Apparently airline memorabilia is scarce. So imagine my delight when, after a chat about my blog on a Friday night, my mum said these magical words: 'We have a BOAC ashtray.' Not what I was expecting. And so, with a little digging around the kitchen, she produced this wondrous item (yes, I did a jig, clasped my hands together and squealed like a normal female in a handbag shop). The 70s collectable used to belong to a university friend of hers and it survived my parents' ruthless downsize: a house move which spelled the end for many less lucky items, such as a satsuma coloured Sindy bathroom suite and a Dot Matrix printer (RIP). She says she had an inkling of it's potential value. It totally surpassed my expectations. A deep navy/green-blue think it's one of the most beautiful things ever.
BOAC's life-span was 1939-1974, and this is a piece of in-flight furniture made by English potters Copeland Spode. I've found an exact replica on a collectables website which recently sold for a not exactly earth shattering £35.70. Very specific. But hey, why would you sell something so cool? I can just imagine a bristle-faced smoothie flipping a Piccadilly De Luxe into it, while ordering a gin and orange and eyeing up the flight attendant's knee.
Since this discovery, I've found this delightful website where you can buy yet more curious accessories from bygone airlines, from an Air Panama Knife and a Concorde spoon, to assorted 'barf bags' (Rune from Sicksack - take note) of which my favourite by far is Pan Am (are the stripes representing a particularly geometric hurl?)
Just an aside: I would not be disappointed to receive anything from this site for say Christmas or a birthday...
No comments:
Post a Comment