you realise the wooden front door has swollen so much in the bad weather that you can't retrieve the last bit of cable from the lower corner. This is why we now have a beautifully illuminated shoe rack. 
I'll give them another month. 

I'd refused to return Christmas to it's snoozing place this year until it had been thoroughly 'sorted out'. Our hidey hole is in the attic which has for many years now been a no go area. The only time it is ventured into is a) Christmas - put arm in, grab necessary boxes, retrieve and replace as necessary, and b) Summer - repeat operation with garden recliners. This means that the only movement has been around the door and the further reaches have remained blissfully dormant. No longer! After several dust laden hours of pulling, hauling and some rather choice language we managed to rid ourselves of two car loads of - ahem - rubbish and upturn some long forgotten treasures.

First up was this gorgeous little clock.


 We bought it for Big Sis when she was but a tot but she never liked the sound of it. In her words - 'I no like the tickety tock'. So into the attic it went. Sadly it was over wound so we need to get it seen to as the little pixies look so sweet going up and down on the see-saw as the clock tickety tocks away.

Then came this box. 


In typical fashion rather than just open it we stared at it for quite some time trying to figure out what it might be inside.Was the W. a monogram? What did Walter keep in his box? We remembered an old reel projector that we once had with old newsreels of a zoo and (oddly) the Hindenburg disaster. Eventually it was opened and I whooped at what was inside. A gorgeous Remington typewriter.



 Was W. a writer? A journalist? Had this been an essential part of his kit as he visited newsworthy places? It still works and makes a heartening nostalgic click with each letter pressed (although it feels very odd not being able to alter size or style of font!) 


So what do I do with it? Keep it safe in it's box and bring it out for special occasions, or find somewhere to display it in all it's glory (although the dusting of all those little parts doesn't thrill me)? Who do you think W. might have been? Do you know when it might date from (if it's any help it's been in the attic for twenty years so it's not from this century ;))?

So, although there's still more work to do  (we didn't make it into the furthest corners stuffed with baby clothes and Mr K's paintings) our first little foray was roundly rewarded. However I don't think we'll be needing those garden recliners anytime soon!


Jane 
x

16 comments :

  1. That little clock is so cute but I love what your sister said when she was little. My little granddaughter says things like that and it is so cute to hear her.

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  2. We had a good old sort out in that bleak hole called the attic where we keep Christmas too..Ooh but we didn't find treasure like yours...LOVE that wonderful clock so very much! ~ and I am a thinking 'DITTO with the sticking seized up front door...Pesky rain does this all the time...A cute post!
    Hugs Maria x

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  3. Wish I had such treasures in my loft. The typewriter just has to be displayed.

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  4. Oh dear the swollen door did make me smile, we had one like that in Cornwall and Fin kept sanding it down until the summer arrived and then we had a big gap!
    What a magical pixie clock...
    I wonder who W was... such a step back in time, sorry I cannot help with dating it I know nothing about them
    ( I type with two fingers) can you tell
    Happy Week
    Thea xx

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  5. Walter is such a good name. Walter the writer I believe. That clock is so sweet. Enjoy the rest if February.

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  6. Your typewriter treasure is a great find!! I learned to type on a big manual clunky thing at school, but we had one of a similar style to this at home that I used too for many years, so this has bought back lots of memories for me. You could use it for making labels for your lovely crafted items which would add a nice vintage touch and then you could keep it and use it - but not have to worry about the dusting!! Hope that you enjoyed the clear out and the space that you have made! xx

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  7. Delightful clock and typewriter.

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  8. What a divine little clock! It reminds me of the Noddy clock.
    Display that typewriter! The great thing about typewriters is, unlike keypads, you can hoover them with a soft brush and none of the letters get sucked off. She says typing on a keyboard that's missing a 'b' and a ';' key.
    I wonder how that happened?

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  9. No such treasures in our attic ... I love them both ... Bee xx

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  10. My attic is a place for decorations only, no treasures like you have found. I love the little clock.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  11. Treasures in the attic. Love the clock! x

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  12. we have a similar black hole that swallows stuff....our space is under the stairs....you have reminded me to put it on my to do list...as i may find treasures!!
    love yours...bestets
    Daisy j x

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  13. We have a crawl space ... a creepy crawly space ... full of spider webs. I told my husband "nothing goes in here except seasonal stuff" and it held true for quite a few years. Now when I crawl in there I groan at the accumulations piling up all around. The worst part is that our water meter is in there, and the only access is through the back wall of a very full coat closet! Love the typewriter. I have a similar one, which I think is about 60 years old. I don't think the "W" stands for Walter though .... cheers W..endy x

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  14. The little clock is so cute. I would just look at it even if it doesn't work . Great to pop in and catch up Jo x

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  15. Oh I can smell that typewriter! The gorgeous smell of the inked ribbon brings back so much nostalgic thoughts! What a great find in the attic. I don't even open the hatch to ours anymore in fear what might jump out on me! Have a great weekend xx

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  16. Hi Jane sorry I have been absent for a short while, work as usual dominates my life at present. What fabulous finds, love the cloth and the typewriter. I had one of these many moons ago and wonder what I did with it, would love to have it now! We are in the same position with the Christmas things, don't want to just shove them into the loft again with sorting out everything but it is just finding the time and energy - wish I could stop the clock for a few days so catch up with everything. Have a fab Sunday, big hugs
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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