Elegance

Elegance was given to us as a wedding present by Gill's three great aunts, her father's aunts, all spinsters. Another sister, Maud, did marry and had a daughter Marjorie who was involved in the Esperanto movement.

Elegance is a Doulton figure, which is appropriate since the three old ladies lived in the Staffordshire Potteries, in Burslem, in a terraced house which was propped up on one side as the adjoining house had subsided following the collapse of underground coal workings.

The ladies had a large dog, a keeshond or Dutch Barge Dog, which ruled them and which only one of them, Annie, could, just about, control sufficiently to take him out for walks. In desperation they sold the dog to a farmer but missed him so much that they bought him back.

Delicate, fragile Elegance has travelled with us to Africa, the Caribbean and across the UK. These days she has pride of place on the large dresser in our sitting room, watching us as we go about our daily business.