Saturday, 16 July 2011

Everyone is out to screw everyone else these days...

I was leafing through my Christie's publication on candlesticks last night, and came upon this illustration - included in it to show the little taper-stick which was used for lighting pipes.

Then I realised that it depicts pretty much everything that I enjoy when not working - candlesticks, tobacco, wine, nice Georgian glasses to drink the wine from and good company to enjoy all the aforementioned. Ok, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's mine - so there.

Today is a windy and rainy Saturday, so I had intended to spend most of it indoors reading - probably reading this huge book as well as others. If the flea-market is on today, then it's probably a wash-out, and the stall-holders have been forewarned about today's weather conditions, so only the toughest will turn up. I had sort of adopted a cosy, winter-like mentality toward this weekend, until a little ping sounded on the Mac, informing me that I had received an email.

The US Postal Service have been keeping me informed as to the transit of that bell/candlestick I bought a couple of weeks ago from the USA, and it is now being held at an undisclosed post office in Britain, waiting for me to pay a customs charge on it. The UK postal service have not yet informed me of this, so well done USPS, I say.

This one little email has shattered my plans for relaxing today, as I am now waiting to see if the UK Border Control has destroyed the candlestick whilst 'inspecting' it as happened last time, and I am also waiting to hear how much money they want from me for this service.

Whatever money they want, it is not going to be as much as the 'handling' charge from Royal Mail, who have a flat-rate of about £15 for anything under a certain value, whether they 'handle' it or not - once they have retrieved it from Customs.

I am now prematurely angry again, because I know what is about to happen, but I only know this thanks to a postal service about 2000 miles away in another country, and will have to wait until monday at the earliest to be informed by our own postal service.

The door bell has just buzzed after I wrote the above, and a postman stood there with a parcel for me. It was a box of water-filter cartridges which I ordered from ebay LAST NIGHT!

I think I am not going to buy anything from the USA ever again - I simply cannot stand the hassle.

Oh well, tomorrow will be a good bit of escapism - we're going to see the latest - and last - Harry Potter film...
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10 comments:

  1. Cro Magnon16 July 2011 at 04:30

    I like the painting. The attention to (rather primitive) detail is heart-warming. Broken bits of pipe on floor, etc.

    Thank goodness, I've never bought anything through E bay. I go as far as the catalogue 'La Redoute', and no further. Hope your stuff turns up OK... unopened!

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  2. Tom Stephenson16 July 2011 at 04:57

    I was looking at the classic earthenware jugs, and wondered why they are left unglazed halfway down. I have a theory that this was so that the clay could be soaked with water before the wine went in the pot, then the hotter it was, the faster the water would evaporate, keeping the wine cool. Sounds feasible?

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  3. Cro Magnon16 July 2011 at 05:13

    I always thought it was so the potter had something un-wet-glazed to hold onto, having just dipped.

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  4. Tom Stephenson16 July 2011 at 05:21

    Equally feasible, but then again, some pots were glazed all over, inside and out.

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  5. Anonymous16 July 2011 at 07:24

    Maybe those few vendors toughing out the weather will have some reduced prices to entice a few tough customers. You could be missing out on a "real deal" no shipping required.

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  6. Victoria Musicco16 July 2011 at 09:19

    Hope your candlestick arrives safely too.
    My question on the painting -
    What is sitting on the windowsill? Could it be the gentleman to the far right had enough of his wig and tried to throw it out the window??

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  7. Tom Stephenson16 July 2011 at 11:43

    Yep - I bought a Georgian engraved wine glass for peanuts today, Delores! It has the finest engraving on it I have ever seen in a glass of that type.

    And yep - that IS a wig tossed onto the cill, Victoria !

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  8. Judith16 July 2011 at 18:22

    I'm glad it's a wig, I did briefly wonder if it was an animal of some sort. The glasses are beautiful. Enjoy the movie!

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  9. Tom Stephenson17 July 2011 at 12:40

    Well I saw the Harry Potter, and a bloody good one it was too. Anyone want me to turn into John Gray and review it?

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  10. Tom Stephenson17 July 2011 at 14:53

    ... and I have just bought a taper stick from around 1750 tonight...

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