Queen Victoria Jubilee Medal To Oz, George Jones Bluebird Teacup, The Big Lunch

I had the privilege of shipping off from my shop, Time Was Antiques, yesterday a Queen Victoria 1897 Diamond Jubilee medal to Australia with a special story.

1897 was the Diamond Jubilee was the 60th anniversary of the crowning of Queen Victoria, just as this year is the 60th anniversary, or Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.  The Australian grandfather of the purchaser had been in London in 1897 during the Diamond Jubilee as part of the New South Wales Lancers who took part in the Jubilee Procession. His grandfather regretted not having brought a souvenir medal home, so the grandson has....and plans to be in London during June for the festivities for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. How neat is that???

I am joining What's It Wednesday with Ivy and Elephants, Teacup Thursday with Miss Spenser and Vintage Thingie Thursday with Coloradolady.

My teacup today is a lovely George Jones & Sons Crescent China, England bluebird teacup in the pattern Swansea made in the 1920s. I just love the cute little bluebird, and I love George Jones who was also one of the nest makers of majolica pieces. Lovely! To see more info, click on the photos.

And for those of you planning to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with the Brits they way they always have, there is The Big Lunch project which sees villages, streets and towns setting apart part of June 3, 2012 for block parties, public lunches and pot lucks to celebrate the official big day.

 The Brits have always celebrated occasions this way, communally, whether on village greens, at local pubs, sports fields or local "big houses". This was the way Bucklebury, Catherine Middleton's village, celebrated her wedding to Prince William.

And this is what we can expect to see all over Britain.

So click the link for fun ideas of what to do yourself, or just to see what others are planning.

http://www.thebiglunch.com/

Spring Teacup, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Tour Schedule

Hello and welcome to my post joining Tuesday Cuppa Tea with Antiques And Teacups and other wonderful blog parties listed at the end of the post.

I have a spring patterned cup and saucer with the pattern name of Daffodil that was made by Victoria China, England which was made by Cartwright and Edwards between 1929-1942. The design is hand colored on black transfer with hand applied enamel accents and is a perfect spring bouquet. Daffodils and Narcissus are some of my favorite flowers. I love the fragrance!  For more about the Daffodil teacup and saucer at Time Was Antiques, click on the photos.

The Queen's website announced the schedule for her Diamond Jubilee visits across the country last month. The visits will commence on March 9th with a trip to Leicestershire which is where my family is from, and some still are. The Queen announced that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge will be accompanying the Queen on the early visits including Leicestershire. Word has it that the Queen is very fond of Catherine and the 2 have spent quite a bit of time together. It is a great honor for Catherine to be included in the Jubilee visits. 

Here is the schedule that was posted of the upcoming Diamond Jubilee visits:

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN

Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will mark the year of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a series of regional visits throughout the United Kingdom.

Touring the country by road, rail, air and sea, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will travel widely across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The following list is a breakdown, by city and town (or London borough), of Her Majesty’s United Kingdom Diamond Jubilee Tour.

These visits will give Her Majesty the opportunity to express her thanks to people throughout the country for their continued support and loyalty.

8th March - City Day
Leicester.

23rd March – City DayManchester and Salford.

29th March - North LondonRedbridge, Walthamstow, Harrow.

26th -27th April - WalesCardiff, Margam, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberfan, Ebbw Vale, Glanusk Park.

1st -2nd May - South West EnglandSherborne, Salisbury, Crewkerne, Yeovil, Exeter.

15th May - South LondonBromley, Merton, Richmond.

16th -17th May - North West EnglandBurnley, Accrington, Warrington, Chester, Liverpool.

13th -14th June - East MidlandsNottingham, Burghley, Corby, Stevenage, Hatfield. 

25th June - South East EnglandHenley-on-Thames.

2nd – 6th July - Scotland (Holyrood Week) Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Perth.

11th – 12th July - West Midlands Hereford, Worcester, Birmingham, Shropshire.

18th -19th July - North East EnglandSunderland, South Tyneside, North Tyneside, Gateshead, Durham City , Stockton-on- Tees, Leeds.

25th July - South East EnglandCowes, Isle of Wight, New Forest, Hampshire.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will make use of car, the Royal Train, aircraft and the ship Leander as they tour the United Kingdom.

Quite a schedule for the 85 year old Queen. The Jubilee visits are a tradition started by Queen Victoria, the only other English monarch to reach the Diamond Jubilee mark of 60 years as Queen.

Here are the wonderful blog parties I am joining:

 

Ruth ~ http://antiquesandteacups.blogspot.com/
Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Common Ground ~ http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

Monday Marketplace

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

Angela  http://teawithfriends.blogspot.com/

Tea With Friends

Miss Kathy http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com

Celia ~ http://www.attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/p/afternoon-tea.html   Afternoon Tea

Ivy And Elephants ~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

What’s It Wednesday

 

 

Royal Stafford Edwardian Teacup, Downton Abbey and the Darning Mushrooms

Welcome to our Thursday post. I am joining

Miss Spenser ~ http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/

Teacup Thursday

Coloradolady  ~ http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Because I want to talk about Downton Abbey again (see my last post for a Downton Abbey quiz and Dpownton Abbey paperdolls) I have chose an Edwardian period teacup by Royal Stafford, England that I love.

I love the pattern...and it's blue and white, which I love. I can just see this at afternoon tea at Downton. For more info on the cup and saucer at Time Was Antiques, click on the photos.

 I don't know if any of you noticed this scene while you were watching Downton Abbey, with ex housemaid Ethel cradking her son Charlie. Sorry the photo isn't very good, but it was the best I could do.  Charlie had a toy he was playing with through most of his scenes, but did any of you guess what it was? Because it wasn't a toy but a common Victorian and Edwardian domestic gadget. Can you guess what it's for?

These are what are called a darner or darning mushroom, and are used to mend socks...you know, like you do every day, right???!!! Well, in the Edwardian and Victorian times you did mend them. The USA preferred the egg shaped darning egg but England has always favored the darning mushroom. Over the years, I have sold them made of ebony, ivory, sterling silver, celluloid, maple, oak, mahogany, china, rosewood and one of my favorites is below:

 This mushroom darner is made of confetti bakelite. Cool!  Darners were even featured in the March 2012 issue of Country Living magazine. How fun is that! 

 

So if you re-watch Downton Abbey, look for Ethel and baby Charlie and his toy!  The darning mushrooms above are from (all except the 1930s red painted one like a real mushroom) the Time Was Antiques archives. To see our current stock (what's left since the Country Living article, that is) here is a link to our DARNING MUSHROOMS.

Have fun visiting the wonderful teacups and Vintage Thingies!

Downton Abbey End Season2, Downton Paper Dolls

I missed a Tuesday Cuppa Tea with Antiques And Teacups....sigh...but here is my teacup...a bit late. But I have chosen it because of it's connection date-wise to the period of Downton Abbey which just ended season 2 for us on Monday evening. You can watch all season 2 episodes until March.

 The Imari cup and saucer is similar to several I saw in the series. This particular version was made from 1916 to 1930 by (Royal) Standard, England and I just love it! Available at Time Was Antiques...just click on the photos.

But onto some Downton fun, now that the series 2 is over. Series 3 is in production and set to be shown in the UK in Sept. 2012, so I guess that means we won't get it until next spring again. Sigh....

That's the news Lady Edith & Lady Sybil are obviously communicating here:

I also found some....Taa Daa!...Downton Abbey paper dolls....

Here are 2 of the 4 designs available for free download from artist Kyle Hilton at a great Jane Austen blog called Jane Austen;s World, who has stepped up a century from her usual place to embrace and comment on the Downton Abbey series. Click on the link below to read and download the 4 paper dolls. The likenesses are so GOOD!!!

Jane Austen's World

And last, I found a great Downton Abbey quiz from the Daily Mail Online for you fans to take a shot at....I aced it, but....(blush, blush)

Do you know your Downton? From Lord Grantham's dog to Mrs Patmore's catchphrase