Creating a Federal Style Antique Table Lamp

I recently put to some good use a rusty old candelabra after seeing some wonderful

old vintage table lamps on the pages of Pinterest. And wanting to know more about

them, I asked our old friend Neil who is fairly knowledgeable on vintage artifacts. And he

tells me that the style of lamps that interest me are known as Federal style and may even

go as far back as The Emperor Napoleon. In fact one particular lamp on those Pinterest

pages is described as a Style Gilt Bronze Bouillotte Lamp from the period of Louis XV.

And what shocked me about these lamps is the obscene asking prices online, starting

anywhere from $500 and up to $1,000 or more.

So I polished up an old spare candelabra that I picked up in a Charity shop and went to work

on creating something like I had seen online. Of course I only fitted one bulb in the center on

one of the three wooden candles, which funnily enough I made from off-cuts from a wooden

outdoor broom/brush handle. The results can be seen below.

BELOW: ANTIQUE FEDERAL STYLE

TABLE LAMPS ON PINTEREST

Ukrainians Gathering in London Video and The Return of Big Ben

Above video filmed on Saturday 12th March.

Last weekend I took a trip into Central London to check out one of the regular Ukrainian

protest gatherings in Whitehall. And sure enough there was a group just opposite Downing Street.

And joining them were several speakers.

But the thing that puzzles me most about the terrible things happening in Ukraine is, how has

it been humanly possible for a single person like President Putin to carry out unchallenged,

the virtual destruction of a peaceful neighbouring country. And not only that, but he seems

determined to conceal the atrocities from his own people back home in Russia.

Have we not learned our lessons from the carnage and devastation of the last World War?

Above: A short video of the protest in Whitehall.

Above: Also in Whitehall is Banqueting House and that great Hall that houses the famous

Rubens ceiling painting. And that very painting would have been the last thing King Charles 1

would have seen in January 1649 as he was marched through that Hall and onto a lower window

scaffolding where he was executed for treason.

See inside that great Hall on my full posting HERE.

 

Above and below: Mounted soldiers from The

Household Cavalry Regiment in Whitehall.

Above and below: A rather grand and decorative entrance

to Government buildings in King Charles

Street in Whitehall.

Above:  Looking towards Trafalgar Square.

Below: One of the regular Street artists outside The National Gallery.

Below: Trafalgar Square was closed off to the public in preparation for this Sunday's

London St Patrick's Day celebrations.

Good to see that Ireland will also be celebrating their National Day once again after an

absence of two years during Covid.

What a thrill it was to finally see the scaffolding come down on the iconic Elizabeth Tower,

or better known as Big Ben. It has virtually been concealed since 2018 although the renovation

project initially started in 2017. And the original budget for it's repair was meant to be around

£29 million. But they're now saying that it may have escalated to around £80 million due

to delays as well as the Covid pandemic.

We're now being told that the renovation project could now be finished this Summer. So it'll

be quite a novelty finally hearing Big Ben chime once again.

Above left: Showing the old original clock face. While on the right is the new Royal blue and gold clock face.

IMAGE VIA ESQUIRE MAGAZINE

Below: Westminster Abbey has been home to Royal Coronations as well as burials.

And since 1760 the Abbey  was the final resting place of seventeen Monarchs including

Elizabeth 1 and Queen Mary 1.