Pages

Monday, July 25, 2011

Teacup Tuesday, Colclough Cornflowers Teacup, Tea Tin Bull Ring Birmingham, Bird Napkin Rings

Welcome to Teacup Tuesday with these great Tea Time Blogs. I love visiting them on Tuesday!

Teacup Tuesday






                                                    Pamela for Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday

I am sharing another blue and white teacup today...can you tell I love blue and white? I have since I was a baby. Anyway, this is a pretty shape with a great design of cornflowers that I love. The teacup was made in the early 1950s by Colclough, England and I just love it!

Colclough began life in the Potteries around Stoke-on-Trent as Stanley, became Colclough in 1918 and then in 1955 became Ridgway Potteries.





And here is a blue and white vintage tablecloth for the tea table. The tea cloth is an English hand made from the 1930s and features embroidery and faggoting. I love old linens. The tablecloth measures 34 inches square so was made card or tea table size.




And for the cloth napkins sure to be used at tea, here is a set of the cutest bone china napkin rings with birds I brought back from England in the 1980s.






And as we are speaking about England, here is a toffee tin to use as a tea tin that is really fun. The design is an Edwardian view of a place in England close to where my husband was born and only a few streets away from where he served his 6 year apprentice ship from age 15 as a diamond setter in the jewellry district of Birmingham, England.  The tin depicts the Bull Ring market area, which actually started life as a bull ring or livestock market in midieval times and was the retail center of the town. The tin is made for and advertises Blue Bird Toffee from nearby Worcester.




To give you an idea how the area has changed, this next photo is the church, St. Martins-in-the-field...it was built when it WAS in a field by the market...taken a few years ago at Christmas. While the church remains the same, notice the strange silver building behind it. That's the remodeled Selfridge's Department store...the Birmingham equivalent of Harrod's in London. Were...to use the British expression...gob smacked when we saw what they had done with it when we saw it during the Bull Ring re-opening after a major area renovation. See it again in the photo below. Well, all I can say is it's memorable.



So much for progress.  Have a fun time visiting all the Teacup Tuesday blogs. If you want more info on the teacup, tablecloth, tin or napkin rings at Antiques And Teacups, just click on the photos.

15 comments:

  1. Oh my, I love the blue teacup and saucer, also those lovely napkin rings.
    Progress, who needs it? Sometimes it's not such a good thing, maybe.
    The tin is fabulous.
    Hugs, cindy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous cup, Ruth, and such a sweet table linen. I am quite 'gobsmacked' myself seeing the ultra modern Selfridge store...wow! Love this post~
    shawn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good morning Ruth,
    What a lovely and interesting post. Your teacup is very pretty and I always enjoy the info you give us. Love the birdie napkin rings! Anything with birds on it appeals to me. The toffee tin is lovely too and a nice momento. Beautiful church! Thank you for the information you offered about my teacup this week. I have added it to my post with an acknowledgement to you. You were so helpful, thank you. Wishing you a delightful day and thanks for joining me for tea.

    Blessings,
    Sandi

    ReplyDelete
  4. The teacup and saucer are very nice - I love the flowers. I have never seen any tea things from that company. I will have to look them up!

    Deanna

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello, Ruth!

    What a lovely teacup/saucer...I love the blue cornflowers - so airy and summery. The tin is wonderful..I love tins to put cookies and goodies in.

    No comment on the atrocious building showing complete disrespect for the peaceful architecture of old. (O, I guess that was a comment)

    I am in a hurry to rush off to work (no comment there, either), but would be very happy to explain how I made my mosaic...will be back to do so later this evening.

    Until then, have a very happy day,
    Marianne

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm completely swooning over your wonderful setting... the vintage table cloth , the petite bird napkin rings and vintage tin blend magically!! ... Your tea cup with the blue flowers stands our perfectly among as the centre of it all .... I'm try to learn about these wonderful treasures from the past and enjoy reading your posts ,the wonderful insight and history you share about your pieces. Thank you for sharing the time period of my little tea friend ... Happy Tea Time Tuesday ..xo HHL

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment on my post today. I appreciate it! I like your pretty teacup with the cornflowers on it. The birdie napkin rings and the pretty napkins all go together nicely. There is a sweet little wooden country church in Shediac, N.B. called St. Martin's in the Wood - which I imagine was in the woods when first built. :-) Have a wonderful day. Pamela

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a stunning teacup and saucer...I am very partial to blue so these I find very appealing indeed.

    Blessings Kelsie

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello Ruth,
    you have so nice things! The cornflower tea cup is so beautiful and the naprin rings with birds are sooooo cute. Thank you for sharing this treasures.
    Best greetings, Johanna

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a sweet post! I just love your teacup and those napkin rings are darling. Thank you so much for stopping by and following! :) It is lovely to meet you.

    I hope you have a great week!
    ~Liz

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello, Ruth...My mosaic was made using Photoscape. I'm not really a computer expert, but the person's computer I use has photoscape. So I just click on it, and bring up my photo files. I then click on "page" and all sorts of compositions will appear. I just choose the one I want, then drag over the photos I want to use from my files. I save it, then I go to "Editor", also on Photoscape, and choose the style of framing I'd like...I can also do some antiquing, gradiations, all sorts of fun manipulations.

    I hope that helps, or at least gives you some information. I've been experimenting with it, and it's fun.

    Blessings,
    Marianne

    ReplyDelete
  12. this is a great post, love the birdie napkin rings...very whimsy! Great cups and post Thanks for sharing this week.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Ruth,

    Thank you so much for the info, now i know when i see colclough, Stanley or Ridgeway that they're the same :) i absolutely adore the birds napkin rings that you brought back from england, they're adorable! as always your teacup is beautiful in color and design, and that toffee tin is just the sweetest and vintage too! love the detail of the scene on it! i absolultely love the church! have a great day! x susan

    ReplyDelete
  14. The birdie napkin rings are really something special! All the little birds are so cute.
    And your tea cup too is really lovely. I adore the cornflower blue flowers and the shape of the cup.
    Hugs,
    Terri

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beautiful blue and white tea cup! Those little birdie napkin rings are just adorable!

    You have a lovely blog!

    Katherine

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting and we love to hear from you! We read every comment. If my husband's health permits, I love to visit andreply. Have a wonderful day and a cuppa tea always at hand! :)