Steve's History of Things 3 - Fielding's Musical Tankards

 

Steve's History in association with Steve's Vintage Collectables

A bit of fun today in the musical world of Fielding's.

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Simon Fielding started his business in the early 1870s at the Railway Works in Sutherland Street, Stoke-on-Trent, which was later taken over by his son, Abraham. Fielding's started producing these musical novelty tankards in the 1930s and they are currently very collectable. After all, in a decade's time they will become antiques. They feature Swiss musical movements that still faithfully reproduce the original tunes. This one, for instance, plays De Ye Ken John Peel.

John Peel is one of the commoner tankards around, but this one, Roamin' in the Gloamin' seems to be a bit rarer. Leastways, I've searched the internet and I can't find another one like it for sale anywhere. Could well be a bargain as I'm offering them for the same price. You can hear them both by clicking on the shop link: Steve's Vintage Collectables

Also in 1930, Fielding's head hunted nearby nearby Carlton Ware’s Sales Director as well as their Design & Decorating Manager. This led to an introduction of new lines such as this Crown Devon oriental style ewer. As you can see, it matches the Carlton Ware bowl perfectly. Something that surely wouldn't be allowed nowadays! This makes this set particularly interesting, as it comes from two different manufacturers, albeit with the same Design & Decorating Manager.

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of history. More next week.

All the best,

Steve

10% Off all Fielding's items, exclusively for readers of this blog. Use this link:  https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SVCwithEtsy?coupon=SVCBLOG3

Find loads more great stuff at Steve's Vintage Collectables

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Sofia, Bulgaria Trip Report

 

Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is an absolute delight – even in March when the temperature struggles to get above freezing. We were lucky; of the four full days we spent there we had wall-to-wall sunshine for three of them. We spent the first day getting our bearings (as you do) and merely went for a stroll in the park. Actually, a hike through seven of the main parks – Sofia is full of them. We clocked up ten miles. A cool, crisp winter's day with all the usual city birds but also quite a number of colourful Jays, easily spotted in the bare branches of the trees. We even had a glimpse of a Red Squirrel and I just managed a quick snap before he disappeared around the bole of the tree.

The city is dominated by the 7,520 foot Mount Vitosha, which we visited on our second day. Although wolves, martens, foxes and deer inhabit its forested slopes, we had to content ourselves with fungi, mosses and lichens. Recent research has revealed that there is an incredibly wide diversity of these in the comparatively small area that the massif occupies. 500 species of fungi, 326 species of moss and 200 species of lichen. These are some of them, but don't ask me what species they are. Despite the lack of wildlife it was a beautiful walk with plenty of little shelters to stop and soak up the atmosphere. Highly recommended.

And now to the subject of Bulgarian food. You'll either love it or loathe it. When I came back to the UK, I was surprised at the lack of offal on the supermarket shelves. Not even that midweek staple, liver. Not so in Bulgaria. Not only liver but kidneys, hearts, tripe, lights and pig's trotters were widely available. We found a superb local restaurant by the simple expedient of going into a small, non-touristy bar, and engaging the landlord and clientèle on the subject of the best place to eat. We dined there on three occasions, sampling such delights as pig knuckle stew and sautéed lamb brains (which taste surprisingly like fish and are served with a wedge of lemon). As I say, you'll either love it or loathe it. More conventional fare is also available for the gastronomically unadventurous.

Day three and we decided to investigate the history of this, the fourteenth largest city in the European Union, which has been inhabited for the last nine thousand years. The recorded history begins with the Romans in 29BC. They were succeeded by the Huns, Visigoths, Avars (who?) and Slavs before Khan Krum incorporated it into the Bulgarian Empire in 809. (Now you know where JK Rowling got the name of her Bulgarian quidditch captain!) The Ottomans had it from the 14^th to the 19^th century and in the early 20^th century it was a monarchy under Tsar Ferdinand who was related to our Queen Victoria (as were most of the European royals at that time). WWII saw it ally itself with Russia which continued until 1989 when the Bulgarian Communist Party began to drift away from Russia, eventually joining NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007. That's a quick potted history as I understand it.

And finally, a lighter excursion to the Museum of Illusions which was absolutely fascinating and totally defied the senses at times. Exhibits ranged from the sublime, such as the shadow skyline in the centre... to the ridiculous. As demonstrated by the carefully arranged mirrors which allowed Ishbel and I to merge into one with frightening results. Thanks to the museum staff for taking the pictures.

Having disentangled my clothes from a spaghetti nest of cables when I got home, here are a couple of items I'm thinking of getting for my next trip abroad. And if you fancy a trip to Bulgaria this year, I can recommend the Berlitz Travel Guide. Click on the pics for more info.

Universal Travel Adapter

Cable Organiser

Berlitz Travel Guide

All the best,

Steve

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Wonderful Wintery Whitehaven

 

We're not walking far today, just around Whitehaven Harbour, as Jack the Navigator Hound is recovering from a minor op..

  “You wouldn't call it a minor op. If you'd had one of your boll..”

“OK, so maybe not such a minor op. from your point of view but the point is, Jack, your fans will want to know why you're not bounding round the fells as usual.”

Which is why we're wandering around Whitehaven, hoping to see the odd dolphin or porpoise. The sea is dead calm, which would be good for spotting if there were anything out there... but there isn't. We do have plenty of birds though, Gulls, Oystercatchers, Swans, Geese, Jackdaws and even a Cormorant. And here on the quayside, rooting around in the debris, a Rock Pipit, Anthus petrosus. These are predominantly coastal birds, related to the wagtails in the family Motacilladae.

One of the problems with bird identification is that they don't come out of the egg looking like the pictures in the bird book. Take these Herring Gulls, Larus argentatus, for example. In their first winter, they are mainly brown and heavily streaked. This one is in his second winter: his head and underparts are beginning to whiten and he's starting to turn grey. Next year he'll look almost adult but he'll still have a few brown feathers in his wings and dark markings on his bill rather than the red spot of the adult. Swans are similar. We all know the song about the ugly duckling with his feathers all stubby and brown, who turns out not to be a duckling at all, but a cygnet who turns into a beautiful swan. The reason, of course, is protective camouflage. It doesn't pay to advertise when you're young.

The last time Britain was invaded was in 1778. I bring this up because it happened right here where we're standing. It was an American invasion, but not a particularly successful one. Led by one Commander John Paul Jones, he was after the 400 British merchant ships which were anchored here, but totally misjudging the currents, a one hour lighting raid in two rowing boats turned into a six hour marathon and one of the boats turned back when the sailors 'heard a noise'. Jones did manage to set fire to the southern fort and the subsequent conflagration engulfed the entire town.

More recently, in the mid 1800s, this castle-like structure was built, along with that tall chimney-looking object, affectionately known as The Candlestick. The 'castle' was the entrance lodge to Wellington coal pit and 'The Candlestick' was a ventilation shaft. There was a major mining disaster here in 1910 when methane ignited and 132 lives were lost, a consequence of which was the invention, by Humphrey Davey, of the safety lamp, which was tested here.

Back to natural history and I see that the Feral Pigeon still holds sway in Whitehaven, repulsing the invasion of the Collared Dove with true Cumbrian grit. Down on the harbour wall, however, an invader from the far east has claimed a roothold. This is Buddleja davidii, the well know butterfly bush, which is now classified as an invasive species in the UK.

News From The Old Cornmill

Just a few miles downriver from the Cornmill another river, The Marron, joins The Derwent. I went out there at first light yesterday and found a scene of absolute peace and tranquility. Just me, the river, a robin and a blue tit. You can keep up with all my sporadic wanderings and more by visiting my website at Steve's Nature Plus.

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Now available in paperback priced £7.50
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.	Paperback £4.99

The Springs of Paraspori

Autumn crocus, Colchicum pusillum

We'll continue to make our way northwards today and gradually drift eastwards as we approach the zenith of our circular tour. I have found, in the thirteen years I've been on the island, that Crete has very distinct changes of seasons. Soon after the autumn equinox, clouds begin to make their way back, nervously encroaching upon the wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies of summer, and eventually the rains will come. This valley to our right is the perfect place to admire the acres of sky above us and there's a rocky outcrop just here where we can be monarchs of all we survey so let's get out and do a bit of rock scrambling. Magnificent view isn't it? But look what I've found nestling in between the rocks at our feet. The first Autumn Crocus of the year. This is the earliest that I've seen one, my previous observations have been three or four weeks later in the year.

Hello, what's this? It appears to be a pot handle of some kind. I've no idea how old it is, it could be Minoan, Roman or made last week. I shall have to take it home and show it to a lady I know who's potty about such things. I'll let you know when I find out a bit more about it. Meanwhile we may or may not have a clue in the landscape. If you look down there to our left you can see a pair of incongruous outcrops. These are the remains of a hill fort called Monte Forte (which, rather unimaginatively, is Italian for Hill Fort). It was built early in the 13^th century when the Venetians held the island and spent about a hundred years amusing itself by being occupied and reoccupied by opposing forces before an earthquake put a stop to all that malarkey in 1303. It was rebuilt in the 14^th century but no-one seemed to have a use for it and it gradually fell into rack and ruin. Whether or not this has anything to do with our pot handle I'm not sure but the Museum of London is in possession of a jug of similar vintage, the handle of which looks remarkably similar (to my untrained eye at least).

Parent Bug, Elasmucha grisea

Enough of the history, let us carry on to Paraspori and have a look at these springs and see if we can find some wildlife. So, this is the spring, set in a pleasant picnic area shaded by massive plane trees and I've found someone rather interesting on this stone wall. Most shield bugs, and this is one, are not renowned for being particularly attentive mothers; they lay their eggs in little cases and then wander off and forget about them. This one however is called the Parent Bug and she will look after her offspring, carefully rounding up any adventurous individuals with her antennae, right up until the third instar (which roughly equates to our teenage years) when she will allow them to move off in small groups to forage for their favourite foodstuffs which is the sap of various trees. After that they gradually disperse. 

There's a little path leading down from the picnic area with a rather fine Ivy hedgerow alongside it. Ivy is very important at this time of year as it is coming into flower when many other plants are still waiting for a decent drop of rain and as you can see the wasps and bees are loving it. There's a Speckled Wood butterfly flitting about as well and some tiny white blobs that one may not immediately recognise as insects. These are Oleander or Ivy Scale Insects (Aspidiotus nerii) which attack both plants as well as palms and citrus trees among others. These are females and they will remain attached to the leaf beneath these waxy plates and give birth. The males, having done their job, fly off and die within a couple of days so they are rather more difficult to spot.

Penicillium mould on a fallen orange

Now, what do we have on the floor down here? An early fallen orange covered in a blue/green mould. Moulds are part of the fungi kingdom and are very important (though not always welcome) in the decay cycle of an ecosystem. This one is probably Penicillium digitatum (although it may be P. italicum they are very similar) and it lurks around in the soil of citrus growing areas such as this just waiting for the fruit to fall. It only needs a small chink in the fruit's waxy armour and it's in to the rich juices inside. Once there it reproduces millions of times, sending its thread like mycelia throughout the interior and producing its own spore filled fruits on the outside. The spores, when they hatch, are carried by the air; some to fall upon the soil and some to adhere to undamaged fruits. For this reason great care has to be taken when harvesting and handling the fruit because if it is damaged in any way then they're in like Flynn once more. These microscopic fungi are responsible for 90% of citrus fruits lost to infection after harvesting which is not good news for us but without them, then in the natural order of things, the nutrients bound up in the fruit would not be returned to the soil and it would soon become impoverished. Rot and decay isn't pretty but it is essential and a major part of the autumn season.

The Extra Bit

A couple of weeks ago we were debating whether we had found signs of a meteor strike. I am indebted to Chad Johnson at Learning Geology for showing me that this type of geological feature can be caused by the natural erosion of a dome. Thanks Chad.

Do you remember the mantis I found eating a shield bug last week? Well she's still sitting motionless in the same patch of fennel a week later apparently having moved no more than a few inches in the entire week. I haven't seen any more potential prey items on the fennel so she's either been snaffling them while I haven't been looking or she's getting very hungry. As her scientific name is Iris oratorio I've taken to saying “Good morning Iris” to her when I go out (much to the consternation of my neighbours who are wondering if they should send for the man with the straitjacket).

Photographic Bit

Many of you have asked me what photographic equipment I use so here's a quick rundown on the cameras used for each picture. For details of aperture settings, shutter speeds etc. my pictures will be on Flickr within a few days and that has all the geeky stuff.

Picture 1 Nikon Coolpix S33

Insets Canon EOS 1300D

Picture 2 Nikon Coolpix S33

Insets Handle: Canon EOS 1300D Jug: Museum of London (via Pinterest)

Picture 3 Nikon Coolpix S33

Insets Canon EOS 1300D

Picture 4 Nikon Coolpix S33

Insets Canon EOS 1300D

Picture 5 Canon EOS 1300D

Insets

Extra Bit Canon EOS 1300D

Pictures were edited with FastStone Image Viewer and combined with Microsoft Paint.

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LINKS:

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

See detailed pictures on Flickr

Read more about the flora and flora of the island in The Nature of Crete (Flipboard Magazine)

Explore the region with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking and Nature Map

Cretan Flora

Flowers of Crete;

BIRDS OF CRETE

Crete Birding

Greek Butterflies and Moths

Aquaworld Aquarium

Visit Greece (National Government Tourist Office)