Jul 11 2013

Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgic


I have an old button tin, in fact it’s 60 years old this year. This is a very special old tin, a Coronation Casket issued by Payne’s Poppets, manufacturers of confectionery in England since 1937. Doesn’t Queen Elizabeth ll look young and beautiful? In 1953 when it was bought, it contained toffees and since then, has been well used over the years. It travelled with us all the way from England to South Africa, and I guess one day it will find itself living in Florida with me. I haven’t kept it because of its beauty, and as you can see, it’s rather scratched. It’s just always been my button tin, ever since my mom passed it on to me when I got married. When my sister and I were children, if the weather wasn’t fine enough to play outside. mom often would pull out the button tin for us to play with, and we would happily play at being shop keepers, using buttons for money.

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Many of the buttons in my box hold special memories for me. That brushed gold button down on the left, once adorned my funky pink shiny plastic coat which I wore with pride in the 1960’s. Mini skirts were all the rage then, and my coat was very short. To complete the outfit, I had knee-high white crinkly plastic boots, and I really thought I was the ‘bee’s knees’. The shiny gold button at the back, was a spare for my favourite red cardigan which I wore until it almost fell to pieces, and the tiny rabbit-shaped buttons are from my daughter’s crocheted baby jacket. I can get quite nostalgic as I look through my strange assortment of buttons, and even though I may never use any of them again, I know I can’t throw them out. It’s not just any old tin box, but a box full of memories.

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To see more contributions to this week’s Photo Challenge, just click here.

79 comments on “Weekly Photo Challenge: Nostalgic”

  3. I like that. I’m sure I had a similar tin. Must look it out. I do have a Welsh woman with a silly hat on for my sewing tin, and my button box is an old chocolate box with gold leaves that opened out. Pictures to be taken! Lovely post.

  4. Buttons are wonderful, and I love your button box. Mom had a little silver one that had most of the silver worn off. I don’t have it any more, but your box made me think of it. Thanks for the memories. 🙂

  6. She was really lovely and I only came to appreciate recently how pretty and also how hard she worked. In those days, however, she always seemed overshadowed by the more glamorous Margaret which was such a pity. Nice post AD – took me right back…

  7. I enjoy trips down memory lane – whether they are mine or those of others. Thanks for sharing this nostalgic moment 🙂

  9. Hi AD … just in 😉
    Now about this here Wonderful Button Coronation Casket 😉
    Amazing a button can bring back those memories of fashion and times so clearly… I am with you on that … from the ‘way out man’ white boots to bunny buttons lovely . Bet your children played with them too, I would get the big ones I have in my button jars which I almost posted Lol for DD to thread with thick cottons or wool to make long necklaces 🙂
    Great choice for Nostalgia !

    • Hi Poppy. Now you come to mention it, yes, my children also threaded the bigger buttons on thin cord. I used to have so many more buttons. Can’t think where they went………probably the same place that odd socks go to. 😀

  10. I’ve got a few old canning jars full of buttons. I wrote a poem about them sometime ago. I should re post it since it was quite whimsical. Some items can bring back very touching memories. I like the nostalgia of this post very much. ~~~ : – )

  11. I just love your button tin, ad. It is quite beautiful, the scratches and aging makes it even more beautiful along with the lovely memories it holds for you.
    *hugs*

  14. Thank you for reminding me – I had those crinkly white boots too and I wore them with a blue suede coat with a hood that had white fur around all its edges, I wish I had a photo of that!

    • Yes,I also have no photos of me in my trendy gear. I guess it was too expensive to take photos in those days, and I don’t think we even had a camera. 🙂

  18. I do love our Queen!!! What better place to holds buttons. I look around my computer desk and see all of the mementos that I keep close, one dating back to my first trip to British Honduras when I was 15. We store up memories, they are more precious than gold and jewels. Wonderful post!

  24. What a fantastic box with so many memories. My grandmother had a tin box with buttons too, that we used to play with. I must ask her about it next time I visit.

  25. It’s beautiful AD! I love old tins and this one is quite special for sure. I love using my old tins for buttons and little sentiments as well. Great shots and thanks for sharing hon. 😀 *hugs*

  28. “…assortment of buttons,
    and even though I may never use any of them again,
    I know I can’t throw them out…”
    – so am I, but my wife is angry about this behaviour:
    we have enough boxes…

  31. I´m sure you have a lot of memories kept in those two buttons . And they are lovely. I envy your button of Queen Elizabeth II // Maria 🙂

  32. I’ve got a tin full of old nuts and bolts which are a lot less interesting and nostalgic 😀

  35. Why must you talk of the 1960’s… now I’ve got all nostalgic… what wonderful years those were… and the mini’s damn they were good days…

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