We have just spent a few days away in Machynlleth in the Welsh county of Powys. My aim is always to buy plants whose name I can pronounce, and the same applies to places that I visit. There are a few that slip through the net. Although I underwent an intensive training regime from a Celtic Bard, which mainly involved him pointing and laughing at me when I said it wrong, and repeating this humiliation ad infinitum, I was still struggling to get it right. Fortunately, on our first day away, I was told that most local people call this delightful market town Mach. All was well.
Whilst we were in Mach we visited several antique shops, in one of which I bought this pewter teapot. It wasn’t my first choice, but the £1,650 Welsh stick chair would have been tricky to get on the train home and impossible for my bank balance. The delightful eighteen century wooden horse toy, a mere £350, was also a little above my means. The teapot it was to be. This beauty (to me anyway) was made in Sheffield in the mid to late nineteen century by James Allan. It is a bit bashed about but I loved the finial and for £10 I thought it was bargain.
My plans do not involve tea, or perhaps only comfrey tea. I am going to use it as a watering can for the greenhouse. I haven’t tested its pouring abilities yet, but it will look very pretty, dribble or no dribble.
There was an added bonus. My purchase was wrapped in a couple of sheets of The Cambrian News, dated 1 January 1971. There are many gems in the few crumpled pages which, I hasten to add, will not be going into the recycling bin. One of which is the review above, of two fine films, one of which is “indestructably mad and indescribably funny”. Wonderful.
Off The Edge Gardening 
I love your little tea pot, and an inspired purchase and very pretty addition for your glasshouse. I love reading through bits of old papers too.
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Sisters!
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How wonderful is that?!
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I love teapots and have seen that one somewhere before, my grandmother, maybe?? Very cool.
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That would be some fine synchronicity if your grandmother had the very same pot!
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The perfect addition to your greenhouse!
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Does it make a good brew or has it been sent to the glasshouse without any reprieve?
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I haven’t tried it yet, although I am tempted.
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That’s a bit Mach.
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Hey! I worked for a newspaper in the Cambrian! It was not in 1971 though. Cambrian Park is a district in San Jose that locals know more simply as the Cambrian. I do not know why.
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Close enough!
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It is as close as I can get.
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A great teapot/soon to be watering can. I always enjoy fnding television programme listings in old newspapers (we get a lot in the archive profestion) and seeing what was on back then.
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Where do you work, Graeme?
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The Somerset Archives and Local Studies service at the Somerset Heritage Centre. Just re-read my earlier comment – not sure what happened with the spelling!
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Do you know Dave Dawson or Vicky Dawson?
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Not personally. I think Dave was Museum rather than archives/Record Office and had possibly retired soon after I started. I think I’ve seen him from time to time at the SHC – does he have a beard?
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Dave is archaeologist, it is the law for them to have beards. He is a friend of my OH, who also has a beard. 🙂
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