The King's Speech

I am posting this here as well as my other blog, Antiques And Teacups blog

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Well...just got back from seeing The King's Speech at a local theater and absolutely loved it! Heard before it started that Tim Cooper, the director had approached the Queen Mum, Elizabeth in the 1970s about filming the story which had appeared in a reader's theater off the West End, but she asked him not to make a movie of it whilst she was alive, as it was such a difficult and painful time for her that she didn't want to revisit extensively. Tim had to wait 28 years until she died at 101 in 2002.

The story centers around Albert,  younger son of King George V and Queen Mary who is forced into a role he hadn't been raised for because his older brother David abdicates the throne a few months after being crowned King Edward VIII to marry a twice divorced American divorcee and was a Nazi supporter.  Albert has a stammer and the story revolves around the work with a speech therapist who becomes a life long friend and is a true story. My family and my husband's as well have stories about the royal family at that time, the stammer, abdication and the absolutely brilliant job George VI and his wife Elizabeth did during the war. The general opinion was that England, and possibly the rest of the world would have had a very different fate if Edward VIII had remained king.


Another fun thing about the movie was...spot the actor. Such a lot of famous faces in the cast!
Derek Jacoby as the archbishop (Cadfael)
Jennifer Ehle as Myrtle Logue  (Elizabeth Bennet with Colin Firth in Pride & Prejudice)
Michael Gambon as King George V (Maigret)
Clair Bloom as Queen Mary
David Bamber as the theater director (cousin Rev. Mr. Collins in Pride & Prejudice with       
       Firth & Ehle)

This is a Shelley China, England teacup trio made for thew coronation in 1937 with King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mum) and the Royal Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret . To see more photos and info for the teacup trio at Time Was Antiques visit this link:
Shelley coronation trio George VI and Elizabeth


To see our items of British Royal memorabilia visit:
King George VI and Elizabeth
Abdicated King Edward VIII 


If you haven't seen the movie, we recommend it. A bit of language that I wish hadn't been there, but it has an R rating because of it. I just overlooked it because of the strength of the story after a cringe or 2.

Downton Abbey Crumbling and needs help! Daily Mail Online article

I am posting this on both my blogs...I have loved the Downton Abbey series on PBS and am looking forward to the second. But the UK Daily Mail Online has posted an article about the REAL Downton Abbey...Highclere Castle owned by the Earl of Caenarvon who's family is famous for funding the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb. I hadn't made the connection until reading the article which gave me a "Duh!" moment.


Highclere Castle is crumbling! The photos are horrendous....let's hope something can be done! We at Time Was Antiques hope so!

The Earl of Caenarvon in an affected bedroom

Hopefully an appeal can be launched. Here is a link to the article and more photos at Daily Mail Online visit:

Can Highclere Castle Be Saved?

Downton Abbey, Edwardian Age jewelry and the Boer War

Downton Abbey concludes this coming Sunday on PBS for us and it has been a treat! This is Lady Mary, one of the main characters, a young woman caught in the strictures of the Edwardian rules of polite society.  The Edwardian Age was named after Queen Victoria's son Edward VII who came to the throne of England upon her death in 1901. The reign was marked by the upheaval of changes started by the Industrial Revolution, social unrest, coming war and changing fortunes.


The Edwardian age was the last period of Belle Epoque or the Beautiful Era before modernism and the art deco influences began to dominate.  Edwardian jewelry was feminine, light and beautifully made. I wanted to show you an Edwardian faceted rainbow crystals necklace at Time Was Antiques that I absolutely love because it is so representative of the period 1900-1920 when Downton Abbey is set.

You can read more about it at this link:
Edwardian Rainbow Crystal Necklace


The Edwardian Era was ushered in by the end of the Boer War fought in South Africa, begun during the reign of Queen Victoria and concluded in 1902 around the time of the coronation of King Edward VII. The mug below is a fabulous example of portraits of King Edward and Queen Alexandra who's descendants include Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William. The back is a rare dedication to the end of the war and a commendation of the brave fights and lofty goals of the war. I really love the graphics.

I love history and these artifacts really bring it to life and evoke the ages and occasions they were made to commemorate. Downton Abbey, although fictional, has been extremely accurate throughout to details and settings and I have loved it...it's a window on a past age.
For more information and photos of the mug at Time Was Antiques use this link:
Edward VII and Boer War commemorative mug


Remember to watch on Sunday night...I can hardly wait! Have a great day.

Victoria Magazine 1999 hardback book Heart Of England at Time Was Antiques

Victoria Magazine book The Heart Of England

A Journey Of Discovery 1999

I just located these books in the warehouse (I have 4 of them) and have added them to the Time Was Antiques website that have packed since we closed our bricks-and-mortar antiques shop to go exclusively online in 2002. We packed everything up, subsequently moved, and here they are, brand new. The books are gorgeous! There are wonderful photographs of villages, people and tea tables with articles, poetry and recipes. Like a holiday of the best kind.
Here are some other photos I took from my personal copy of the book.

I absolutely love this book! You can see more photos and info at Time Was Antiques at this link:

Victoria Magazine's Heart Of England

Downton Abbey catch up and Edwardian lavalier coral and pearl

We were away for a break with friends for a week and could not get to watch the first 2 episodes of PBS' Downton Abbey. Checking my missed blog friend posts, I found out from Jane Austen Today that I could catch up by watching online at the PBS Masterpiece website.  WOO HOO!!! Life is good! Now I'm up to speed for Sunday's episode 3.

After watching, I think Maggie Smith...who regularly is a scene stealer of the best type...had some of the best lines. What a crack up and what a snobbish battleax she portays!  The settings are the stars as well, down to the great period details. I love the imari teaset the dowager Countess was using and the way she properly warmed the teapot and used the slop or waste bowl...I think I have that set online at the moment...or at least some similar...

For those of you who aren't familiar with imari...the English china that appeared in the 1850s was actually a copy of the just discovered colorful design of the Imari region of Japan and were wildly popular until the 1920s when they began to wane in popularity. The colors were bright cobalt blue, rust, green and almost always had imaginitive hand painted gold accents and trim. All the major potteries made imari design of one kind or another.
You can see more examples at Time Was Antiques here is a link to our Imari china category:
Imari at Time Was Antiques


Another neat example of the Edwardian period so beautifully illustrated by Downton Abbey is the jewelry styles. Edwardian is technically from the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 to the reign of George V in the early 1920s-1930s when a more modern style with less belle epoque ornamentation came to the forefront.
This is a period example of an Edwardian lavalier necklace of 10kt gold with a genuine branch of coral and a fresh water pearl, ornamented with pink and green gold.

For more info and photos use this link:
Antique Edwardian lavalier at Time Was Antiques


I hope you have a wonderful day...and don't miss the next episode of Downton Abbey which is a tour de force of period mores, styles, attitdues and traditions as well as drop dead gorgeous scenery and ambiance. To watch online, visit:
Masterpiece Theater Downton Abbey on PBS

Diana - A Celebration Exhibition in USA, Prince Charles and Princess Diana at Time Was Antiques

Well we're back from a post Christmas break to visit friends & family. Any thing out of your routine is refreshing, but now were back to our normal activities.


I found out today from Miss Spenser's Tea Blog   that there is a traveling exhibition in the USA called Diana - A Celebration  in cooperation with Althorp with photos and memorabilia of Diana, Princess of Wales or Princess Di which I didn't know about.

The exhibition is currently in Grand Rapids, Michigan until February 16th and includes a Royal Tea, tiara gallery, couture collection and photos of the Princess. We saw most of this exhibit when it was in London at Kensington Palace where Princess Diana lived and it was fabulous! The exhibit will apparently be in Kansas City from March 4th to June 12th as well.  


The exhibit is in cooperation with Althorp, home of the Spenser family where Diana grew up. It should be a fabulous event for English Royal memorabilia lovers.
The websites of interest:
Diana - A Celebration


Miss Spenser's blog


Althorp, Spencer Family Estate

For our Princess Diana, Prince Charles and the princes items at Time Was Antiques visit this link:
Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Princess Diana

New details of Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate, QEII coronation teaset

Just to keep everyone up to speed about the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate on April 29, 2011, the Prince of Wales released the latest details of the plans for the wedding.
The story can be seen at:
Prince of Wales website update Prince William and Kate wedding


As Time Was Antiques features mostly English antiques and collectibles, and we are Brits it is something we are interested in and would like to share with everyone.

We feature British Royal commemoratives, and here is a Queen Elizabeth II teaset we recently added from an English buying trip. That's a bit of class for the tea table!
For more information, visit:
Queen Elizabeth II coronation teaset

Paragon China Princess Margaret Birth china and Royal warrant marks

Ever wonder what a Royal Warrant is...and how you get it?  I had a customer ask about it this week and also came across the question about Royal Warrants on a blog site participating in Teacup Tuesday that my sister site Antiques And Teacups participates in at antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com.


Royal Warrants were designed to represent patronage by the British Royal family. Originally the warrant even named the royal personage and meant that their wares had been purchased (or received from the company as a gift and approved) by the royal person named. An example of that is:

This teacup was made by Paragon and bears the Royal Warrant above identifying the item was made between 1937-1952. The mark is for Queen Elizabeth, affectionately known until her death as the Queen Mum, wife of King George VI and her mother-in-law Queen Mary. This teacup can be seen at Time Was Antiques at this link:
Paragon Teacup Chintz Center


Paragon got into serious trouble in 1930 by overstepping their position. Paragon had made the approved design for the christening of Queen Elizabeth II and were awarded the Royal Warrant. BUT without permission they called themselves Royal Paragon and were chastised for it. When they brought out this design for the birth of younger sister Princess Margaret they had to go back to Paragon and have let it remain until today.
You can see more of Princess Margaret china at Time Was Antiques at this link:
Paragon China

As to Royal Warrants today, in the late 1950s that strict application of the name Royal in a pottery's name was relaxed, and there was a proliferation of names with Royal in them which is a trend that continues today. Now, it just is a marketing choice and means they think Royal will give a bit of cache' to their china!


A bit cloudier and still cool here in Sequim. It was actually warmer in Juneau, Alaska than Sequim yesterday! How funny. Have a great day, stay warm and take time for a cuppa!

Homer Laughlin Home plate Tri-States Pottery Festival, Downton Abbey on PBS

I had a fun time researching this plate....and learned something invaluable. Did you know that there is a National Door Knob Throwing Championship of the USA? Neither did I...but it is an annual part of the Tri-States Pottery Festival in June in East Liverpool Ohio, home to quite a number of potteries including Homer Laughlin and Hall China.


All this from picking up a plate at an estate sale. The plate has a drawing by Hans Hacker of the Homer Laughlin Home that wooed me with victorian charm. Then, the back started my quest for info, introducing me to the history of the Tri-State Pottery Festival which started in 1968. I love breadcrumb trails to great facts! This is the back of the plate:

I then found the website for the festival:  Tri-State Pottery Festival


andit was browsing the website that I found the info about the National Door Knob Toss. How cool is that!!! Apparently, you whang ceramic door knobs at a 4 inch hole in a sand filled tire.

I am just so sad I'm so far away. I would LOVE to go and watch that! Anyone in that area?


You can see more about the door knob toss at:
National Door Knob Tossing Championship


To see more on the plate at Time Was Antiques visit:
Homer Laughlin Home souvenir plate




To change gears....if you love British period drama there are treats on the horizon. PBS will bring us Downton Abbey which airs on on Sunday here in the US, unfortunately in a shortened version. The story concerns the breakup of a titled family after a death on the Titanic & the breaking of the entail...which the Brit producers thought the US couldn't follow....tchahhh. Balderdash, but...

You can visit the PBS website for more info at:
Downton Abbey on PBS
there are quite a few trailers you can watch there...quite fun. Word has it that there is Shelley China used in the film, so I'll be looking for it.


To follow some of the controversy of the cuts made, visit Jane Austen Today as they have some great links as well.


Have a great day and start practicing your door knob tosses and tea etiquette!

Happy Birthday Fenton Glass!

From Time Was Antiques: Vase Milk Glass Fenton Ruffled Hobnail Double Crimped
I am not primarily a glass person, being known as a "pot lady" or "china chick" in the trade, but I do like glass and have always had a certain amount. And my favorites always seem to be by Fenton Glass Company, USA who is celebrating a birthday today.


Fenton Glass Company is still family owned and was started in 1905 in Martins Ferry, Ohio. The company has specialized and is famous for colored glass pieces and has enjoyed a wide fan base all over the world. From their website :


Frank L. Fenton's desire to develop new and unusual colors helped to keep Fenton in the forefront of the handmadeart glass industry. During the years from 1905 to the 1920's, Fenton design was influenced by the artists at Tiffany and Steuben. In late 1907, Fenton introduced "Iridescent" glass. This glass, now known as "Carnival" glass, is a popular collectible today.


That's really impressive. So...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FENTON GLASS!

You can visit their website at: Fenton Art Glass Company

Have a wonderful day today. We are off to morning service at church then to lunch with friends. 22 degrees this morning in Sequim, WA with a clear sky. As my English grandmother used to say...A bit chilly on the whomper!

Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady greets the New Year, Birds egg coddler

Greetings to everyone on this, the first day of 2011. Amazing...how did we get here so fast???


It was 20 degrees, totally clear with a hard frost this morning at 8am when I remembered to look at the thermometer. It reminded me of the January 1 post from The Country Diary Of An Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden that was published in 1906 from a combination diary and watercolour journal. The entry for January 1st reads:


Jan.1, New Year's Day. Bright and cold with hard frost.


Edith Holden lived iat Gowan Bank, Olton Warwickshire, England which is not far from my husband's birthplace. She called her diary Nature Notes and it is a joy everyday with her talented renderings in watercolor of the creatures and places around her.

I found the book in England in 1977 and have read and reread it often. The book is a joy and a comfort!


Staying in the bird theme, here is a favorite design of the Royal Worcester egg coddlers that we sell at Time Was Antiques called Birds with a single wren on one side and 2 finches, I think, on the other. It is so cute! 

For more info or to purchase use this link to the Time Was Antiques website for the: Royal Worcester Birds egg coddler


They is having the Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count here in Sequim so it will be interesting to see the results later.


My husband is watching Arsenal FC beating Birmingham on Fox Soccer channel and is not a happy camper. Aston Villa is his home favorite but Birmingham his second fave, and....not going well. Hope you have good results with all the bowl games. We laughed when we discovered the Pinstripe Bowl a few days ago. Ever heard of that one? We hadn't.


Have a wonderful day, a holiday for many, and I hope you are looking forward to the year with optimism, hope and faith.