Tuesday 10 September 2024
Mad or Bad
Staying with the theme of a recent post, antiques dealers are an interesting lot. Years ago I’d often chat with Nic, an elderly bookseller from Nottingham who once gave me an unbound three volume set of Samuel Johnson’s dictionary from the 1820s. Published long after old Sam’s death of course, but his dictionary was reprinted and used for decades afterwards. When bound it was a handsome set.
A few decades ago, Mrs H and I were wandering around an antiques fair when we came across a dealer selling what looked like rather ordinary aneroid barometers. Antique, but not particularly old and still very common barometers supposedly acquired from stately homes such as Chatsworth. It seemed rather odd, but dealers can be a rum lot.
Later I had a chat with Nic at the same antiques fair when he suddenly asked me if I’d seen the barometer dealer. I said I had. “He’d mad you know,” Nic said, “quite mad. Says his barometers have come from stately homes – have you read the labels on them? He’s quite mad.”
Mad or bad, it’s often difficult to decide, but Nic preferred mad.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Anyone who loses a tussle with a bacon sandwich is probably both mad and bad.
Talking of whom, I note that councils are now happy to impose large extra lumps of council tax on people who own two houses. Shouldn't they do the same for people who own two kitchens?
It seems I may have under-estimated the density of kitchens chez Ed. From The Times "an attempt to downplay the grandeur of their property amid unconfirmed rumours that the house might actually contain a third kitchen".
More from The Times: 'It was suggested yesterday that the property may include a third kitchen, described as “hot drink preparation area”, for the live-in nanny.' Wot, just one nanny?
dearieme - yes, losing the match against a bacon sandwich doesn't inspire confidence - maybe another round is indicated. Surely each kitchen has its own carbon footprint and so does a nanny, so large extra lumps of council tax should be a virtuous starting point for a Green Marxist like Ed.
Caroline Lamb described Lord Byron as "Mad, bad, and dangerous to know".
Ed will also become a Lord once his failure in office merits ennoblement, of course.
Sam - and Ed will be described as "Mad, bad and tedious to know". Possibly he is now.
Of barometers and three volume sets ... the stuff of life if you throw in a madman or two.
James - and he wasn't the only one.
Post a Comment