Comments on: A Butler’s Tray…

By: Shalimar

Shalimar — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 18:51:06 +0000

afternoon tea ;-)… some red pigs were flying all over the Walk at IT Park!

By: rody

rody — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 09:52:54 +0000

forget butlers. more interesting are groundskeepers or game wardens like the character clifford mellors in “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”, by D.H. Lawrence. it’s worth a re-read for all who are into classic literature. interestingly, the unexpurgated version was released in the U.K. only in 1960, around the time of my first pubescent stirrings. connie reid chatterley was portrayed by a popular french actress whose name i cannot now recall.
about the tray, i can imagine it with a decanter of makers mark bourbon and some cashew nuts, served to me by lady chatterley in the gameskeeper’s hut, on a foggy english evening….”with no human sob or sigh or dreaming cry to disturb the insect voices of the night, joined in a chorus more soothing than silence…..”

By: kurzhaar

kurzhaar — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:15:48 +0000

@footloose–I think the Beeb will survive the scandal…and probably thrive under Tony Hall. As for Ratzinger, neither of us are Catholics, though we are friends with many (mainly ex- or non-practising) Catholics who have left the mainstream Catholic church for reasons such as the paedophile scandal and the church’s stance against non-heterosexuals. It is my impression albeit as an outsider that Ratzinger has few fans.

By: kurzhaar

kurzhaar — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:34:57 +0000

Forgive me but I had to chuckle at this post–we are rather too democratic in our household and value our privacy too much to envision ever having live-in household staff (though gardening service and such is fine). It is a handsome tray, though, and we have a similar weighty tray that we use for drink service (minus a butler).
@Footloose–we have a mixed US/European home and so listen largely to European broadcasts (BBC, Radio France, OE1, etc.). Totally agree re: Melvyn Bragg’s Radio 4 series…great stuff! There are also some entertaining if not always substantive food-related programmes on Radio 4. One of us gets a kick out of the farming reports. :)

By: bakerwannabe

bakerwannabe — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 18:17:56 +0000

Downton Abbey Season 3 started last Sunday. I was enthralled for 2 hours. Can’t wait for the next episodes.

By: Footloose

Footloose — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:56:37 +0000

I can probably rely on the services of a personal valet but not a full-time butler and I would not want to be served anything from this type of tray specially when carrying domed plate covers, reminds me too much of Blanche’s lunch in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane.

@ConnieC…Great spectacular productions is something we can always depend on the British to provide. Even plain radio programs available in the BBC archives are hugely entertaining and informative. I’m particularly fond of the Thursday morning discussions moderated by Melvyn Bragg and splendid dramatizations of classic novels such as the recent four-part series of The Count of Monte Cristo which sent me scurrying back to my Pléiade edition. It scares the hell out of me that BBC’s towering achievement could be laid low by a recently uncovered sex scandal whereas Ratzinger’s career is not even threatened by the court-documented systematic cover-up of even more pervasive abuses of pedophile priests.

And btw, Kudos to Kurtzaar for the BBC link re lard in the Anniversary post.

By: Maki

Maki — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:40:42 +0000

wow.. nice tray. excellent for a fancy merienda at home

By: Connie C

Connie C — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:32:53 +0000

That tray certainly assures a butler keeping his arms’ muscle mass and well toned as he ages in his butlerhood. No need to worry about lifting weights for exercise!

And for those charmed by Downton Abbey , here’s one writer’s thoughts:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/01/brideshead-regurgitated/309194/

By: Dragon

Dragon — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:05:46 +0000

Watching a bit of Antiques Roadshow with my FIL here in Scotland, there were a lot of segments touching on silverware markings.

https://www.925-1000.com/

By: PITS, MANILA

PITS, MANILA — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 06:28:40 +0000

remembering ‘rogers 1847’ and how it took a long time to polish silver …