Boxing Day, Giving, Hunts And Shopping

Happy Boxing Day!

For those who aren't familiar with the British term, Boxing Day has no pugilistic connotations but refers to the weekday following Christmas Day when the alms or "poor" offering boxes were opened and distributed to the needy.

Boxing Day gift giving began in the middle ages but was revived by Queen Victoria. After all the feasting of Christmas, the leftovers were distributed to the poor as well as monetary gifts. 

It was also a time to give gifts to the employees of the great houses and for the tradesmen that had served through the year. Gifts were given to postmen, delivery people, purveyors and shop keepers as well as any employees in your home or estate.

Boxing Day also includes lots of other opportunites that are more active...from after Christmas sales... the photo below was taken outside Harrods for the Boxing Day sale... and included a red carpet and refreshments being served to those waiting in line to enter with strict capacity controlled at any time.

 to fox hunting, which is a famous activity for Boxing Day, although not without controversy.... 

 Boxing Day hunt postcard... 1910 Bicester

I found a great video of a 2007 fox hunt on You Tube which I have added at the end of the post.

Hunting scenes have always been a popular theme on English country house decor...

And hunting horse brasses are always popular....

 

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoy your boxing Day. Here is the the wonderful Christmas message video from the BBC from Queen Elizabeth II.

And starts today...

Cheers!

Four Shires Bloodhounds Boxing Day Meet 2007

Happy St. Piran's Day... Patron Saint of Cornwall

Photo: Courtesy of Mammoth Screen for BBC and MASTERPIECE

Just in case you didn't know... today,  is St. Piran's Day, commemorating the patron saint of Cornwall...Poldark would have known!

Cornwall is a favorite area of England...and the site of many wonderful holidays over the years...

St. Piram is famous for being credited with discovering tin. The metal was a major reason for the development of the area.

 

This is Mousehole...pictureseque and we just loved the name!

Fowe, where my husband has cousins we visit...

 

Polruan, where a niece lives...and a wonderful place for a holiday...

And Poldark is not the only famous literary work set in Cornwall... there is always Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier and her Jamaica Inn...a tale of pirates and smuggling....lots of books! The horse brass above is a favorite souvenir of the area. Click on the photo for more info.

Agatha Christie lived and wrote in the area...

 And of course, the famous Cornish Pasties...nothing better!

So happy St. Piran's Day!
I'll have a cup of tea to celebrate!

Vintage Hagen Renaker Mini Arabian Stallion White 1959

I was HORSE mad when I was young! I loved the Black Stallion books and asked for them for birthdays & Christmas until I had the whole set, then reread them until they fell apart. I had large plastic Breyer Arabians & made horse blanket, saddles & reins for them...not to mention stables and paddocks. I loved them!

I also collected ceramic horses which were lovingly stored in a china cabinet in my bedroom that nobody wanted. I especially liked the Hagen Renaker...although I couldn't have told you that that was the name of the maker because I bought by what I liked and promptly took off any labels. After all, they were real to me!

This is one of the last of my horse collection from the 1950s, and was one of my favorites. I gave half the collection about 15 years ago to 2 preteen sisters. Who knows where they are now. But....This is the miniature Arabian stallion and it is mint and beautiful. I just added it to Time Was Antiques and here is a link for more photos & descriptions: Hagen Renaker Arabian Stallion

I ended up with a quarter horse later when I worked summers wrangling at a mountain lake in California, sometimes getting to ride with the family & 25 horses 2 days up Deer Creek form Chico, California to Lake Almonor. One year my husband & I had to move 18 of them from a threatening forest fire on foot...but that's another story!  Later, we had the filly of the palomino I had for our daughter who was horse mad. Ah memories!

Antique Horse Brass Victorian Jockey Fred Archer 1890s

This is a sad tale of the foremost horse racing jockey of the victorian era.

I have just added an antique horse brass I found in England last buying trip of Fred Archer. Fred Archer was born in Cheltenham England in 1857 and had an illustrious horse racing career. He won the Derby a record 5 times. The National Horseracing Museum describes him as "the best all-round jockey that the Turf has ever seen."

Despite his success he suffered from depression and after the death of his wife he committed suicide at the age of 29 in 1886 and passed into...literally...song and legend. There were several famous music hall songs and ballads at the time. What a shame.

This is an actual photo taken of him at the age of 25.


To see more about the horse brass, their history and other horse brasses we have at Time Was Antiques, visit this clickable link:

Antique Horse Brass Victorian Jockey Fred Archer 1890s

    Today is a lovely day for watching the World Cup final between Spain & The Netherlands. It's warm & sunny...70s. After church we had to hurry home so as not to miss the game. My DH, being a Brit and therefore a died-in-the-wool football fan (or soccer to the Yanks) is still keen although England was sent off rather soon for him. Sigh...Should be a great day. Then a walk and who knows what else! We DO have to get some cat food for our cat, Tinker. But what a gorgeous day today here. Hope it's cooled down if you're on the east coast!
Have a great day!