PREVIOUS NEWS

Sunday, May 16, 1999

Fellow Belleekers !!  (lettre # 3.3)

** WELCOME BACK QUEEN CITY !! **

I would like to extend my personal welcome to the newly
reorganized Queen City Chapter that has recently 
returned to our roster of active chapters !!  This 
Chapter will focus its membership from the areas of 
South Western Ohio, South Eastern Indiana and Northern 
Kentucky !!  You are ALL invited to contact their 
President Ms. Jeanne Chartier directly at 
1-513-683-0315 !!  WELCOME BACK QUEEN CITY !!

** CHICAGO SUMMER ANTIQUE SHOW **
  ** August 13 thru 15, 1999 **

I'll be arriving into Chicago for the grand summer 
antique fair sometime the day of August 12th !!  
I plan on staying at the Rosemont Hotel at the 
Convention Center by O'Hare International Airport 
for the duration !!  I'm working on getting us 
Belleekers some complimentary passes for the show so 
if you would desire one or more please leave your name 
and reservation information for me so I can contact you
upon arrival !!

** SOTHEBY's IRISH AUCTION !! **

Hopefully, I will have some of the results of this 
fabulous auction to include in my next newslettre !!  
I've been scanning their catalogue for days now and 
there is some VERY desirable and rare items being 
offered this year !!  I hope that some of you Belleekers
out there are able to participate in this wonderful 
event !!

** Belleek Millennium Convention ** 
   ** Washington, D.C.**
      ** September 24th.thru 26th. 1999 !! **

WOW !!  I hope all of you Belleekers out there in 
Belleek land have either finalized your plans for the 
upcoming Millennium Convention or if not are well on 
your way to doing so !!

As usual, I haven't made my arrangements as yet but 
don't be a procrastinator like myself !!  SIGN UP NOW !!  

Remember, that the deadline for submitting your order 
for the Special Millennium Plate is quickly upon us as 
May 28th approaches quickly !!  Orders MUST be RECEIVED
by the May 28th date !!  If you are still confused 
regarding this, orders may be placed, directly, by 
phone, to Charlotte at B.C.I.S. headquarters at 
1-800-BELLEEK !!

OR by post to :
    The Belleek Collectors International Society
    9893 Georgetown Pike, Suite 525
    Great Falls
    Virginia    22066

OR by FAX to : 1-703-847-6201 !!

You MUST be a B.C.I.S. member in good standing to 
participate in this amazing offer so be sure to include
your membership number !!
  
I am planning on filming a couple of videos, one of my 
collection and the other a surprise !!  If Angela can 
fit me in and there is sufficient interest, the hotel 
assures me they have the proper projection equipment 
for a LARGE screen presentation !!

** THE PRISONER (the continuing saga) **

We discover there are actually TWO Prisoners being 
held !! ….(end part # 2) !!

And we continue now with our story !!

Now, to side step just a tad, I wonder somewhat, that 
with all the Pottery's journals and explicit records, 
just why they (i.e. the Pottery) didn't ever recouver 
these magnificent artifacts at the cessation of the 
worldwide hostilities ??  Just maybe, it was in part 
due to the fact that there was still turmoil and strife
in Ireland ??  Enough for history as, I believe, by 
common law, these works of art have now become included
in the estates of the Reynolds !!

We now retire to the shops basement where he (Geoff) 
has brought the 'other' Prisoner in for my viewing !!  
He is extremely generous in providing me with a copy of
his fathers pamphlet and also shows me the first 
lithopane I had ever seen and went on to explain that 
his father had told him that as the Belleek salespersons 
came to visit they would bring these around in groups 
of four to be made into lampshades !!  This was born 
out in that the one he had left had a single hole in 
each of its' corners !!  Amazing bunch of history !!

I examine this prisoner and am duly impressed and as we
continue our discussion, he goes on to explain the 
rather complex settlement regarding his fathers' 
property and indicated that thirds of the estate will 
be given him and another brother and sister.  As he is 
receiving the shop, several large settlements have to 
transpire to equal out each of the survivors shares.  
We discuss the value of the Prisoner and finally settle
on "Since only two others (at that time) are known to 
exist, you can ask whatever the market will bear, 
keeping in mind that it will have to be sufficient to 
satisfy all parties involved in the settlement thus 
making everyone happy".  I return home.

It seems like forever passes and then round about 
Christmas 1980, if my records are correct, I receive a 
call from Sydney (Geoff) stating that he and his 
siblings have arrived at what they believe to be a fair
price for everyone.  He quotes me the price and my only
question is "Is that in Canadian or U.S. dollars ??".  
We arrange to meet after the first of the year, January
1981, and I drive up in my Karmann Ghia and lay the 
Prisoner of Love in a large box on her backside in a 
bed of styrofoam caterpillars to prepare her for ride 
to her new home !!

The trip is totally uneventful except for a small 
skirmish at the Canadian/U.S. border crossing.  The 
hostel customs agents wave me aside and demand 
inspection of my cargo !!  Clumsily, I remove the 
Prisoner and her box from the back of the car and place
her on a table for inspection.  I am desperately trying
to instruct these morons regarding the proper aging of 
Belleek when a timely gust of wind arrives and drives a
goodly half of the styrofoam caterpillars off down the 
freeway !!  At this point the two pretend CIA agents 
glance at each other, decide I'm not truly a real 
revolutionary and tell me to "get the hell out of here 
as quickly as you can before we change our minds" (as if
they had any to change ??) !!  Off to home and one would
think this story has ended, if not only due to its' 
length but it's a reasonable spot too stop ??  Well, NO !!
 
                   (to be continued !!)


 
          A RARE view of Cupid's Arrow of Love
    and Part of the Rose Garland which holds her Prisoner !!
              (from the Coloured Statue !!)

Belleekingly,

Del E. Domke, Belleek Consultant
16142 N.E. 15th. Street
Bellevue,  WA    98008-2711
U.S.A.

Telephone :  1 (425) 746-6363
Message :    1 (425) 746-6363
FAX :        1 (425) 746-6363 
E-mail :     delyicious@comcast.net
Web-site :   The Beauty and Romance of Irish Belleek  (or) : 
              http://delyicious.magix.net/public/index.html