Madeleine D'Arcy
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My Babycham Glasses (plus deer!)

5/18/2012

5 Comments

 
Picture


Once upon a time, teenage boys liked to collect stamps. Other people collected coins, postcards, or cards from cigarette packets. Some people pinned dead butterflies on cloth and put them in glass frames. 
Personally I never felt an urge to collect things. I'm not naturally a hoarder. In fact, I often long for a minimalist lifestyle, though life is far too interesting and complex for such simplicity!
About 18 years ago, a nice English man invited me to lunch with his family. I didn't realise at the time that I would marry him... and that these nice people would become my English in-laws. 
The house we had lunch in was full of clocks. When I asked about this it became clear that one couldn't have too many clocks. In fact, everyone seemed to be an avid collector of something: antique pencils, thimbles, fridge magnets, dolls' houses, anything to do with ducks, jelly moulds, wind-up toys... the list was endless. 
Someone turned to me kindly and asked, 'And what do you collect, Madeleine?'
I was tempted to answer, 'Men' – but, since this was not true and they were not yet familiar with my sense of humour – I thought better of it.
I had a lot of books, but since these were a motley crew, and not First Editions, I felt they didn't quite count as collectibles. 
'Nothing,' I replied, a little abashed. Perhaps my life was missing something?
More time with my husband-to-be meant many trips to car boot sales, junk shops, salvage yards and antique shops in England and later in Ireland, while he acquired things and I plotted to get rid of them. (Oh, the high of delivering a bunch of stuff to the Cancer Ireland Charity shop!) 
But one day, I found a few Babycham glasses at Rathcormac Car Boot Sale. Small, delicate, gold-rimmed, each emblazoned with a giddy cartoon deer in mid-leap, the glasses reminded me of my first ever alcoholic drink and I had to have them. 
Babycham was a tiny, ladylike bottle of sugary fizz – an acceptable and indeed glamorous drink for women in 1970's Ireland. The bottle was cutesy and glamorous at the same time, with a pleated silvery-blue foil sockette on the bottle top. 
Now I've got ten Babycham glasses I suppose I have to admit I've joined the ranks of collectors, though I'm a mere spring chicken at this stuff, compared to the greats. It's probably heresy to suggest that ten is enough, but I think it is. 
One of the best birthday presents I ever got was from my friend Colette Sheridan, who gave me the little Babycham deer that's at the front of my photo. I love it.


For Irish Car Boot Sales, check out http://collectireland.wordpress.com/car-boot-sales
5 Comments
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7/23/2013 06:23:13 pm

The glass artifacts that you have are awesome, especially the deer. It is hard to find these kinds of stuff and if found, you need to pay a lot to get one. I appreciate your effort for collecting it and thank you for writing about it.

Reply
barbara reynolds
9/20/2013 07:47:26 am

would you believe we have the same set six i think, that came from my english grandmother i've now come to inherit them and will take possession of them when my two boys grow up!!! they're 3 and 7 but i'm used to waiting i first got them at age 7 to which my mother said nope she's too young and have been in my mothers house since!!!! my father worked away alot when i was a child he was gone more than he was here i actually didn't know him till i was 2 and my irish grandmother thought it would be great craic for my first words to my father be fuck off from my mother!!!!!! i didn't know any better i was 2 so my dad bein english and non religion decided it would be even better craic to call all nuns penguins!!!!! and so ensued a yrs yrs long of getting me to say things that would not be pc to anyone then or now until i realised what was going on and did it back to both of them!!!!!!! i do fondly remember the taste of babycham dad brought it home one night i was about 9 and i was allowed to drink it out of the mysterious nana's glass's she died before i was born and even now i go and check them glass's are still there and even though my brother has house parties i've often arrived unannouced and quiet pissed myself and warned all and sundry i don't care, drink out of the dog bowl, if any1 touches em i'll have a serious problem with all of you, touch wood they're intact i've a special place reserved for them and can't wait to have them in my own home

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