h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

some of the most interesting things are those which are collected over the years - something special, something unique - my house is full of strange things - what are your special things - your little treasures?

I don't have many things like that - I moved house a lot over the years and became quite ruthless in my throwing away, a habit which I still have.

We do have a memories box in our attic though. Chief among them are some photographs from my parents - they went through their collection a couple of years ago and gave both me and my brother a box containing some of the best ones of us as we grew up. They're lovely to look through.

I tend to loose things, or throw them out too often to have collected much... a few things I managed somehow to not yet loose though, include...
A pair of pink and blue dungerees, given to me by a female friend, when I was 16... why I still have these I have no idea... they didn't fit me right when I was 16, and almost certainly far less now I'm thirty... err... five? I forget my own age now
A strange insence burning thing, made of brass, looks ancient, believe it may have come from my nans house.. but really not sure... Its full of old one penny coins, three pence pieces and some war medels which don't belong to anyone in my family
a small wooden box, bought from an antique shop when I was young, which contains many strange things, a piece of plastic from something I was making in CDT at school, a photo of my first stratocaster, a little plastic stiring thing from a childhood holiday I used for stiring my pernod and black with ice and hmmm... nope I've not looked in that* box for years so who knows what else might lurk in it..
Most things that would have had or kept much meaning seemed to have vanished, like my pewter beer mug

I can't say thet this is strange, but I think that it is certainly beautiful. Perhaps even art.

I had wanted one of these for years. I had seen a couple about but wanted one in good condition - it was going to be second hand. I had checked out specialist shops in the UK and also when travelling abroad. I even scoured New York, Boston and New Jersey. I felt sure that I was going to find one there! No luck. But then I came back from the USA and a friend who knew that I wanted onehad spotted one in the specialist shop in the town where I live!

I went straight away and bought it on the spot, spending rather more than I perhaps should have. It was in perfect condition. It had been in a collection and had not a single mark on it to suggest that it had EVER been used. That is the way it remains today and it has lived with me for 13 years and will probably do so until I die or give it to my daughter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25054226@N08/6555140725/in/photostream/

as a craftsman i love things that are well made - at a specialist auctions i frequented i baught an "Amsler ring proving device" im still not sure what it does but it weighs about 60 lbs and looks a bit like a submarines perascope - it has a container of mercury on one side -- sits just right on the window ledge -

There is a little Auk sitting on the mantle shelf over the woodburning fire - he came to the boat in trouble, asked to be onboard and died shortly after - sweet looking little fella.

Every so often i make something just for me - its nice to be reminded that one can - so my sofa - some chairs and one or two other little things give me pleasure - my god my house is full - im so glad i live alone!