Any Old Iron

This is the bit of restoration I absolutely hate: throwing historic things away that give an insight into how life once was at Balintore Castle. It is the decision that is the most painful: what to keep, what to throw-away and where to store what you keep. The core of the decision in my view is re-use. There are brass mechanisms for the bell system, which are totally intact and beautiful especially when polished up - to be kept. There are sections of rusted iron fender - which are really too far gone to be repaired - these can go. The decision is multi-factorial, as there is one relatively intact iron fender in the castle.

At least I can document what is thrown out. Some items flung today may be seen in the photo below. From top to bottom: iron fender super-structure; polygonal iron banding from round the brick "copper" in the scullery; Fido's bowl; not a watering can but a vessel for maids to take hot water to guests' bedrooms; and finally the corner of a fender.

any old iron

I only just realised at this very moment that Fido is derived from the Latin word for trust!

And finally, to dis-spell the stress, is a magical lighting moment witnessed today during the iron scrapage. A geometrically perfect spider's web in the castle's basement is selectively back-lit from a circular opening at ground level.

backlit spider's web in castle basement