Midwinter Madness

WBM and I spent Easter packing up Mum and Dad's house prior to sale. The buyer is very keen for a quick settlement and wants to be in by early May so everything had to be done quickly.It was quite an emotional and yet at the same time cathartic Easter.

To be honest, packing up my family's final house was something I'd been dragging my feet about. There's so much sentiment involved; what to keep, what to store, what to sell (who the hell will buy that??) and what to fling...  

Now the baby grand was a given. It's gone into it's own special piano storage, waiting for the day when our house renovation is finally done and it can move in with us. Besides, Mum always said she would haunt me if I sold it after she died - and I believe her!

What to with the furniture was another matter. Right from the heart of the '70's a whole house full of Davis "Priory" pieces. Solid Victorian Ash timber, leather seats and tapestry upholstered in '70's brights. Retro is in, but apparently "... we are still in the early seventies Scandinavian phase". The Salvation Army didn't have room for it and we didn't want to send it to the tip - but finally we found somewhere for it to go. Mrs Secondhand decided that it was perhaps the next thing in seventies retro and was willing to have a shot at selling it on consignment. We'll see.

So... for anyone into Lord of the Rings re-enactments; perfect for that fantasy role playing evening, as seen in Oblivion ...

Apart from the piano and '70's styling, Mum and Dad loved ceramics and cut glass and had been collecting since their marriage in 1956. Stuart and Staffordshire, Waterford and Wedgwood, Coalport, Carlton, Poole and Ellis; the house had become a hoard of knick knacks, objet and whimsies;

 

But Mum's particular passion was for Midwinter China. Pride of place in the collection was a hand engraved Midwinter Modern Fashion Shape dinner setting in the Bolero pattern. Quite rare and collectible I'm told; created in 1955 by Midwinter's celebrated designer Jessie Tait.

 

Not only that, but this set is the full catastrophe, a dinner service for 8 with all the trimmings, cups, saucers, jugs, tureens, teapots, cheese platters and dishes;

...and my favourite of all, the cruet set (sweet!);

Apart from a little crazing due to age (and we all know about that don't we?) the dinner service is in perfect order without a single chip or mark. It was rarely used - even at Christmas. Mum would make an exception for extra special dinner parties, but even then John and I were not allowed to wash it up (suited me fine!) It's still as bright and vibrant as the day it was painted.


Fear not Ma, I'll be keeping the Bolero; I love its cheery '50s eccentricity. Guess I'll have to take over the washing up though :(

Of a less certain fate is the Midwinter Stonehenge "Earth" dinner service. Once again, the whole guacamole;place settings for 8 - in fact sometimes 10 - Mum always bought spares just in case,  particularly after Anne and I were born! 

Yet again there are plates,jugs, bowls, salt and pepper shakers and 3 - (count them), 3 casseroles. This set was used a lot for Mum's dinner parties but is so darn heavyweight that it just couldn't be broken and is still in wonderful shape. But "Earth" is so relentlessly seventies, so brown, so made to be with the Davis/Lord of the Rings furniture. And oh those "Eye of Sauron" dinner plates...

Should I keep it - where would I put it?
Should it go? - but what about memories of those seventies parties? 

• Avocados & prawn cocktail
• Coq Au Vin or Stroganoff
• Apricots in Brandy or Cherries Jubilee
• Seppelts Moyston Claret
• Percolating coffee in the background
• Dudley Moore on the stereo

Hmm, maybe it should go... Anyone???