October Origins - Heirlooms

My family background is not at all wealthy but, then I guess, heirlooms aren't necessarily valuable in monetary terms.

This bureau has been in my family for 3 or 4 generations at least but we don't know exactly where it came from. In date it is 1820s ish. When I first knew it the drawer handles were large wooden knobs. The current handles, more in keeping with the original, were put on when it had some remedial work done after my father inherited it.

As far as I know it was used as an office desk by my grandfather's family and bears the scars of at least one attempt to break it open. It spent most of my life in my grandmother's front room, with the calendar on top of it and a mantel clock, which now belongs to my eldest uncle.

I loved playing with the keepers which pull out to support the drop leaf.

The calendar is clearly 1920s/30s and was, I would imagine, a wedding present to my grandparents. I've seen an identical one used in an episode of Poirot on ITV!!