Look what Mr P dug up in the garden!!!
I always hoped we'd find some interesting things when we started transforming the garden. Where we live there used to be parkland to a big house which survived until just before the second world war when the estate was turned into a British army transit base. Later on it was occupied by thousands of American soldiers prior to the D-Day invasion. We have worked out by looking at the old map that our house was built on the site of the old mess hut. I like to think that's why we have found this amazing old milk bottle. It's so old that the phone number has only 4 digits.
I find it hard to explain why I'm so in love with this bottle. Before this I could never see the appeal of archaeological digs, but now I think I understand the excitement of finding something hidden for years, waiting to give up its secrets. It's the mystery of how it ended up there in our garden, who drank the milk it held, who was the last person to touch it before we did, how long had it been buried there, how old is it, where exactly was the dairy??? What I can't understand is how a milk bottle from Timperley has found its way here. It's about half an hour by car. Why would they have been using a dairy so far away? Maybe somebody was visiting and brought it with them? Does anyone have any other ideas? Perhaps that is how it found its way into the ground here... because it was from a different dairy it wasn't rinsed and returned like the others. Well it's a mystery to me but such a lovely one. It's a very chunky bottle with a very wide neck. Perfect for flowers. And it makes me feel all warm inside that we have such a beautiful piece of history belonging to this place sitting on the dining room table.
I would love to hear about any treasures you have found. Wishing you a lovely weekend!
2 comments:
how exciting, lesley, i really love the bottle, it's gorgeous! and i can well understand how you must feel trying to imagine its story... it's a little 'amelie'!
it reminded me, though quite different, of when i was little, once i was helping my dad with the gardening, he'd hid an old tin of old coins in the ground (though i had no idea) and when we hit on it whilst digging he told me that they must have been really old, and i was soooo excited! i was only little!
as for real finds... hmmm... (pausing to think) well, sometimes we find treasure next to communal street bins, the other day i found a lovely old wooden bedside table that was just missing a leg, which the ex-owner had kindly placed in the drawer. however i didn't unearth this whilst digging, so it isn't quite as exciting!
i think the most exciting thing i've found whilst digging is probably worms and old buttons come to think of it!
anyhow, enjoy the bottle and have a good weekend :)
I love the story about your dad! It reminds me of something my dad used to do when we used to go for walks in the forest. He'd tell me to say, abracadabra... 1...2...3! And on the number 3 a packet of wine gums would fall down from the trees!! I never caught him throwing them! Not once!! I always smile when I think about it.
Post a Comment