One of the reasons we returned by sea from our recent trip to England, was the fact that there is really no luggage limit on a cruise ship. You just have to fit it all into the cabin and we did. All 12 suitcases. We saw it as a perfect opportunity to bring back some family memorabilia. We had recently made the decision to rent my mother's flat and needed to remove family items of importance. You would probably laugh at some of the things we brought back. Of course there were the usual tea bags, tins of Marmade, the boomerang my great uncle brought from Australia. Photographs, books, teapots, dinner sets and this glass ball. The glass ball was one of several I had found, as a little girl, washed up on our beach at Cleveleys, in the north west of England. My gran-dad and I would go down to the beach, he looking for driftwood and me for any treasure the sea had washed up. It was a special day when I found a glass ball. Our garden had quite a row of glass balls but this was the only one that came with us when we moved house.
These balls were sewn into the fishing nets, acting as floats, until they were replaced by plastic and polystyrene. All the balls we found were green and I have no idea from where they came. There is no mark on the bottom. I read that most of the balls, made by the Japanese, were green because they made them from old saki bottles. I have no idea if mine came from a Japanese boat fishing out in the Atlantic and carried to our beach on the Gulf Stream. Maybe it just came from one of the trawlers which came into the busy fishing town of Fleetwood close by.
So the glass ball came back with us across the Atlantic and is now nestled in its new home, among the thyme, in my herb garden.
What a gorgeous picture and a wonderful story!!
ReplyDeleteI love the story behind your glass ball. I just bought one from Miguel's, no back-story included. Maybe if it survives a few decades it'll have a good one.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny to imagine you and the Mr. stuffing 12 suitcases in your cabin, which I expect was not very large to begin with. Did you have to sleep on top of the luggage?
It's beautiful! I love its history. Welcome, home, too.
ReplyDeleteI love these glass floats. And, how wonderful you have it now in your garden here. A beautiful memento of a beautiful memory.
ReplyDeleteWe had a nice size room the last cruise we were on....but 12 suitcases. That would take some planning.
Without the comment about the thyme, it would be hard to determine the size of the ball. I love the idea of traveling back on a ship. I have lots of things from my parents' and grandparents' homes and it lovely to live with all those family treasures.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you got to bring back some treasures, even if it meant hauling 12 suitcases. We, too, have glass floats that Greg collected as a child when his dad was stationed in Hawaii. They are clear glass. I keep trying to figure out a way to display them in the garden, so thank you for the idea!
ReplyDeleteNice photos! Interesting blogging!
ReplyDeleteLove that glass ball, and love the story with it, Jenny. I'm also impressed with the dried vase you put together from your garden. I had put some variegated ginger leaves with some red berries in a vase here in the fall, but now you've inspired me to change it out for something more wintery. Beautiful post, as always.
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