Richard Hawley

I agree, things were made better in the past. I have an old Zenith camera, which people laugh at, but you could knock nails in with it!

I have an old Zenith, which served me well in my Photography o level. I think it had a Bakelite covering which made it as tough as boots & took some cracking photographs, infact i think i might dig it out & give it an airing.

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Look into my eyes
& stay awhile.
We can close our eyes, Love
& let the dreams come softly.

I had an Olympus OM10 SLR camera back in the '80s. I had my car stolen just before my son was born in 1988 and the camera was in the boot. I'd just had to have my dog out down because she had cancer and her last pictures were on the camera. At the time I would have sold my soul to get the camera back; I couldn't have cared less about the car. I've had several state of the art cameras in the last 20 years, but would love to have that OM10 back. I could make it talk; I took proper pictures with that - not just hit and miss snaps. The only benefit to a digital camera is that you can take enough pictures in the hope that at least one of them will be decent.

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Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else (Judy Garland)

I'm afraid I get terribly attached to 'things'. They become like friends. And I don't hold with chucking things out in favour of a new version, until the old one is completely unrepairable. Now, I have a great, true, story about a Box Brownie, which I will bore you all with. Forgive me if I have told it before...
I bought three box cameras together on ebay, all for 3 quid. One still had a film inside, which I sent to a specialist to see if there was anything on. I received back about seven black & white photos. There were seaside scenes & some children at the zoo, obviously taken in the 1950s.

Luck had it that the camera had its original canvas case, upon which was an address, written in a childs handwriting. I wrote to the address asking if there was still anybody known to them of the name on the case. A few weeks later I got a reply from a gentleman in Australia! The original owner of the camera. He'd been in England, where he grew up, visiting relatives, and the folks at the address I wrote to were acqainted with them. They passed on my letter. I sent the photos to Australia. One of them was of the man, Eddie, as a boy in the '50s. at the zoo. The others were unknown. He explained that he had left the camera on a train on the way home from that holiday.

Eddie asked if I would sell the camera back to him & to name my price! As it only cost me a quid I made a gift of it. He was thrilled to bits with it & sent a gift of some books in return.

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The heartbeat doesn't change, only the faces surrounding it.

I still have the watch I got when I was 16. I worked for the company which imported Sekonda watches. It's Russian made & going strong. Had one or two new mainsprings mind!
I have a 1960s black telephone, which I got a few years ago from a company who refurbished original old phones. I have a cheap modern one to do all the ''press the hash key to be plunged into a void whilst listening to Greensleeves'' stuff.

Starting handles are brilliant. Although also pretty good at removing skin when you don't get your technique right

Sadly I don't have a steam engine, but hey, you never know...

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The heartbeat doesn't change, only the faces surrounding it.

Dear Lofty............that's a beautiful little story.....
Have a nice day
Beeshette xxxxxxxx

That's a lovely story Lofty!

How lovely Lofty!!

Such an altruistic man

I've got my eye on an old singer sewing machine complete with table (the proper ones in wrought iron). I already have an old singer but that's manual - this one is electric. REALLY tempted as I want to start making my own clothes soon - I can cope with the older machines as they're slower. BUT am I missing out on the functions that a modern machine can cope with? I'm in a quandary. Also I haven't really got room for the table (well I have but it would have to go in front of the airing cupboard door, but its only the bit with the boiler so I don't need it unless anything goes wrong) but its so gorgeous I'm sitting here drooling over it.

I think I've almost talked myself into it........

It sounds sublime Baroness

How much will you regret it if you don't???

Go for it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
x

You sound like the ideal shopping companion!

I'm not much of a shopper, been trying to clear my home for years, with little effect!! But I adore old stuff, especially anything to do with fabric!

That is a great story Lofty - reuniting someone with their camera after so long is wonderful!

When my Aunt was clearing out the attic of an old victorian house she used to live in, she came across a box of glass photographic plates stashed under one of the eaves. She gave them to me, so I scanned them and spent some time digitally restoring them. The results from one in particular was very good, and was a street scene of Matlock Bath, taken more than a hundred years ago and just a short walk from where the plates were found. A copy of the scanned and restored image can be found here: http://www.visionage.co.uk/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&Itemid=70&page=inline&id=336

Cheers, Steve.

That's a great picture - and a good job on the restoration!

Great story Lofty.

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Fake it 'til you make it.