Yet another indulging spree

I know, I know, it's still recession and millions out there are starving and homeless, but what can I say? Those who have a passion for collecting something will know exactly how I feel. Anyway, here are the latest buys:

This is a vintage desktop pen box. It can store about 5 pens and has a secure lid with inlay (hard to see) and carving. No damage. 8'' long, 2cm deep. And any idea how much I paid for it? £0.99. Someone said something about recession?

To the right is the World War One Memorial Plaque. It was awarded to the next of kin of all those soldiers (from the British Empire) who were killed in action and was known as 'Dead Man's Penny'. Over a million were issued. The writing on the plaque reads: "He died for freedom and honour" and has the recepient's name engraved. This was awarded to the family of Alfred Thrussell, private. He "died of wounds" on September 13, 1916, and had served in the 6th Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment. He was born in Great Driffield. I paid £51 for this magnificent piece of history.

Along with these plaques came a letter from Buckingham Palace: "I join with my grateful peoplein sending you this memorial of a brave life given for others in the Great War" -- George R.I.

There. Does that make you feel choky? No? Along with the letter informing the demise of the soldier and the posting of the medal came this scroll: "He whom this scroll commemorates was numbered among those who, at the call of King and Country, left all that was dear to them, endured hardness, faced danger and finally passed out of the sight of men by the path of duty and self-sacrifice, giving up their own lives that others might live in freedom. Let others who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten."

I don't have the original scroll and hope to find one soon.

Pens have not been neglected. Here are three Waterman lever-fillers. I also bought two Conway Stewarts. These three cost me £20.86. Quite the bargain, I call it. And anyway, I took a dekko at the pen boxes the other day and found my collection quite lacking in the Vintage Waterman department. So here's an attempt at remedying that. And where vintage Conways are concerned, all I had before were a Dinkie set, a plastic 106 and a plastic 103 set. Now I have a black 475 and a blue early-hatch 757.

On to books. In my last post, I'd mentioned Dan Brown's latest, The Lost Symbol. Well, I just read something I loved much, much more. A book called The Doomsday Key, by James Rollins. I'd never read this author before, but I think the book's brilliant. Unlike DB, he sustains the speed, the mystery and the 'holding-reader-interest-factor' (I know, I need to stop making up this stuff) till the very last word in the last page. The plot is also a lot more intriguing, maybe because I love British history and the book refers to a bit of that. What an idea, what a theme, and what writing! I started reading it at 9pm one night and didn't stop till I finished, at around 4am. Needless to say, I was sleepy at work and typed 'agr' for 'age'! I'm going to buy more James Rollins books. Till then, ciao!

Next week: second-hand books.