Family treasures

I am inspired by Chris Jordan of 'Life is Full of Pictures' for my blip today.

The two items in the picture, although of little monetary value, are precious to me as family heirlooms.

The box is Mauchline Ware, which was produced in Mauchline, Ayrshire between 1820 and 1993 by W & A Smith, and was very collectible.  They were sent all over the country, and usually had a picture of the place purchased as a souvenir.  My box was given to my great grandmother, Annie Strang, by a friend Bella Noble in 1888 (she signed the box on the bottom with the names and date), and has passed down through the generations to me.  It has a picture of the Tay Rail Bridge, which was the scene of a disaster  in 1879 when it collapsed in a heavy storm as a train was passing over, with the loss of life of all 75 passengers.  They built a new bridge, but to this day the foundations of the old bridge can be seen on the River Tay.

The little horn and silver snuff box belonged to my great grandfather, Peter Strang, and still has snuff in it!  My aunt owned it eventually, and when her house was being cleared after her death, my husband found it.  He gave it to my uncle, who was Peter also, but he was not interested in it, so it came to me.  The initials you can see are intertwined P and S, for Peter Strang.

Our weather is more seasonal now, with the very hot weather long gone.  Ach well!!!