A potentially terrible thing occurred yesterday - actually when i think about what could have happened I get a slight nauseous feeling and feel faint.Several years ago I had a friend who worked in a campus of the University that had offices located in some Georgian houses in town. These houses hadn't been touched for years and when they were being done up in a re-sprucing she turned up at my house with a bag and said 'I saw this and thought of you'. Inside was this gorgeous lampshade - made of some sort of plastic that seemed to be woven in some way - or made from strands. I have seen them since in tall wooden floorlights that sell for a bomb in natty retro stores. This one is just a shade for a ceiling light.
It really is the most beautiful thing - being sort of translucent - probably a prerequisite for lampshades - the light glows through it giving everything an orange tinge and I ask you...when is that not a good thing?
We are getting the house rewired at the moment and when I got home yesterday I noticed that the porch light was brighter than normal but couldn't really place why - I'd be useless on crimewatch. You can only imagine my horror when I went outside again and realised my precious lampshade was in the SKIP! I guess the electrician thought "well this is orange and plastic and obviously horrible so we'll chuck that one out and do them a favour - they can get a nice new one at B&Q."
Luckily although it's very thin and crackable, it suffered no damage and also luckily no local retro lampshade freak was passing. It has been washed lovingly and re-instated in its rightful place. And, as befitting, blogged about.
That was a close shave...or should that be close shade?
ReplyDeleteI remember how good you are at rescuing things. Wasn't there a hockey stick, also saved from a skip, en route to work one morning?
that's correct!
ReplyDeleteI also have two other lampshades I rescued from skips - lovely they are...watch this space