The Box

No, this isn't about an old TV sitcom, rather a ratty old timber box, made from floor boards.

This ratty old box has a history.  Let me tell you a story.......

My maternal grandparents hailed from the Lakes District in England.  My Granddad and my Grandma's brother were mates who came out to Australia in the early 1900s, I suppose for adventure, to find their fortune, and a better life.

After working for some years my Granddad bought an orchard near Lithgow and Uncle Bert bought a farm up in Queensland, near Gayndah.  He then proceeded to write home to ask his parents and two sisters to join him in Australia, which they duly did.

Over time my Grandma and Granddad had a long distance romance, with Granddad visiting Queensland at times.  They married in 1927.  This is the box in which Grandma's possessions were sent to her new home.  I suppose it is a form of trousseau box.  I can imagine her precious tea set that she had brought out from England, her Wordsworth poetry book she had won at Sunday School, diaries and hand made linens, among other things, being carefully packed in sawdust for the long journey by rail.

When we were kids The Box lived in the detached laundry at Grandma's farm and held "Treasures". We liked nothing better than being shown what was in "The Box".  There were toys that had been Mum's and my uncle's, including pick up sticks, Chinese Checkers and Meccano, some interesting tins, Mum's school books, Grandma's books from when she went to Dairy School before emigrating as well as other things I can't remember just now.

In the early 2000s, the old laundry was demolished, as it had become rather dilapidated.  The windows and doors formed part of our rustic old sheds that we built.  The wash tubs are out the  back of our new house, full of herbs and an interesting finger plate off the door hangs in the kitchen.

The box came home with us too.  But what to do with a ratty old box that is too deep to use as a coffee table?  It ended up in our woodshed, on its side holding kindling.  Not ideal, but we had nothing else to do with it.  Most people would have long since thrown it out, but I'm just a tad too sentimental.

It then came to our new house.  We definitely have nowhere to put it, as there isn't nearly as much shed room here, but it still was too precious to chuck out.

So, a couple of weeks ago Mick knocked it to bits.  Unfortunately, the other side was too damaged to keep.  Although it was roughly made, it certainly wasn't going to fall apart.  Many nails had been used.  After a clean down and protective finish the side now hangs on our back verandah wall.  I'm so pleased that part of it has been preserved.

By the way, see the hooks underneath it.......when I left my last job in 2002 these were part of my farewell gift.  They really suited our last home......but you know what?  They never actually got hung on the wall, they just were kicking around on top of a cupboard.  It is so nice to see them finally being used.

Also, see the boot rack underneath that.......well, Mick made that when we were first married and we both attended "Woodworking With Power Tools" at TAFE.  That is nearly 30 years ago.  Well, one of the pegs came off many years ago and was never put back on.  It has been hanging around the shed ever since.  Surprisingly, the peg was always kept with it and never lost.  It must have taken all of 10 minutes to put it back on.  Huge job.

I'm really pleased to see all these things getting used for once.  I wonder if you could call them UFOs?

I have a couple of other "Box" stories that I may tell another day.