Stories, Memories and Keepsakes

Duracuir1 · Mar 28, 2023

We all have them. Some involving watches.

Here is one of mine.

A fellow cop asked me to exchange patches with German police during a trip in 1998.

One officer invited my (future) wife and I over for coffee and dessert one evening. He was on duty when the Berlin Wall came down and produced a piece of it to discuss over coffee.

I was holding a piece of history in my hands. I handed it back to him after my wife and I took it all in. “Keep it, I have a large bag full” he said.

Probably not such a big deal to some but I am glad to have it.

So about a month after our return, and during a busy work shift - one of those investigations that keep you away from home for 40 hours - I managed to drive past my house and grab the mail.

An official looking letter from Germany. “Ah, must be one of the many officers that I met during my trip” I said to my work partner.

I opened the envelope and there it was… a speeding ticket. Who gets a speeding ticket in Germany?

I paid it..

it was photo radar.

Share some of yours. I have more and some will include watches.

pdxleaf · Mar 28, 2023

We were living in Germany when I was a kid and took a train through East Germany to Berlin with my Boy Scout trip. This was in about 67 so the wall was up.

But that's not my story. My girlfriend (now wife) and I were living in Washington DC back in the early 90s. We lived in a small townhouse about 6 blocks from the Library of Congress, Supreme Court, etc.

In 1993 there was a freak snowstorm right before St. Patricks day. The city was shut down but we were close enough to walk to a Catholic church, where my wife heard there was a special Saint Paddy's day service. I'm not Catholic but figured how bad could it be?

In the church were dozens of guys in blue uniforms. I don't remember the service but I remember the Priest inviting everyone into the basement at the end. Downstairs we all went where they had food, musicians and a taped keg.

Turned out the boys in blue were policemen from Dublin who were traveling in the states to march in St. Patrick's day parades.

Pretty soon everyone was dancing some sort of jig. My girlfriend protests but gets grabbed up by an old man who turns out to be the chief of police in Dublin.

Afterwards we made friends with a couple guys and wanted to show them DC. Short story, because of the snow, the parade was canceled. Later at our place, the policemen asked me, "you haven't got a Dublin Police Officer’s uniform, have ya?"

They had brought extra hear to trade with DC police but since the parade was canceled, they now had no one to trade with. So after saying I couldn't possibly take their uniform and their insisting, I traded one for a armored vest I had brought home from Desert Storm.

I had that uniform up until last year. Besides the coat, pants and cap, it included the shirt and tie. Everything but the shoes. I donated it to a children's theater group here in town.

I had their address and will try to dig it out. My wife and I are taking our first trip to Dublin and Ireland at the end of May. It's the trip we had planned for our anniversary during the first summer of covid.

Here we three are, back in our prime (me in the middle).

Canuck · Mar 28, 2023

My maternal grandfather was born in England circa 1875. As a young man, he joined the London constabulary. In addition to his duties as a police officer, he played a cornet in the London Police brass band. He had played in the Crystal Palace in front of Queen Victoria and the Royal family. After his career with the police force, he joined the British army, and did service in South Africa during the Boer War. He and my grandmother emigrated to Canada with their three children, and three more were born in Canada. They took a homestead in North Central Saskatchewan, near the village of Waldheim.

One of my aunts was musically inclined, and he bought a second cornet, and he and my aunt would drift in their rowboat on a small lake adjacent to their homestead, and with the two cornets, they would play for hours. I don’t know the whereabouts of that cornet.

This is his one silver plated cornet, made by Boosey, in England. If I am to believe the s# information I have found, this is likely the cornet he played in the London Police brass band.

I show a picture of my grandfather taken circa 1895, in his London police uniform. I show also the cornet mentioned above. While he was in South Africa, he found there was a language barrier. He compiled a glossary of English/Zulu words in a vest pocket scribbler. Also shown. In the late 1960s, my one aunt gifted me with his late 19th century English waldemar curb link chain in 9 karat gold. To it I have added a late 19th century, Victorian half sovereign coin in a coin frame, and a 14-karat gold pen knife. Also shown.

(I have other photos as well. Discretion prevents me to showing them here. Zulu women late in the 19th century clothing……..or lack thereof, wouldn’t pass the moderators critical eye!)

Omegafanman · Mar 29, 2023

Duracuir1
We all have them. Some involving watches.

Here is one of mine.

A fellow cop asked me to exchange patches with German police during a trip in 1998.

One officer invited my (future) wife and I over for coffee and dessert one evening. He was on duty when the Berlin Wall came down and produced a piece of it to discuss over coffee.

I was holding a piece of history in my hands. I handed it back to him after my wife and I took it all in. “Keep it, I have a large bag full”.

Probably not such a big deal to some but I am glad to have it.

So about a month after our return, and during a busy work shift - one of those investigations that keep you away from home for 40 hours - I managed to drive past my house and grab the mail.

An official looking letter from Germany. “Ah, must be one of the many officers that I met during my trip” I said to my work partner.

I opened the envelope and there it was… a speeding ticket. Who gets a speeding ticket in Germany?

I paid it..

it was photo radar.

Share some of yours. I have more and some will include watches.

Been there and got the ticket..... at least in Belgium it was a Merc...... 109km/hr in a Hyundai PKW ...in Germany..... when I saw the letter I thought it was an award :0).
.

Omegafanman · Mar 29, 2023

Here are some keepsakes I have on my desk. I like the fact they are old, but mostly still look like new/quality materials used.
A vespa keyring from the sixties which belonged to my Grandfather and a 1959 TV diary which was my mothers. Interesting how a lot of the stars were also war heroes. It was so common back then it was never mentioned + people did not talk about it much anyway.
.

UWG · Mar 29, 2023

My Keychain is constantly growing over the years. The figures are small gifts from my two childeren. The details are fading and some parts are missing. Tintin (in Germany we call him Tim) is from our trip to France, this month. They are all Heroes I love.

Duracuir1 · Mar 29, 2023

Another keepsake.

Alex Zanardi is a charismatic race car driver and much more. He was in F1 twice, won the Champ car championship when it was the top open wheel racing series in America. Did TV commercials for Honda and made celebrity appearances on American TV. When he returned to F1 at the top of his game he was replaced in Champ cars by Juan Montoya.

In September 2001 he lost both legs in a racing collision in Germany.

I sent him a “get well” card at the time, as did many more fans I am certain.

In 2007 I received a thank you note in the mail. What a gentlemanly thing to do. Unexpected for sure and it hangs on my wall.

Zanardi continued to race and his competitive edge has never left him. I need to check recent news to see how he is doing. I know he had a bad crash in F1 during his first stint there, and that he also crashed since losing his legs.

He is the ultimate competitor.

Here is the letter he sent me.

And some photos of his race cars.

fiberguy · Mar 29, 2023

I had forgotten about Alex and that horrific crash. I was a huge CART fan, during his time.

Cenzo · Mar 29, 2023

My father was born in 1928, and given this silver dollar as a gift for his Baptism. At some point he got in the habit to always carried it in his pocket. Everyday he would empty his pockets on the dining room table and I would see the silver dollar and thought it was cool, especially with all the wear it had on it. It didn't look much different than it does today, although I remember being able to make out the date when I first saw it (in the 70s).

After my father passed I found it in his belongings and wanted it. I work from home all the time now, and it's on my laptop 24/7. My Dad was a chronic saver and certainly understood the value of a dollar. The dollar reminds me of my Dad, and also to try and save a buck every once in awhile. I don't think I will ever get rid of it.

For reference, this is what it would look like if you didn't carry it in your pocket everyday for decades.

Arancio601 · Mar 30, 2023

So following on with the law enforcement theme and keepsakes. My Nonno from the Friuli region up near the Austrian border was a detective in the Carabinieri. Was in WW1 as a 19 year old and had a few medals from some heroic acts but was out of Italy before WW2 as he protested against Mussolini and burnt his uniform, resulting in him moving to Australia where he knew no one. All I have are second hand stories of him as I was a baby when he died but I do have his Swiss Army knife (Wenger) which is my treasured keepsake. No photo as it’s currently packed away. But here is one of Ubaldo (sitting on a horse apparently)

Omegafanman · Mar 30, 2023

Looking around the office its funny how someone could easily throw away a keepsake by accident. I need to make more effort on display.
2x jet engine turbine blades given to me by my Father from aircraft design projects he was involved in and a bit of recovered Lancaster bomber to remind me of a wonderful Taxi ride I had a few years back.

pbook4g5 · Mar 30, 2023

Duracuir1
Another keepsake.

Alex Zanardi is a charismatic race car driver and much more. He was in F1 twice, won the Champ car championship when it was the top open wheel racing series in America. Did TV commercials for Honda and made celebrity appearances on American TV. When he returned to F1 at the top of his game he was replaced in Champ cars by Juan Montoya.

In September 2001 he lost both legs in a racing collision in Germany.

I sent him a “get well” card at the time, as did many more fans I am certain.

In 2007 I received a thank you note in the mail. What a gentlemanly thing to do. Unexpected for sure and it hangs on my wall.

Zanardi continued to race and his competitive edge has never left him. I need to check recent news to see how he is doing. I know he had a bad crash in F1 during his first stint there, and that he also crashed since losing his legs.

He is the ultimate competitor.

Here is the letter he sent me.

And some photos of his race cars.

Incredible. Thank you for sharing. Zanardi was an idol of mine growing up as a kid. They don't make racers like him anymore. Last I heard about him he had just gotten back home after getting hit by a car during a handcycling race (where he was a champion in that, too).

Dude is one of the most amazing people on Earth. Of that I am sure.

Danwales · Apr 3, 2023

Great great Grandfathers snuff/tobacco box. Most welsh, and I dare say plenty of other Miners had these.

RevZMan123 · Apr 4, 2023

Cenzo
My father was born in 1928, and given this silver dollar as a gift for his Baptism. At some point he got in the habit to always carried it in his pocket. Everyday he would empty his pockets on the dining room table and I would see the silver dollar and thought it was cool, especially with all the wear it had on it. It didn't look much different than it does today, although I remember being able to make out the date when I first saw it (in the 70s).

After my father passed I found it in his belongings and wanted it. I work from home all the time now, and it's on my laptop 24/7. My Dad was a chronic saver and certainly understood the value of a dollar. The dollar reminds me of my Dad, and also to try and save a buck every once in awhile. I don't think I will ever get rid of it.

For reference, this is what it would look like if you didn't carry it in your pocket everyday for decades.

I have an 1884 morgan that my grandfather carried in his wallet as a good luck charm too ... great stuff and imagine how much it was "worth" back then for it to end up saved in a pocket!

Canuck · Apr 6, 2023

This just surfaced. Mrs. C was going through many boxes of quilting fabrics, some of which go back to the days when her grandmother was a quilter on the family farm at Carstairs, Alberta circa 1910. When quilting was all done by hand, by gas lamp. Amongst the fabrics were many artifacts, one of which I present here. It is virtually as it was the day it left the printer, in 1895! A calendar from the defunct Montgomery Ward company.

Montgomery Ward at one point, was a major catalog retailer who distributed their catalog far and wide. Of course Sears was their competition. Sears was smart. He had his catalog formatted a bit smaller in dimension. He knew that when there was a Montgomery Ward and a Sears catalog both on the parlour table, the smaller catalog would be on top!

Togri v. 2.0 · Apr 23, 2023

I have my father’s old army identification papers and his dogtag from when he was a soldier back in the early 60s. Here it is next to my own. Two dogtags, father and son, separated by 46 years.

My father was a very very good shot and won the national competition for military marksmen.

Lépine · Apr 23, 2023

Walter Von Kanel once sent a car to pick me up and invited me to lunch and gave me a gold pocket watch he made for a special anniversary. There are twenty Sweet Horse in the world and most were awarded to people around the world. There were I think 8 Equestrian models in total. He gave me one of the last two. Very kind gentleman that made Longines what is was during it's most impressive years.