I had planned to reveal a relatively new purchase of mine this eve
(right after I ate my GU Hot Chocolate Souffle)
when my ear was caught by none other than, Stephen Fry.
He was on the television, not actually in my living room.
He was talking about a lady named, Ruth Belville
"Between 1836 and 1940, Ruth Belville carried around the city a pocket watch certified weekly at Greenwich Observatory as correct to within a 10th of a second.
Clients checked their timepieces against the Belvilles' silver "chronometer", which was called Arnold after its maker, and paid for the privilege.
Such was the reliability of Ruth Belville and Arnold as distributors of GMT that competition from the electric signals of the Standard Time Company could not put them out of business, despite a "dirty tricks" campaign, through lecture halls and newspapers, to undermine Ruth's old-fashioned practice ..."
Clients checked their timepieces against the Belvilles' silver "chronometer", which was called Arnold after its maker, and paid for the privilege.
Such was the reliability of Ruth Belville and Arnold as distributors of GMT that competition from the electric signals of the Standard Time Company could not put them out of business, despite a "dirty tricks" campaign, through lecture halls and newspapers, to undermine Ruth's old-fashioned practice ..."
What an amazing tale ... What an amazing woman.
And quite the amazing coincidence, considering I was going to show you this ...
My very own Arnold!
I apologise for the bad photo quality, but the painting is of three deer.
Of course ...
and, it's fully functioning too.
I bought it at the little market outside Hampstead Theatre and Swiss Cottage tube. It is a farmers market on Wednesday but on Saturday it also has other stalls with jewellery. Worth a little look. Maybe even for a butter lemon sugar crepe treat too ...
Me xxx
No comments:
Post a Comment