My table and chairs

After giving it a supporting role in yesterday's blip, it occurred to me that the table itself deserved a starring role. When it first came back from renovation, I put some pictures on Facebook and these received positive comments, so why not on blip, I thought?

This table and chairs was made by a late nineteenth century ancestor who had a sideline in furniture making. I've had them since I bought my first house in Exeter, more than twenty years ago. Previous to that the table had been relegated in my parents' house to the status of table tennis table as they had acquired another grander dining room table from elsewhere in the family (Great Auntie Laura, I think although I'll have to check with my father). So by the time I got It I think the table was already in a bit of a state and it only got worse as I used it for several years as a desk and generally abused it a bit. The chairs were also completely rickety and needed recovering.

So last year we asked some friends who live out in West Lothian if they knew of a furniture restorer. They recommended someone who was professionally trained and a real craftsman but who no longer worked full time on this but could be persuaded to do it in the evenings etc.

It was weird seeing the table leave the house and odd being without it for about six weeks but when it came back it was totally transformed. It still bears some marks and scars, and you can see the principal one on the front corner in this picture. But these lend it character although it's unlikely to win prizes at the Antiques Roadshow.