Morris major

How unutterably unsurprising that Mr Gnome is a lifelong devotee of the sinuously sumptuous fabric designs of Victorian arts-and-crafts maestro William Morris.

Dating from 1886, the Chrysanthemum design has remained in production ever since.

The curtains in which Mr G is swathing himself were purchased in 1977 (darker fabric) and 1987 - and have been in more or less constant use.

The designs enjoyed a massive revival in 1970s. Sadly they were frequently 'scaled up' in line with the tastes of the time, often to proportions grotesquely beyond the modest intentions of the originals. The impression created was overpowering, to say the least, and, unsurprisingly, the Morris revival went the way of penny collars and day-glo tank tops.

But, to my eye, these designs remain as fresh, rich and, well, gorgeous as ever.

Mr Gnome's comment? 'Blogging about curtains? Oh please. And you fantasize about film rights..?'

History - on a plate

The HB has been munching his breakfast toast off this plate for - yikes - more than fifty years.

Only recently has he realized that this humble piece of crockery is a bit of a collector's item.

The minimalist design is by Hugh Casson, famed as one of the key artist-designers of the 1951 Festival of Britain.

The Festival (largely forgotten, one suspects) was a milestone in the life of the nation, providing a massive boost of colour and creative energy after six drab years of post-war austerity.

The text on the base is equally 'of its time'....