My mum loved old things and brass things and practical things. For a very brief year she ran a tiny desk sized stall in Antiquarius Market in Chelsea where she bought (mainly) and sold (occasionally) things that she liked. Jewellery mainly, silver spoons and salt cellars, mustard pots. All great for Christening and wedding and birthday presents. She shut up shop almost 40 years ago but there’s still some left.

I found a little box of these curios recently and put them away again. But today I had a brainwave. I still can’t read printed matter after my cataract replacement ten days ago) and I wasn’t expecting to. Everything is absolutely fine, I hasten to add, But I like reading, and I can read on my phone because it enlarges the text. But then I thought perhaps I could use a magnifying glass and read a book. I got so many for my birthday I want to get stuck in.

So out came the little box. And this very tiny brass glass. I tried. But it’s too small to cover enough of the page! (It’s about three inches long) big enough for a very diminutive Sherlock Holmes’. But not for me!

We do have a larger one somewhere which my mother have to my husband for his fortieth. What was she trying to say!