Silver belles

I have continued to collect silver from a young age, and these are pieces I liked and thought would be essential kit in everyday living.

The small set of milk and chocolate is Birmingham 1920.

The tea service is Sheffield 1909, in the Georgian style. The water jug doubles as a coffee pot.

Unfortunately as one's lifestyle develops I find I neither drink afternoon tea, nor do I participate in the ritual of inviting friends "for tea". Invitations to drink something in our house revolve around the cocktail hour. But fear not, collecting glass is another passion, so that activity is well-catered for.

The water jug/coffee pot used to be wheeled out more frequently for coffee after dinner, but even that pastime seems to have gone out of vogue, and it's certainly not one I participate in, unless I'm planning a very late night, otherwise my tendency to insomnia gets a huge boost. And who needs that?

And it's not that the silver doesn't get cleaned. I'm in the happy position of having someone to do that with enough regularity that it shines as prettily as it should.