IT WAS NOT quite a Dad’s Army ‘stupid boy’ moment but I detected a certain weariness in Expert Nick’s voice as he explained why my latest cunning auction wheeze was ‘doomed’. What happened was this. Much as I can hate technology, I love the sleepless search engine at the-saleroom.com that alerts me to auction goodies from all over the UK and Europe; things I would never otherwise know were for sale. Simply select keywords for the engine to search for and then, when said words appear in an auction catalogue, ping! An email with an auction link appears. Genius.
That said, I need to be clever lest I end up swamped in a tsunami of unwanted emails. For example, regular readers will know that I am a sucker for an ancient helmet. However, use ‘helmet’ as a search word and I would receive details of everything from motorcycle helmets to First and Second World War battle bowlers, and anything ‘helmety’ in between. So many in fact that I might miss any desirable helmets that do occasionally pop up in regional auction rooms. ‘Sword’ is another word to avoid.
Many provincial general sales include a sword or seven. After all, our proud, empire-building forebears were nothing if not great souvenir collectors. So, instead of helmet, I use ‘burgonet’ (a mid-16th/ early-17th-century light cavalry helmet) and ‘close helmet’ (a full-face version with visor). For sword I use ‘katana’ (a Japanese longsword). My reckoning is that any sale that includes a katana, burgonet or close helmet will often have other interesting stuff as well. This filtering system works, I know, although I doubtless miss occasional, one-off, esoteric offerings.
この記事は The Field の June 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Field の June 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
A sweet-pea Summer
Sweet peas are enjoying an Instagram moment’ but to appreciate fully these charming flowers one must hasten back to the real world, says Ursula Buchan
Top sporting stays
Effortlessly smart and with superb shooting and fishing on the doorstep, these British hotels are the perfect base for fieldsports enthusiasts, says Madeleine Silver
Tradition with a twist
Showcasing the finest British produce from honey, beer and butter to game and venison, this month’s trio of dishes truly encapsulate the taste of Britain, says Philippa Davis
Daylesford
Organic farming at its finest
The best of British breeds
When it comes to developing and establishing the world’s most popular gundog breeds, Britain has a lot to be proud of, says David Tomlinson
Ping and you're winning
An email alert for burgonets coming to auction draws Roger Field’s attention to a promising lot. Meanwhile, a sale from novelist John le Carré’s estate temporarily raises an eyebrow
Saving the queen of flowers
Trailing clouds of glory into your garden, historic roses are as vital a part of British heritage as a Gainsborough painting and must be preserved
Long live the sporting pub
Not just a place to drink, the right kind of country pub is a beacon for fieldsports enthusiasts. The Star Inn in Harome is one such spot
The sole survivors
An increasingly casual attitude to what we wear has given rise to the so-called dress sneaker’ but proper gentlemen's shoes will never go out of fashion
A win in the willow
The cricket bat industry is steeped in tradition yet must move with the times to meet demand, opening a lucrative door for landowners in the process