Peevers - Hopscotch, an ancient game for children.

A rare 19th century peever made out of stoneware and found in Scotland.  Hopscotch has been played by children across the globe for hundreds perhaps thousands of years.  It a has different name in every country.
 In Scotland poorer children filled shoe polish tins with small stones and used them as discs to slide across the paving stone grid.

Cobblestones and setts, what is the difference?

These smooth mixed pebbles are cobblestones.

These are ancient granite setts.

These are ancient granite setts.

This is a narrow uphill road, the centre is laid with cobblestones and edges are laid with setts.

 The above photographs give an illustration of the difference between setts and cobblestones. Setts were cut to size and laid so that they made a smooth and level surface, and often laid in a zig zag pattern for strength. Cobblestones on the other hand are naturally smooth pebbles, rounded lumps of stone of all sizes. A cobbled area was known as a "causey", "cassay ", or "cassie" in Scots, from causewayside.  Cobbles were always laid on roads on steep hills to stop horses from slipping. 
 Macadam first, then tarmac roads took over. They were often laid on top of setts.  

Drusilla's Tea Cottage, basket chairs in the garden Berwick Sussex c1930

Basket wicker chairs in the famous Drusilla tea cottage garden, Sussex. c1930s. 

Mouseman, Robert Thompson, the wood carver extraordinaire.

Above are pictures of three different Robert Thompson cheese and bread boards.   Robert Thompson The Mouseman  -1876 - 1955, lived in Kilburn, North Yorkshire. He was nicknamed the Mouseman because he nearly always included the carving of a mouse on his furniture etc. He started using mice as his signature when, in 1919  another worker mentioned that he and Robert were 'as poor as Church mice'. His mice have important characteristics: No front legs, always whiskers, and a long tail. The wood Robert Thompson  used was a rare type of Yorkshire oak, a wood that is strong  and sympathetic and turns a wonderful golden colour when waxed.  His workshop is run now by his descendants,  it is located next to the Parish Church where the pews fittings and other furniture were made by The Mouseman  and adorned with his  mice. There is a Mouseman Visitor Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paris, The Marais (old Jewish quarter), ancient stone carvings.

Three ancient stone carvings in Central Paris (Le Marais).

Paris, wedding clothes a la mode! Shop window displays near Montmartre..

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Paris, shop window displays near Montmartre showing the latest fashions for  wedding clothes,  including a bride who looks more like a tragedy queen!

Paris, fettered clothes displayed on the pavement.

  Clothes on display on the pavement outside a dress shop in Paris, Place d'Aligre.