Travelling to France.

Back soon, ........  from France.

Young tomato plants growing indoors by a window.

The tomato is a fruit which originated in South America, and  was spread around the world when the Spanish colonised America. It belongs to the nightshade family, and is generally a perennial. In England tomatoes were not grown until the late 16th century, but  by the mid-18th century they were widely eaten in Britain.

French l930s' glazed cotton.

An antique French glazed cotton with carnation design on blue stripes.

Begonia, a pencil drawing

A pencil drawing of a begonia.
The begonia is a perennial, and of the family begoniaceae with more than 1.500 species. They occur naturally in tropical moist climates in South and Central America, Africa and Southern Asia. They have showy flowers of pink, white, scarlet and yellow,  with attractively marked and shaped leaves. Most begonias are easily propagated by division or stem cuttings, from leaf cuttings, or even sections of leaves.

Pencil drawing of a begonia by Tessa Bennett.

Story book, The Paris Detective Agency.

New book 'The Paris Detective Agency', written and illustrated by Tessa Bennett. A story of two French dogs Georges and Jacques who set themselves up as detectives in Paris.  They successfully solve their first case - the disappearance of a diamond brooch.

General catalogue 1914, Garden Furniture and Requisites.

These examples of garden seats are illustrated in a Wrinch & Sons General Catalogue, Ipswich, England 1914.

Sinhalese monk? rare photograph c1870

Sinhalese sandal makers, rare photograph c1870

A rare photograph of sandal makers c1870, probably Sinhalese and possibly by Skeen and Co.

Rare photograph of Sinhalese boy, by Skeen and Co c1870.

Thought to be a portrait of a Sinhalese  boy c1870 by Skeen & Co, photographers.

Kandy Chief and his family, rare photograph c1870. (Sri Lanka Ceylon).

Photograph of Kandy chief and his family, probably taken by Skeen and Co, photographers, Ceylon.

Tasmanian aborigines, Australia, three rare photographs taken c1870.

Tasmanian Aborigine.

Tasmanian Aborigines  (Aboriginal name Parlevar), were the indigenous people of the island of Van Diemen's land (Tasmania) Australia. They lived for thousands of years in the area, but when British colonisation took place in 1803 disease was introduced, and this is what is thought to have been  the major cause of the destruction of the full-blooded Aboriginal people.   By 1847 there were only about 47  left, the last full-blooded Aboriginal dying in 1876.

Billy, Tasmanian Aborigine.

Patty, Tasmanian Aborigine.

Two 19th century horn beakers

Two 19th century horn beakers, one (on left) with hall marked silver rim London 1869   and glass base.  The other tin lined with silver plate rim.
Horn beakers were commonly used drinking vessels until about 100 years ago,and were  made from cow horn. Some were embellished with silver mounts or carving, and were variable in colour and size. They are more often found in Scotland.

Pair English Staffordshire mantelpiece dogs c1860, with copper lustre spots

Pair of English Staffordshire mantelpiece dogs c 1860. They have a separated front leg, and copper lustre spots.

Boats, bridges, waves, lobster pots etc, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England

15th century bridge over the Tweed, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England.

Sun on waves, Tweed estuary, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Lone seagull, quayside, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Ropes etc,  on the quayside Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Ancient iron boat rings, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Lobster pot, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Tyres on the quayside, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Lobster pots, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Quayside locks, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Boat ring, quayside, berwick-upon-Tweed.

Boat, Lady 'M', Berwick.

Berwick-upon-Tweed, England, two bridges over the  Tweed estuary.

Ancient boat ring quayside, berwick-upon-Tweed.

Iron rings, tyres and waves, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England.

Old tyres and ancient iron rings on the quayside Berwick-upon-Tweed.