What's the oldest thing in your house?

Apart from some fossils the oldest thing is a child's bonnet belonging to my gt. gt. grandmother. Not sure how much longer the fabric will last although I have taken advice from the V & A. Also not sure why I am bothering as next generation will not want it!

I am another with a big bowl of small fossils and several larger ones (incuding DH & I) on display.

That apart we are 'old' people rather than new; house, 1467, and most of the furniture 19th century.

A small cotton table mat crocheted by my grandmother (1881-1962) so must be at least 50 to 60 years old. Plan to pass it on to my niece as I don't have a daughter to appreciate it.

Just remembered something else so I am not sure which is the oldest. It is a picture of the man that wrote the song..'Silver threads among the gold' who was a relative of OH. We also have a box of photos of relatives killed in WWI.

Two little books, one a "Daily Text Book" from 1874 and a Compendium from 1875 no idea where they came from. My favourite possesion is my Mums engagement ring from 1937, not old but precious.

Strange that you should ask that question because I have just been sorting drawers and cupboards out getting rid of old rubbish collected over the years. The oldest thing so far is a box of OH's Great, Great, Great Grandma's jewellery. Only paste (I believe!) from Victorian Days. She however lived in South Africa (land of the diamonds!) when she wore them. Just cannot bring myself to off load them. There are some that twinkle, brooches and ear rings, some necklaces that are jet black beads, a pearl necklace and some that seem to be made out of bone, could be ivory I am not sure. They are all individually carved. Nice.

As far as weddingpresents go, I still have a pan given to us by my nan and use it as an egg pan. And the colander with one long handle, given to us by my great aunt Sally, only died last year. We also have her gate leg oak table but I have no idea how old it is.

2 black parasols dating from 1901 on the death of Victoria plus a set of pretty side plates that belonged to my great grandmother who was born around 1865.

Re wedding presents - someone gave us a set of three orange mixing bowls when we married in 1969. They are made of quite thick plastic with a handle on one side which is useful. I think I can say that one or all of them get used every day and I can't think how many times they have been through the dishwasher. They are a little scratched inside but they are now becoming a bit of a family joke when I get them out to use and I would be very upset if one got lost.

My husband and a Delph egg cup

I was going to say me, like someone else, but remembered some old letters that I've inherited from my Dad. They come from a branch of my Mum's family, and are historically interesting. Some from a distant gggg-uncle who was a newspaper correspondent in the Middle East in the early 1800s. Lebanon and Palestine.

My husband's jokes !

Oldest thing ...is our house
1740
And needs attention all the time !!

My collection of fossils

My great grandma's gold pince-nez, probably early Victorian. The funny thing is that the lenses seem to be clear glass. Did she wear them just for effect?

I have a Granton ham knife that my parents next door neighbours gave us as a wedding present fifty years ago. I have used it regularly all that time and still do, despite it recently having lost the bottom third of its bone handle. I am trying to find out if I can get a new one put on. I would hate to be without it.

Russian silver and enamel cigarette case dating from the Victorian period also 2 Royal Doulton vases ( my great grandfather worked at the Lambeth pottery)

my grandfather's cross from his rosary beads.

Well the oldest thing in my house is me. Its a relatively new house and I've furnished it with new. Don't like to admit it but its got to be me. At least I'm fit and well.

@Maimeo - I married in 1969 and have been using seersucker serviettes (probably not the right word these days?) from a wedding present ever since! I think I'm down to about three from the original set, and bought something similar last year but they're not as good. Mind you, I've been living alone for many years now, so they don't get too much of a hammering...

Brachiopods rather than branchiopods for the palaeontologists amongs you!

Lots of fossils (up to 400-500 million years - trilobites, Branchiopods etc.) most people have jewelllery made from precious & semi-precious stones which may be even older I.e. diamonds formed hundreds of millions of years old!

I have a lovely well worn pine chest - date inside is end of 19th Century may be older sits in my Lounge & contains my spare bedding & some of my soft toy collection (no-where to display them!!)

I also have my Granddad's WW1 medals, a couple pf photos taken in Northern France, he was in Horse Artillery & his joining up papers. They are my prize possessions as I have very fond memories of GD

Also have a large silver tray which I bought my parents for their Silver Wedding Anniversary although DM is still alive I already have it as she parted with the very old oak chest it stood on

Me!

Me!,