Auction all set to go.

The March auction is all set to go, with not too many problems in the setup.

The sale will start at 10AM sharp today, and there are some good lots going under the hammer.

Also although we are still in March the April Timed Bid sale is live and the catalogue can be viewed at http://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/james-and-son-auctioneers/catalogue-id-2904945, although there is a mismatch between some of the descriptions and images, which I hope to be able to resolve tomorrow (I need access to my office computer to be able to do so).

I have some photos from the setup of the Auction room for you…

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A Hectic Day at James and Sons

If anything, hectic is an understatement. First of all I had some image editing to do from Friday, then I had to check the April T-Bid folder and make sure that the images were all there, and of sufficient quality (to be fair, only four were so ghastly that they had to be redone, but a few others needed extra editing).

Then, as soon as we could so so without leaving the premises entirely unattended, a colleague and I finished off filling up the first van load of stuff for Thursdays auction (there will be at least one, possibly two more).

The third major event of the day was a problem with some of the medal images being attached to wrong lot numbers for the March sale.

Add to that a couple of small items needing imaging for the April sale and you have a very full day indeed.

All of today’s images are of lots in the April T-Bid sale, mostly the stuff from Friday that I edited today…

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This is a new record for an auction as opposed to press release image - a nine parter.
This is a new record for an auction as opposed to press release image – a nine parter.
Possibly distant connections of mine, given where my Sutcliffe ancestors are buried.
Possibly distant connections of mine, given where my Sutcliffe ancestors are buried.
This is now an ex-atlas!
This is now an ex-atlas!
Maps that relate to some of my interests (must check the estimate to see if I dare bid)
Maps that relate to some of my interests (must check the estimate to see if I dare bid)

Cricket and other stuff

In the world T20 yesterday the Dutch were in world record setting form…

…unfortunately it was of the wrong kind as they were bundled out for 39 (the lowest ever total in a T20 international) by Sri Lanka, who added insult to injury by knocking the runs off in just five overs.

Earlier South Africa and New Zealand had played a thriller of a match, won by South Africa, with Dale Steyn (4-17) being edged out for man of the match by J-P Duminy (86).

Meanwhile in longer form cricket, the annual curtain raiser for the English domestic season between the MCC and the Champion County (Durham on this occasion), which now takes place in Dubai, is under way, and very evenly poised, with Monty Panesar having taken five wickets in the Durham first innings, and Rushworth and Borthwick in the wickets for Durham.

As I prepare for a busy week at James and Sons I leave you with these pictures…

Rabbit

Yes - the jetty is back in use after the winter
Yes – the jetty is back in use after the winter

Rabbit

T20 thrills and spills

The World 20-20 is under way, and there was one cracking game today and one deeply frustrating game.

The cracker was between Sri Lanka and South Africa, won by Sri Lanka. South Africa needed 19 of the last two overs, but Kulasekara conceded just four in the crucial 19th over, to leave SA needing to take 15 off Lasith Malinga in the final over to win the match, a task that proved beyond them, by rather more than it ended up looking. With the match already lost the final ball was hit for six to reduce the margin.

The frustrating game was between England and New Zealand. England had scored 170 from their 20, only for the weather to intervene. New Zealand had just gone ahead on Duckworth-Lewis when the weather closed in and never let up. Therefore NZ got the points, which they probably would not have done had the match gone the distance.

As usual I have some pictures for you…

Boat at jetty

Information board at Seven Sisters
Information board at Seven Sisters
These are the first swans I have ever seen on the Nar
These are the first swans I have ever seen on the Nar

Welcome to the Walks

This view of West Lynn Church was taken from the Nar Outfall.
This view of West Lynn Church was taken from the Nar Outfall.

Of Travel, Tribulations and Triumphs

Last night I attended a meeting in Norwich, and went out afterwards for drinks with the others. Earlier in the evening outside Norwich library I seen an inventive usage Henry C Beck’s famous schematic diagram – see attached media at the end of this post.

Today began with a minor disappointment when Your Local Paper did not contain anything on the Floricultural Cabinets, in spite of the fact that they had been sufficiently interested for a colleague to phone my on my day off to get the images to them.

However, thereafter it was successful all through. On the database side I have definitely perfected my method of catalogue generation, and on Tuesday I should be able to produce a bid book that will bear some semblance to reality. I did a lot of imaging,  although much of that will have to wait until Tuesday as  although I took all the pictures I had very little time left for editing.

Enjoy the following…

I think Mr Beck would have appreciated this almost as much as I did.
I think Mr Beck would have appreciated this almost as much as I did.
A great medal set.
A great medal set.
This image will form the centrepiece of a poster (I have created but not yet printed it)
This image will form the centrepiece of a poster (I have created but not yet printed it)

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I had never seen one of these prior to today
I had never seen one of these prior to today

Wooden shield Medal Catalogue 2057 Access Version

These have no lot number as yet, but I imaged them at the personal request of the boss.
These have no lot number as yet, but I imaged them at the personal request of the boss.

Database Work

I spent the whole of today doing database work, and should be able to move on from inputting to design and refinements early tomorrow morning.

I have decided that with no new images at my disposal I will provide a glimpse of the database (front end only for obvious reasons). Tomorrow I should have some new images and some stuff from King’s Lynn newspapers.

For the moment…

This is the "Front end of front ends" from which you can access...
This is the “Front end of front ends” from which you can access…
...the client database (already fully operational)
…the client database (already fully operational)
...the Stock Database (in progress)
…the Stock Database (in progress)
....and the Auction Database (in progress)
….and the Auction Database (in progress)

Lamb Shanks and Press Release Success

I can now confirm for a certainty that something regarding Joseph Harrison and the Floricultural Cabinets will be appearing in Your Local Paper, the new free publication for the King’s Lynn and West Norfolk area. Yesterday afternoon I emailed them the entire photo gallery for that item including a greatly enlarged version of the press release image (this in response to a phone call from a colleague).

Yesterday, having sought expert advice I cooked a lamb shank, which will also do Friday’s supper. I did not follow the advice given to the letter, but I believe that my interpretation was in keeping with the spirit of that advice, and it did work. Briefly, I put the shank in the centre of my stewing pot, distributing around it chopped leeks, potato and carrot, added some salt and in an unorthodox but undeniably successful hunch some dark soy sauce. To prevent the whole from drying out and burning in the course of a long cooking period I added a small cup of water (believing that the meat and the leeks had plenty of their own moisture and that no more was needed). I then placed the pot in my main oven, set at 125 degrees (cool enough for seriously long cooking, hot enough to be sure of finishing off any microbial nasties). I checked hourly, stirring and also regularly pouring liquid over the top of the meat, and six hours later at 7:30, the appointed time for my supper the moment of truth arrived. The result was delicious, although one more moment of truth awaits, when it comes to time to clean the stewing pot.

Included among my pictures accompanying this post is another of the book lots I imaged on Sunday, on which note…

This lot was so vast that I took two images and having edited them separately then used my skills to meld them into one.
This lot was so vast that I took two images and having edited them separately then used my skills to meld them into one.

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Databasing and more books

After a productive morning working on the database I switched tack post lunch to other aspects of my job. Having loaded the book images from Sunday on to the computer, and got the OK to send off the now complete press release that I mentioned in my last post I imaged some more lots for the April sale.

The new lots were yet more books. The majority were obviously not going to be making big money but as you will see from the media attachments at the end of this post there were some gems sparkling amid the dung heap.

I expect to see something from my press release in the Lynn News because they went to the trouble of asking for a resized image that they could work with, which I duly supplied.

Next week I will be working on Wednesday to help prepare for the auction, and will be at the auction early on Thursday.

A couple of hours ago Fakenham was hit by an epic thunder/ hailstorm which had me very worried as I would have been a sitting duck had it still been raging when I finished work. However, in the sort of rapid transformation that English weather is uniquely capable of providing the sun was shining again by the time I left the office.

As usual, plenty of pictures….

113 George V

This bound collection of magazines had points of interest.
This bound collection of magazines had points of interest.

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This was undoubtedly the pick of today's book lots, and I have included all three images that I took.
This was undoubtedly the pick of today’s book lots, and I have included all three images that I took.

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The binding is respectable if nothing else.
The binding is respectable if nothing else.
The resized image sent to the Lynn News
The resized image sent to the Lynn News

FLORICULTURAL CABINETS TO GO UNDER HAMMER AT FAKENHAM AUCTIONEER

Many Things

I will definitely be participating in CLASS’s latest research program, and have of course taken the opportunity to volunteer myself for any other research they are carrying out.

All the book lots for April, which I imaged on Sunday are now checked, edited and ready to go up. I have also prepared a draft of a press release about one of the lots, which has some local interest attached to it (see the Media attachments at the end of this post).

Yesterday I made sure that the council had a copy of my February wage slip, which was the last document they needed to see about my housing benefit.

Enjoy the media attachments…

FLORICULTURAL CABINETS TO GO UNDER HAMMER AT FAKENHAM AUCTIONEER Pevsner ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????????? Magpie ???????????????????????? This building on chapel street intrigued me

Quizzes, Rugby and other stuff

On Friday night I took part in “A quiz with a difference” at St Michaels school in South Lynn, helping to raise funds for Unicef. I was part of a team with my parents and my aunt, and we came joint second (and it should have been second outright but we were bilked of half a point in the first round). The quiz was very enjoyable (all the more so for the complete absence of questions on pop music, which are my Achilles heel, only more vulnerable), although I was a trifle disquieted to be very obviously the youngest person present.

Yesterday saw the climax of this years Six Nations. England had a very impressive win in Rome, though not by enough to force Ireland to do any more than win in Paris. The game in Paris that brought the curtain down was an absolute nail biter, with the Irish just hanging on to end the illustrious career of Brian O’Driscoll in the manner that he deserved.

I will be participating in some research in Autistic Spectrum Conditions in the near future, having just received a letter from CLASS (Cambridge Lifespan Asperger Syndrome Service), not be confused with KLASS (King’s Lynn Asperger Support Society), inviting me to do so.

I have some photos for you as usual, this time in two sets. Firstly there are four pictures that relate to buildings in and around King’s Lynn, which will be accompanied by clues as to where they are, and then a collection of other pictures with no extras.

The building that provided this shot is one of the best known in town.
The building that provided this shot is one of the best known in town.
This stonework can be seen high up on a building at the Minster end of St James' Street
This stonework can be seen high up on a building at the Minster end of St James’ Street
This statue which sits atop its building was snapped across the width of Kings Staithe Square.
This statue which sits atop its building was snapped across the width of Kings Staithe Square.
This wall mounted coat of arms adorns a building in the Hardwick Industrial Estate.
This wall mounted coat of arms adorns a building in the Hardwick Industrial Estate.

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