Heirlooms

[arch684]

All i have is memories and a few old photo's,the youngest of the family and last in line

 

[Bazzer]

Have a handful of items, including a large cherry wood pipe I gave my Dad about 1971/72. A gentle inhale of the bowl still brings back the smell of him puffing away on the sofa.
But as Mrs B and I are both book lovers, probably my most cherished are books given to my Grandfather at Sunday school at the early part of the 20th century, my Dad in the 30's/early 40's and a set of books on engines my Dad used when an apprentice.

 

[numbnuts]

Just these

 

[snorri]

I have the mantel clock presented by their employer Lady Stewart of Grandtully, to my grandparents on the occasion of their marriage in 1906.
It still keeps good time!

 

[Deleted member 26715]

50 years ago this coming year on my 8th birthday my Grandfather have me his pocket watch that he got given when he retired. He was not a loving man as such but they weren't in those days, I was instructed it wasn't a toy. Never really used it, not a pocket watch type of person. I didn't really know how much it meant to me until one day when I couldn't find it, I cried a lot when I did find it.

My grandson is 8 years old this year seems a fitting time to pass it on.

 

[MontyVeda]

my great-grandmother's old washing dolly is my toilet roll holder.

 

[nickyboy]

I'm not sentimental but I do keep my Dad's old cufflinks that I wear occasionally and his watch

I've also got his Sealskinz cycling socks which are a very practical reminder of him

 

[Tin Pot]

I kept my dads guitar when he died, but Inonly have one thing I’d call an heirloom. My uncle restored a chair and brought it over a couple of years ago - his grandfather used to sit on it with my uncle playing around it.

So it’s about a hundred years old, the only sentimental item I have from my family, and my wife is determined to destroy it. She hates it being in the house, she stuffs it into the shed or leaves it in the rain on the patio when I’m not looking.

 

[Salad Dodger]

I was only 24 when my dad died, but my mum was still around so most of dad's stuff stayed with her. But I did inherit some woodworking tools and some spanners, which I still keep, but seldom use, as I never inherited any woodworking or mechanical aptitude from my dad. The spanners were all whitworth or bsf sizes, so they were very handy back when I had an old land rover, quite some years ago.

My mum died 4 years ago, and apart from a few photos, I kept very little of her stuff. We offered our daughter any of her nans jewellery, but she chose two strings of Woolworths plastic beads, one lot dark blue and the other lot light blue. Thinking about it, my mum always seemed to be wearing one or other of those whenever we went out with her, so it was a good choice......

 

[sight-pin]

I discovered his old darts. They are massive chunky things compared to today's tungsten ones, the cane shafts look prehistoric. They are in a leather case my dad made himself

IIRC They are Jim Pike style darts, I used them in the 60's, great darts if you have a weak throw.

 

[User32269]

IIRC They are Jim Pike style darts, I used them in the 60's, great darts if you have a weak throw.

Yeah, my dad won them in a local darts tournament in the early sixties, along with a steak carving set, and used them ever since. I was a bit gutted the flights have long gone. If I remember correctly they were cardboard Tetley Bitter ones.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Not coming from a rich family, we nevertheless pass little heirlooms down the generations. I have a beautiful wooden box containing my grandads war medals that was given to me on his death when I was 10.
I'm staying with my mum tonight, following my dad's passing, as we were looking through his stuff, I discovered his old darts. They are massive chunky things compared to today's tungsten ones, the cane shafts look prehistoric. They are in a leather case my dad made himself.
View attachment 389263
It's strange how these things are so evocative and hold so much meaning.

What are your little heirlooms?

These aren't exactly an heirloom but, with the photo of yours...

 

[furball]

When I was about 3 my best friend had a toy barrow that we had great fun playing with. I thought it was the best thing ever and asked Santa to bring me one. Unbeknown to me my dad started to make me a barrow. He made the carcass and acquired a wheel from an old tricycle however the two parts never got put together. The barrow and wheel were consigned to the attic. When we moved house the barrow and wheel moved to the new attic.
When I was about 25 on Christmas morning I had the best surprise ever. My barrow was sitting under the tree filled with presents with wheel attached and painted.
It's of no value but something I will never part with.
When we cleared out my parents house we found the book he had used to get the instructions on making the barrow and also the rocking horse he made for my oldest brother.

 

[Dirk]

When I was about 3 my best friend had a toy barrow that we had great fun playing with. I thought it was the best thing ever and asked Santa to bring me one. Unbeknown to me my dad started to make me a barrow. He made the carcass and acquired a wheel from an old tricycle however the two parts never got put together. The barrow and wheel were consigned to the attic. When we moved house the barrow and wheel moved to the new attic.
When I was about 25 on Christmas morning I had the best surprise ever. My barrow was sitting under the tree filled with presents with wheel attached and painted.
It's of no value but something I will never part with.
When we cleared out my parents house we found the book he had used to get the instructions on making the barrow and also the rocking horse he made for my oldest brother.

Rosebud?

 

[guitarpete247]

Dad had loads of old cameras that he promised to me. When he died at Easter brother and I had a clear out. I chose the best ones and displayed them at the top of the stairs. They had spent years in his basement.
1st pic has beer pump label of beer we had at his funeral. Shows his wedding photo.