Thank-You

A heartfelt thank-you to all the 42 stallholders, fishing tackle enthusiasts, our hosts at the Abbey Stadium and sponsor Mr. Neil Freeman of Angling Auctions http://www.angling-auctions.co.uk/ who helped to make yesterday's National Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair such an enjoyable day for all concerned.  Mr. Samuel Guyatt reported that over one hundred gallons of tea were drunk by the assembled crowds.  Gratitude is owed to The Times Daily Universal Register, Caught by the River www.caughtbytheriver.net and contributors to the Secret Swim http://www.purepiscator.com/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=681 for their press notices and word of mouth which brought a lot of new faces to the door.  The next National Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair will take place on Sunday 20th November 2011 and in order not to get lost you are advised that it will be at a new venue, the Kingsley Sports Centre in the district of Woodrow in Redditch.  The postal code is B98 7UH.

The National Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair

You will find me this morning at the riot of tackle dealers that is affectionately known as the National Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair and which takes place at The Abbey Stadium Sports Centre off the Birmingham Road (A441) in the Midlands town of Redditch, in the County of Worcestershire.  Those of you who navigate by satellite may find the postcode B97 6EJ of use.  Doors open at 9am and tea will be served outside by Mr. Samuel Guyatt.

We Interrupt this Programme

For all those of you who listen to the wireless on a Saturday morning you are directed to Mr. Keith Arthur's 'Fisherman's Blues' on Radio Talksport which can be found at the frequency 1089-1053AM.  There, at around 07:15hrs I will be blatantly publicising the National Vintage Fishing Tackle Fair which takes place tomorrow, the morning of Sunday 15th May, from 09:00hrs at the Abbey Stadium Sports Centre in the Midlands town of Redditch.

Cecil Day-Lewis meets the Compleat Angler Uptown

Found at Spitalfields yesterday a 1915 Oxford University Press Edition of 'Compleat Angler'.  This copy  was awarded to the former Poet Laureate, Cecil Day-Lewis http://www.cday-lewis.co.uk/# for 'School Latin Prose' in 1923 his last year at Sherborne School before he went up to Oxford.   It is not known whether Day-Lewis was a keen angler but this book was amongst others on trout fishing which were cleared from the family home after the death of his second wife Jill Balcon.

Ogden Smiths Fishing Tackle

Once upon a time in Arcadia, and occasionally on a Thursday, ladies and gentlemen in search of Vintage Fishing Tackle for the Soul and other requisites were able to take advantage of the many shops that belonged to London tackle firm Ogden Smiths makers of reliable kit since 1763.  Ogden Smith had shops from number 2 & 3 The Royal Exchange in the City to 62 St James Street in Piccadilly and even as far west as 14/15 Dingwall Road in the new town of Croydon.   The firm had a simple philosophy which was symbolised by the famous crossed hooks 'This business is managed by the same family to-day (as in the 18th Century), and up-to-date production methods combined with years of practical experience, are employed to maintain and improve the well-known Ogden Smith standard.  Attention to customer's requirements is under constant personal supervision of the directors, who are practical fishermen'.

In Arcadia today there are sadly no more Ogden Smiths Fishing Tackle Shops but you may buy the wares that they stocked at my stall in Spitalfields Antiques Market on Thursdays between a half past seven in the morning and approximately three o'clock in the afternoon where I do my best to maintain their standards and drink tea on an Olympian scale.

Dam Angelrolle

Found amongst a lot of tackle bought recently from another dealer in a Service Station Car Park, a 'Dam Angelrolle', the 'Ever Ready', in its original box.  The reel was imported by Lee of Pershore in Redditch in the Post-War years widely known in Arcadia as the 1950's and 60's.

Kempton

Found at Kempton this morning some Swedish Vintage Fishing Tackle for the Soul, an old Barbour Jacket and an enamelled badge for the Lakeland Terrier Club.  Enough to subsist on until opening time at least.