C is for Coining-it!

I was quite surprised to see these on Mercator Trading's stand earlier in the year, as I didn't remember them at all, and we had all sorts of coin and badge-albums when we were kids, and I well remember Mum sending-off for the missing ones at the end of the promotion, to fill the gaps, but the reason I didn't recognise them, is because they are from 1993, not the 1960/70's!

Fina's petrol stations, what was I doing in 1993? Commuting to Uni' on the trains, and suffering some of the last IRA bomb-threats, along with all the usual points/signal/crew failures, not thinking about petrol!

 

There's one missing and at only fifteen, a lot easier to collect than some of those previous century sets, which went to double or triple gate-fold! Get's Fina in the Tag-list, box-ticked!

 

It was California! I didn't follow it at all!

K is for Knock, Knock, Knockin' on a Corporal's Jaw!

It's been an odd 14-months, and while the light is at the end of the tunnel, I'm still uncovering things, despite thinking I've checked everything - I found four hedgehogs (of the silver-neff and chalkware variety) behind a curtain the other day, while another interesting thing I've found is this . . .

. . . door knocker, which I found in a drawer in the front room a while back, it's obviously Mr. the Lord Vice-Admiral Horatio,1st Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte, Knight Bachelor and All Round Jolly Good Fellow! I will have it fixed on the front-door of what's likely to be my eventual last home, but I had an inspired idea for the knocker plate, which looks a bit plain . . .

. . . this piece of originally - probably - hideously overpriced tat from Atlas Editions (think Franklin or Danbury Mint, but remove any residual or perceived - they don't have much, if you dig - class) which I picked-up on evilBay for pennies - it's Napoleon Blownapart!

It will have to be domed which I will do myself, I have also inherited smithing tools including a sand-filled leather pad and fine silver-smith's round-peen hammers which should do the job (the eagle will have to 'buy it'!), although it's probably some shite base-metal alloy so I'll have to be careful! A few knocks might actually improve that etching - he looks like a shop-dummy!

Then it can be braised (like welding) or claw-clamped to the curved knocker and the Corporal will receive Nelson's boots to the snoz every time someone comes to the door - bargain! I shall invite random Frenchmen to the house!