What will you treasure forever?

A pair of silver bracelets

Added by Mike Freeman

Located under Jewellery

Story behind the treasure: When my wife Anne died in 2007, whilst going through her things I came across lots of small silver jewellery i.e. rings, chains and pendants, which along with some rings and other bits of my own, I had them blended together and decided to have something made. I have a friend in Bridlington who is a jeweller and as Anne always loved Bridlington, I asked Derek to make them for me as a memorial to our nearly twenty years together. They are of four ounces of silver each.

Motorist Teapot

Added by Rosie McDonnell

Located under Memorabilia

Story behind the treasure: No longer able to cope with a small farm at the foot of Slieve Donard,my recently widowed mother bought a green wooden seaside 'bungalow' on the Ards Peninsula in 1946. This teapot was included in the contents and we children, bereft of our Enid Blyton/Laurie Lee existence in the hills, soon found holidaying beside the sea just as exciting. I value this this little bodyless driver as a continuing reminder of an escapist lifestyle enjoyed by so many people in cottages, bungalows, caravans and converted trams or railway coaches all over the country.(He's useless for tea!)

My first photo of my son

Added by John Nield

Located under Photos & pictures

Story behind the treasure: This is the first time I saw my son and it suddenly became real that I was going to become a dad. That was the best feeling I have ever had and I will treasure this photo for the rest of my life.

Vase

Added by Margaret Macnae

Located under Ornamental

Story behind the treasure: The vase in this picture is the first thing my fiance bought for our future home in 1948. It was from a second hand shop so will definetly be an antique now! The glazed appliqued fish would have appealed as my late husband liked fishing. We never did find out when or where it was made, but that doesn't matter to me as it always makes me smile each time I see it on the side board. So even if it turned out to be worth a small fortune I wouldn't part with it!

Victorian Sheet Music

Added by Hugh Bailey

Located under Memorabilia

Story behind the treasure: My 81 year old grandmother was once 18. Unbelievable to a youngster. But there she is, at that age, on the cover of Cordelia Waltz - piano music dedicated to her and, how wonderful! composed by her father, my great grandfather. When I married, I received and framed this family memento. When my mother died this - waltz - was our exit music at her funeral. Since then this sheet music with its lovely portrait has sparked new musical and other interests but remains a delightful, unique, link between me and three previous generations.

7 Generations in 2 photos

Added by Keith Burton

Located under Photos & pictures

Story behind the treasure: The older photograph (taken about 1920) is of my mother (as the baby aged 2), with her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother - who was born in 1841. The lower photograph (taken in 2008) has my mother, (now aged 91), with me, my daughter and her son (now aged 2). What a record of parts of a family covering 7 generations and with about 170 years of experiences between us.

Chinese opium pipe

Added by Alan Quirk

Located under Memorabilia

Story behind the treasure: Saturday afternoon, four days befor Christmas 1950, damp and dreary. Young soldier exploring Plymouth@s Barbican stands before scruffy junk shop studying dirty metal item in window. Partof model steam engine or smokers pipe? Enters - asks proprietor. Replies - "opium pipe". "How much"? "Five shillings". "Only have four". "Well it's Christmas - yours for four". Two florins changed hands. Several hours polishing changed the dirty green patterned base. Genuine artical or tourist artifact? I don@t know, but nearly 60 years on I still have my cherished (unused) pipe!

My teddy bear

Added by Mrs O. Worsdall

Located under Toys, games & sports

Story behind the treasure: My most treasured possession is my Teddy. Over the years he has made me very happy and been my lucky mascot. We had many adventures together one of which was rather special. In 1939 I became an evacuee (and teddy) We were sent to sleepy Hardforth for eight months and then Canada. The journey was exciting and frightening, especially when we were attacked by U-Boats. I grabbed my lifebelt, coat, shoes and teddy, raced to the lifeboat station and waited. Fortunetly it all ended well. He now sits on my bed as a reminder of a wonderful life together.

Spirits in the Sky

Added by Patricia Drew

Located under Memorabilia

Story behind the treasure: This Oil Painting we have had in our Family since 1976 and reminds us of our time we lived in Opelika(Indian for big Swamp) Ala,US for 30yrs, and the Land our home was built on was once owned by a Choctaw Chief Wilford Taylor, we have always felt very close to Native India Heritage of the US, this painting has always hung in a proud place in our Living room and on returning to,Surrey nearly 5 years ago, it still holds centre stage, it will always remind us with fondness, of our old home, where our two children were broughtup.

Miniature wooden clogs

Added by Sue Rockett

Located under Memorabilia

Story behind the treasure: Our grandfather, a KOYLI reservist at the outbreak of the First World War, fought and was taken prisioner at the first battle of Mons. We still have his metals, the letter reporting him missing and some later postcards sent to our grandmother; but these miniature wooden clogs, if somewhat crude, were fashioned by a fellow prisioner at Minden camp 1, Westphalia and bought back to England when he was released at the end of hostilities. These unique items will be cherished and passed on to future generations.