Homework Prompts WE 3/8/20 - Grandfather Clock

[Shelley Hansen]

Just in time again Maureen - and you are right, Neville's prompts took a definite toll on the little grey cells! But I always love a challenge (thanks Neville!) - and yes, this is a true story ...

GRANDFATHER CLOCK
(c) Shelley Hansen 1/8/20

In the spirit of Hickory Dickory Dock
as a young child I longed for a grandfather clock
that would stand in the corner and keep perfect time
as it measured the path of each day with its chime.

Well, I guess it will strike you as no great surprise
that my "want" was not "need" in my Mum and Dad's eyes.
They worked hard for essentials that shouldn't be missed -
and a grandfather clock wasn't high on their list!

I grew up and got married. We bought our first house,
which contained just one thing from that old rhyme - a mouse!
For the clock still eluded our budgetted spend -
what we couldn't afford, we just couldn't defend.

Several decades went by, and I ceased to aspire
to that old childhood dream, though I'd always admire
every grandfather clock that my orbit would touch.
But I no longer felt that I wanted one ... much!

Then one day we were asked to help clean out a shed
that was put up for sale, now its owner was dead.
In a mountain of trash, a surprise was revealed
as a miniature grandfather clock lay concealed.

Pedigree was a good one - Adina, no less -
though its current condition was rather a mess.
As its case had been broken, its movement in doubt,
the decision was taken to throw the thing out.

But we just couldn't bear it to go to the tip,
and so with their permission, we raided the skip
and we carted it home, though we weren't really sure
if it ever would work as it had once before.

Now my hubby is handy with detailed repairs
and he's fixed and restored quite a few antique wares.
So he took up the challenge, worked hard on the wood,
and he soon got it going the way that it should.

It is not a big clock you can stand in the hall,
so it sits on the mantle - it's just three feet tall!
And its Winchester chime has a tone I adore,
which converts to "Big Ben" (if you think you want more!)

Though the dream of my childhood took years to fulfil,
in the end it was done with a cost next to nil!
Now our miniature grandfather graces our house -
but there's just one thing missing - a miniature mouse!

[Neville Briggs]

You've done well Shelley, a great story. I like the cheerful stress metre to reminisce about memories. Your hubby should be on the Repair Shop.

[Shelley Hansen]

Thanks Neville - and yes, he would love to be on The Repair Shop! We both love that program and that would be his dream job!

[Catherine Lee]

Oh, well done, Shelley! Love the bit about the mouse being the only thing in the house from that old rhyme, as well as the pun with the '...strike you as no great surprise'! Grandfather clocks are amazing - we never had one, but did have chiming mantel clocks, which I loved. How fortunate you were to find this treasure, and that your husband was skilled enough to be able to restore it - major kudos to him!

[Shelley Hansen]

Thanks so much Catherine - and well spotted with the "strike" pun! I wondered if anyone would pick that up!

Yes, it's very good to have a handy hubby! He always has some project on the go!

By the way, I used my awesome power as moderator and fixed your accidental duplicate post

Cheers
Shelley

[Catherine Lee]

Thanks Shelley!

[Shelley Hansen]

Just for fun ... here's a photo of the finished clock!

[Neville Briggs]

very nice Shelley.

[Catherine Lee]

Ooh, that's lovely! x

[Maureen K Clifford]

How lovely - the clock and the poem. And what a find for you and Rod - obviously the God's were watching and it was meant to be. It bought to mind a furniture maker in England whose every piece was embellished with a little hand carved mouse - he was known as 'the mouseman' and his little mice were absolutely charming. His name was Robert Thompson and he hailed from Yorkshire.
https://www.davidsiddallantiques.com/in ... ther-clock