PREVIOUS NEWS
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Belleek Newslettre (# 8.4)
** HAPPY HOLIDAYS !! **
I would first like to wish ALL of you Belleekers,
out there in Belleek World, the MOST Joyful
Holiday Season and ALL my wishes for a Happy,
Prosperous, Safe and Tranquil New Year !!
** IN MEMORANDUM **
From a dedicated daughter in-law and fellow
Belleeker, I received the following extremely
solemn news :
"Dear Del....I am very sad to inform fellow
Belleekers of Ms. Delight Svacina's passing on
9-11-04. She loved Belleek and her Belleek
friends ... please pass that message on for
Larry and I. Thank you so much.
Ms. Cathy C. Runyan-Svacina
and Larry Svacina
7812 N.W. Hampton Rd.
Kansas City, MO. 64152
Web Site : http://WWW.THEMARBLELADY.COM
Condolences to : THEMARBLELADY@AOL.COM
Personally, I was honoured with the privilege
of touring England and Ireland with Delight,
accompanied by her Son and Daughter in-law,
following the Stoke-on-Trent Convention in 1997.
She was an inspiration to ALL, at that time, and
I know she will be missed but always remembered.
** CHICAGO !! **
I've been promising you a brief discussion of my
travels to the GRAND Summer Antique Fair in
Chicago, for some time now, so, BEFORE years end
here we go !!
My 'ultimate' goal this Holiday, was to avoid any
and all taxi cabs !! I succeeded marvelously in
this endeavor simply utilizing a little old
fashioned leg power, Seattle Rapid Bus Transit and
the wonderful CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) !!
Having never flown into Midway, the 2nd of
Chicago's BIG airports, I collected my luggage and
proceeded to 'follow the orange line' !! This is
an actual ORANGE Stripe on the terminal floor,
leading from baggage claim out to the end-of-line
CTA Orange Line Terminal !! Boarding the CTA, I
was raced into downtown Chicago where you transfer
to the CTA Blue Line, which, terminates at O'Hare
International Airport !! From here, ALL hotel
buses have pickups like every 30 minutes !!
So, leaving Seattle about Noon, I'm in my hotel
room by 9 Chicago time !!
The following morning, the Fair opens at 10AM and
the crowd, like a herd of cattle, stampedes thru
the doors !!
Don't explain this to everyone, least it spoil
the idea for the rest of us, BUT the method to
transverse an Antique Fair is to begin at the
'opposite' end of the Fair !! By this I mean,
the doors open up on like aisles 2 and 3, BUT
the thing to do is make a quick RIGHT, go down
to the LAST aisle and begin your searching
there !! By the time you're towards the middle
aisle, the traffic has thinned out somewhat and
you are free to enjoy the show !!
And ENJOY I DID !! There were 3 major dealers
of Belleek displaying at the Fair with
spectacular items for the discriminating
purchaser !! Additionally, I discouvered
small displays of Belleek in virtually every
aisle !!
Following two LONG days of scouting around the
Fair, I was more than glad to hop the hotel bus
for O'Hare, then downstairs to, again, board
the CTA Blue Line, disembark in downtown Chicago
and walk the two blocks up to Union (Amtrak)
Station !! We boarded Amtrak in about two hours
and the two day journey back home was both
relaxing and uneventful !!
** RAP, TAP, TAPPING !! **
The first day of the Chicago Antique Fair, about
an hour into my wanderings around, I begin to
hear these queer rap, tap, click and chip sounds !!
Following the sounds to the 'center' of the aisles,
I discouvered a gentleman carving a chair !!
It turned out, that EACH morning, he would begin
with a 'roughed' chair frame strapped to his
workbench !! By 'rough', I mean that the chair
had the back, seat and legs cut out in the basic
'square' shape that would approximate the finished
product !! He had a wooden mallet and, I would
guess, approximately 30 wood chisels of varying
shapes !!
He begin each day by penciling out the design that
he would eventually carve into the chair frame !!
He then begin carefully chiseling away and, by days
end, had COMPLETELY modeled a beautiful chair frame !!
A sandpaper and appropriate wood finish, along with
a seat cushion and VOILA, an Antique Chair
Reproduction !!
It was REALLY fascinating to watch this chap so I
would return every several hours to observe his
progress !! Each year, the Fair offers something
rather unique and the chair carver was this years
present !!
** OH DEAR !! **
Sobicphobia is the fear of being afraid !!
** MICHIGAN IS ALIVE
IN 2005 !! **
The Great Lakes Chapter is inviting ALL Belleekers
to meet them in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They will
be hosting the Belleek Collectors' International
Convention September 8, 9 and 10 at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel. It is 5 minutes from the Gerald Ford Airport
that has connections to the major airline hubs.
Registration forms were inserted in your latest copy
of the B.C.I.S. Newsletter !! If you have NOT as
yet received one, PLEASE contact our Convention
Coordinator Phyllis via E-mail at :
phyllisbagnall@msn.com
** CONVENTION RECIPES !! **
The Great Lakes Chapter would like to put a cookbook
together and have it ready for the 2005 Convention in
Grand Rapids, MI. !! If anyone in your Chapter would
like to submit a yummy dessert recipe worthy of
serving on or in pieces of Belleek, please have them
submit them to Phyllis as soon as possible !! And if
they have a picture of the dessert, even better.
Send that along also !!
The recipes can be sent to Ms. Phyllis Bagnall
10295 Carriage Way, Davison, MI, 48423
or they can be E-mail'ed to :
phyllisbagnall@msn.com !!
Don't hold back on us. Send us your very best to
ooohhh and aaaahhh over and be included in this
unique book !! Be sure to include your name,
address, phone no., E-mail address and where your
recipe came from or a story about it !!
** YOU SAY ?? **
We are born naked, wet, and hungry.
Then things get worse.
(Anonymous)
** William E. Gladstone !! **
Back to Chicago, just for a bit !! The first day,
Friday morning, I turned the corner, down another
aisle and to my surprise, looking ahead, saw what I
believed to be a Bust of Clyte and one of Gladstone !!
NOT to appear excited, I casually worked my way up
to this ladies booth, which, contained a marvelous
selection of glass and china !!
Again, not wanting to appear anxious, I casually
worked my way around her booth till I arrived in
front of the pair of busts !! I carefully picked
each one up and glanced to see if they had ANY
(Pottery) markings on either ?? UNFORTUNATELY,
neither of them were marked in any fashion !!
WELL, you can't have EVERYTHING !! The prices
WERE 'RIGHT' !! So, my purchase this year was
a 'jolly' Bust of Gladstone !!
I KNOW I'm supposed to keep 'politics' OUT of my
Newslettres, BUT it's REALLY difficult to discuss
a Politician WITHOUT !! SO, here's a little history
lesson regarding 'R Hon W E Gladstone MP', as is
inscribed across his shoulders on the reverse of
his Bust !!
The following is a brief compilation of biographical
information gathered from various Web Sites regarding
Gladstone's illustrious career !! You may wish to
Search the Web for additional knowledge concerning
any of the sub topics introduced in the subsequent
discussion !!
William Ewart Gladstone, the fourth son of Sir
John Gladstone, was born in Liverpool on 29th
December, 1809. Gladstone was a MP (Member of
Parliament) and a successful Liverpool merchant.
He was educated at Eton and Christ College, Oxford.
At the Oxford Union Debating Society Gladstone
developed a reputation as a fine orator. At
university Gladstone was a Tory and denounced Whig
proposals for parliamentary reform.
Famous as Benjamine Disraeli's rival and for their
spirited debates, Gladstone had a long and
distinguished career in public service which began
in 1832 when he entered Parliament as a Tory
(Conservative). Serving until 1895, except for a
one year absence in 1846, he served in numerous
governments beginning with Sir Robert Peel's
ministry in junior capacities.
Editors' Note : If my arithmetic is proper,
Gladstone was ONLY 22 years of age as he entered
Parliament !!
William Ewart Gladstone became British Prime
Minister in 1868. "My mission is to pacify Ireland",
he immediately affirmed.
Among his first measures, Gladstone 'disestablished'
the Church of Ireland, a recognition that it was
inappropriate to have a formal link between the state
and a denomination supported only by a small minority
of the Irish people. This meant that Catholic
farmers no longer had to pay tithes to the Church.
Gladstone also pushed through the first Irish Land
Act in 1870. This Act, provided greater security to
some tenants, whom had left their holdings, or
farmers, whom had been evicted from their land.
It allowed them to claim compensation for
improvements they had made.
Gladstone started his second ministry in 1880 after
defeating Benjamine Disraeli in the 1880 General
Election.
At this time, Charles Stuart Parnell and the Land
League were conducting a violent campaign to stop
the 1870 Land Act from working and violence against
landlords or their agents was becoming more common
as support for the Fenians grew. This involved the
refusal of tenants to pay their rents, resisting
evictions and attacking land agents. English-owned
farms were burned, the animals were killed or
maimed, and English people were attacked.
While Gladstone wanted to work for Ireland, he was
not willing to tolerate violence. As a result, in
1880, he brought in the Coercion Act for Ireland
which, temporarily suspended Habeas Corpus so that
those people suspected of committing an offence
could be detained without trial. Gladstone was
dubbed a 'dictator' because of this and the Act was
allowed to lapse on 1 June 1880.
Editors' Note : It is my 'opinion' that the FAMOUS
Belleek Gladstone Chamber Pot MAY have been produced
during this turmoil ?? I, for one, would STRONGLY
object to my government holding me without (speedy
access to) trial !!
However, during this term, Gladstone's ministry also
passed a second Irish Land Act which guaranteed the
'Three F's': Fixity of tenure, Fair rents and
Free sale.
Gladstone's third ministry was from 1886. On 8 April,
1886, he introduced the First Home Rule Bill for
Ireland.
It was during this time period that he befriended
Charles Stewart Parnell, another MP and VERY strong
orator in his own right !! Parnel was also a STRONG
supporter of Irish Home Rule !!
Gladstone made one of his greatest speeches (June 7,
1886) when he introduced Home Rule by removing the
reason for Irish obstruction. He said that the
concession of "local self-government" would
strengthen the unity of the three kingdoms.
He proposed:
1. A separate parliament in Dublin to deal with
Irish affairs.
2. That Britain should continue to control foreign
affairs, defense and trade.
3. An end to Irish representation at Westminster.
The Complete Text may be studied at Site :
http://www.victorianweb.org/history/polspeech/government.html
Gladstone soon changed his mind over the proposal
that there should be no Irish MPs at Westminster
because Ireland contributed some 40% of its tax-yield
to the Imperial budget, and complete Irish exclusion
from Westminster would mean taxation without
representation. Exclusion was also seen as a step
towards complete independence.
Editors' Note : My belief is that there is ALWAYS some
humour in everything and Politics is NO exception !!
I discouvered this quote by the Queen !!
"(I have) the greatest possible disinclination to take
this half-crazy and in many ways ridiculous old man."
-- Victoria having to accept Gladstone as Prime Minister
for the third time in 1886.
Gladstone's last term as Prime Minister saw the passage
of an Irish Home Rule Bill (1892) in the Commons, which,
he first championed in his 1886 ministry, but the bill
never made it through the House of Lords.
Gladstone resigned as a result, leaving office in 1894.
He died four years later from cancer.
In summary, Gladstone served as Prime Minister FOUR
times !! MUCH of his political energy was devoted
to the Irish Question. His motives were rooted
firmly in a genuine desire to improve Ireland. He
introduced many worthwhile reforms, but it was his
attempts to settle the Land Question and HR (Home Rule)
that dominated his efforts. He began the process of
Land Reform and even though the issue was unsettled
this process would eventually result in tenant ownership.
HR became his main objective but his failure to achieve
this ensured that the Irish Question was not resolved.
All in all, probably no other British politician would
devote so much time and effort into Ireland as Gladstone
did in his political career.
The Bust of Gladstone and
Belleek's Minature Chamber Pot !!
The Bust is 'PROBABLY' from the Goss Pottery !!??
Note the differences on the Bust above
with that in Dick's Book !!
** VOCABULARY !! **
Boycott : A new word is introduced in the English
language in 1880 when supporters refuse to harvest
the potato crop of County Mayo land agent Captain C.
Boycott !! This was (Charles Stewart) Parnells method
of 'shunning' those whom had, what we would call,
'repossess' another's farm !!
** COLLECTING !! **
I was JUST thinking of the Belleek presents I 'gift'
myself each Christmas and then I ran into this MORE
than appropriate quote !!
There is a fine line between 'hobby' and
'mental illness'.
-- Dave Barry
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