Inherited Ornaments

Just wondering where the husband bashed is?

Basher!

Has anybody else seen any green and white ones?
I don't know whether to keep or chuck! I've had them for about 45 years.
I also inherited a lovely long case clock.
DGD today asked if I had it with me?
It's left to Dd

My maternal grandmother had a green and white Gog and Magog, but I didn't inherit those. They went to a cousin. A few things are worth a few hundred I think, but not many. My grandfather was in the navy and he used to go to China before the war. He used to buy little 'mud men', not new ones but old ones as they were cheaper, for my grandmother. They were made in around 1870 I think. They of course are now antiques and worth several hundred pounds - in America. Typical. Over here they can be bought quite cheaply on Ebay as the modern ones are still available and they are used as ornaments for bonsai trees. I think they are clever but don't like them particularly, DBH has been saying for years that he will advertise them on Ebay but of course never gets around to it so they will go in the loft with anything the children want. Limoges - why couldn't they have left me Limoges.

She also left me her collection of Poole Pottery dolphins. They used to live above the front door on a shelf and one day a visitor came in and the wind caught the door and slammed it so hard that the row of dolphins fell down and crashed on the floor. We cheered and the poor visitor was in a state of shock. Apologies to anyone who loves Poole dolphins.

Remember how many Cornish Miners went to America Galen I imagine they took all the stories with them (as well as the pasty recipes )
I inherited one houseful of stuff when my mother died, and another when MiL went into a home. An awful lot went to charity shops and auctions but I kept some favourite pieces to pass on to my children.

I have a Woods "Indian tree" Jug which was Mil's, its not worth much but I just like it.
I also have a Royal Doulton "Cascade" design tea service C late 1950s 1960s
chinasearch.co.uk/buy/royal-doulton/cascade---d6457/
This is a lovely design in a sage green. The problem is the cups are so wide the tea cools too quickly.
It was another one of my mother's futile attempts to be "posh". I have that on display. Keep it for another 100 yrs and it might be worth something.

We have been left numerous pieces over the years from close relatives,things that I do not really like and things that I love,when clearing my mums house I was collecting the dinner set that was for me then for my DD it is Royal Albert Roses design and I had always loved it only to find my sister had taken some of it and refused to return the pieces to me,but I can live with that mr G was clearing his fathers house and brought a vast amount of old Shipyard tools and two Dockers Hooks not very interesting to me but he loved the history attached to them,he passed them on to the Museum at Albert Dock who use them in their history displays so the youngsters can see the old tools used when the Port of Liverpool was at its busiest.

I'm with William Morris who said words to the effect of "Have only those things in your home which are useful or beautiful". This would entail ditching at least 60% of what we own, which would be fine with me but not with my husband.

I have an "Old Uncle Tom Cobley" musical jug that my much-loved granddad bought in Widdecombe years ago. It's worth nothing and the handle has been glued back together after my daughter dropped the mug when she was little but I treasure it (and my granddaughter loves singing along to it).

I inherited my gran's 'old pots' as my siblings described them. Victorian Violets china, very pretty, but some damage and cracks. I've built the set back up with occasional purchases found on various china sites for missing pieces and even found some cups and a cream jug on Ebay. It's all on display in my kitchen dresser, which is on the other side of the wall to next door, where my great-aunt used to live, and my great-uncle's family a couple of generations going back. That's where this tea set started off! It was given to my gran when she got married, as they couldn't afford lavish presents in those days. Now it's just a couple of bricks away from its original home.

Wow! haven't you all got some lovely inherited things? And some un-lovely things too of course, but after all, it's your own choice to sell give or throw away etc.I have never been left anything at all, goods, money, houses, nothing!And never will be now, sadly.We have moved house lots of times now, the last time was 5 years ago, and we only kept the things we wanted [presents from anyone included]. The things from our children's childhood, which we have been carting about and storing forever have now gone, they either collected it or we got rid of it.I do think that we should be ruthless about this because we have every right to be!Just have what you want around the house.

That's a good point, roses. When I look at the things my adult children have kept for posterity, they aren't what we would leave to them because they have great value, or have been in the family a long time. They are things that have meaning from childhood. One son has a Meccano set, dominoes and a paperweight; other son has the Tom and Jerry from his first birthday cake, a roll of wallpaper that was made for him, and his teddy bear; one daughter has some costume jewellery that grandma gave her for dressing up, and the other daughter has sets of children's books that she treasures. None of them want antiques and china. They'll probably sell my stuff!

In terms of valuables, said daughter who liked grandma's costume jewellery also inherited some lovely earrings. When she got engaged, I commented that her diamond ring was exactly like the diamond earrings grandma left her. There was a look of panic when I said 'let's have a look.' We left it at that then a month later she announced that she'd found the 2 x 1/2 carat earrings in a box in the loft, had them cleaned and valued, then blamed ME for not explaining what they were!

My most precious heirloom is a solid silver tray, presented to my grandfather by his colleagues on the 50th anniversary of his career in journalism. It's a beautiful and simple design by a Birmingham silversmith. Another is a Georgian bow-fronted chest of drawers from the maternal side of the family. It came from the rectory which seven generations of my ancestors occupied. The only ornament is a seated figurine of a monk with a very gentle expression.

When my grandma died the vultures family emptied the house. They squabbled over anything they thought had any value....grandma didn't have much tbh. I asked for the farmhouse biscuit barrel that I'd played with as a child. I played farms for hours using it and dominoes for animals. There was much umming and arring but finally it was decided that it was worthless so I could have it but I couldn't have the dominoes because they were ivory.

Came across a similar biscuit barrel online the other day which was valued at around £100. They'd have never let me have it if they'd realised

I have my grandmother's button box, which contains lots of treasures like my mum's brownie badge, gran's good attendance medals from school, lots of unusual buttons and hat pins, and so on..... Over the years, children end up with it spread out on the table, fascinated with these old-fashioned objects.

Anne of GG Canadian , please ladies!
Yes don't get conned by the younger generation to live with stuff you don't like.
I have 2 things only - a 30s chair that belonged to one grandfather and a wooden chest, probably made by the other. I had them both restored a few years ago. Ornaments? What are they? Where on earth would I put them?

(have to admit to being a bit smug after utterly heroic decluttering and downsizing efforts earlier this year - decanting ourselves from largeish 5 bedrooms to a flat with 2. I recommend doing this while one is still fit and resilient enough to cope with the physical and mental effort. )

Respect JessM. I thought I was doing well on the decluttering, first from London to the North-east and then to New Zealand. Even so, the garage is packed to the roof with all sorts of boxes, as well as some furniture now that we are in a small three-bedroom house. Not all of it is because I have hung on to stuff that I don't want; the house is rented so, for example, I cannot attach my grandmother's Vienna clock and my gravity clock to the walls. Even so, I am hugely impressed – your efforts were indeed heroic.

So much that has been written resonates with me. Over the years so many things have been inherited from various famly members on both sides. Some things have been passed on others used and much more packed away in the loft. Also I know there are some things up there that were stored there when we first moved here 50 years ago. Now we are both in our 80s and the house has far too much 'stuff'. We need work done but are not able to face the upheaval of major alterations that should have been done years ago. Ideally I shoud like to do as a previous poster and put what we need to keep in store and leave the house empty for the re-furbishment to be carried out. The loft could be emptied at the same time. If only it were possible! Sadly my husband has severe dementia and the disruption would unsettle him I have been told. So... all I can say is, don't put off clearing out what you do not need or like while you can.

opsimath I can empathise. I don't know what the solution is. It must be really difficult even to think about.
My recent experience has put me off shopping. Even for clothes.
Thank you absent . In truth there is still some stuff in MIL's loft but it is, in the main, not mine - "collections" of things like CDs belonging to DH. You know that "I've started so I'll finish" gene. But he did get rid of 25 years worth of National Geographics !!!
Some books, is all i have stored I think.A much reduced sub-set of my original number.
It's bound to be an increasing problem isn't it, the "bind" that you find yourself in opsimath. With increasing affluence, people tend to accumulate more and more "stuff" - shopping is a very popular leisure activity, much increased gift giving since I was a young adult. (how often do we buy things for the person who needs nothing) And longer lifetimes. It is the elephant in the room when people suggest that older people should downsize and get shot of their big houses and move into something more manageable.
hum. I could go on. Perhaps a GN blog beckons?

opsimath That is a very good point. You have my sympathies. I can see my OHs hording leading to that problem. I am just about fit enough to clear things up if they are not too heavy but I can see our loft being increasingly difficult to access. It becomes a problem for executors.

Good advice, opsimath. I've been in my small house for 13 years and it's already bulging at the seams. When I left my last one after 15 years, DS1 came and helped me to fill two skips. Looking round me, in a smallish room, I can see several objects I never use - a pilates mat, a foot massager and numbers of books. I need DS1 to come and sort me out. Help!

Oxfam are glad of nearly everything except electrical and furniture items.
Where I used to live there were several charities that collected and sold on bigger items.

I was upset that my Mum is leaving me nothing other than any household goods no-one else has asked for by 6 months after her death . I'm starting to feel that she actually likes me and is saving me the bother of storing her stuff.

Scratches head with wonder ..........Who will DH leave his brick collection to

Sook