MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Gloria]

Abraham Altham tea merchant and travel organiser. He built Oakleigh on Colne Rd, what is now The Oaks Hotel.

[plaques]

Spot on Gloria, I knew you could do it. I think his connection with Briercliffe may have helped a little.
For those who have never been to the Oaks a look at the stonework and staircase windows is worth a visit.
Time for someone else's mystery object.

[Stanley]

[plaques]

Barlick's answer to Pandora's box. For heavens sake take the key out and throw it away.

[Stanley]

No, this is totally benign.....

[Bodger]

files etc of the LTP

[PanBiker]

Storage cabinet for Stanleys card index.

[Cathy]

Just one of Stanleys tool boxes

[Pluggy]

Tools and/or bits of steam engine no doubt. He has to keep all the stuff he photographs and posts on here somewhere.....

[StoneRoad]

Filing cabinet.
I suspect that it once held punched data cards.

[Stanley]

Ian got it. It holds the local history card index, a source many of you have benefited from. And no, I haven't counted how many cards there are!

[Stanley]

No new puzzle? Now let's see what we can find..... It's a box! But what's in it....

[David Whipp]

Shiny brass instrument with flexible attachments for measuring I know not what.

[plaques]

Barlick's working man's Enigma Machine. Pre-dated computers by plugging into a pressure tapping on the Ellandroad steam engine. All very complicated and beyond me!

[Stanley]

The box was made by a proper tinsmith at Rochdale and the contents would be very useful in a power cut.....

[Cathy]

What's in the box?? The sixty four thousand dollar question... what does that equate to today??

[David Whipp]

the contents would be very useful in a power cut.....

contraceptives!

[Tizer]

Pandora! (It's the box that made me think of Pandora, not the contraceptives, honestly...)

[Gloria]

A candle and a box of matches.

[plaques]

90 HP. National Gas & Oil, Diesel generating set (1928)

[Tripps]

They're lovely people the Nyasas. . . . What's in the box.

Actually I think I know the answer, but prefer the above.

[Stanley]

Some splendid answers. Not fair to tease you any longer... Now then, what is it?

[PanBiker]

Its a Primus stove, I should have got that one I have it's baby brother which packs into a small tin. Pre-dating "camping gaz" stuff, this version of portable still required paraffin and meths for the pre-heater, nearly forgot the pricker for the jet. Fantastic bit of kit. Petrol versions a bit like cooking on top of an unexploded bomb though!

[Stanley]

Note the lovely standard of construction of the box. Our tinsmith in the shop at REW was a master craftsman. I think he charged me a tenner....

[Stanley]

All right, no other offers so I'll have to scratch me old head again!