4th July 2011

Stamp Dads and Lap Crumbs

Another Wimbledon tournament fades into the memory with the tragic defeat of our willowy fellow stamp collector, Maria Sharapova. 

What lessons can we learn from her otherwise successful return, though ? Well, one factor in the success of most of the top women's tennis players, Sharopova included, has been the prominent role played by the fathers in their development. Do we philatelic fathers provide as much encouragement to our daughters as we might ? Or do we find our daughters in front of the mirror vainly attempting to pluck their eyebrows with our stamp tweezers, due to our poor attempts to explain their proper use ? 

La belle Maria seems nervous to speak extensively about her hobby whilst she continues playing but perhaps, when retirement from the game provides the required free time, she can be encouraged to take a more active interest. She could be the 'Poster Girl' of Stamps (small perforated examples of the poster being made available for sale to Cinderella collectors). On hearing this one of my colleagues suggests that she wear a special dress made of stamps that he will be happy to design for her. 

I think that we may have to move his desk into the shade. 

* * * 

As the son of a vicar I am well accustomed to the suggestion that such a job only involves real work once a week. Or, in the case of an auctioneer, once every month or so. 

However, there is more to both jobs than standing behind a big wooden box every once in a while and raising our voices at a captive audience. For example, most of us are carefully trained not to shriek as loudly as Miss Sharapova. 

There is much harder work to be done between the auction days. Spare a kind thought at this time for Stuart Billington who is particularly busy at present visiting clients up and down the country, rounding up collections and items for our Autumn sales. There may be the odd cucumber sandwich and cup of tea on the lawn but also many hurried plastic cups of coffee at motorway service stations and Cornish pasties in the car. Please be sympathetic if he arrives at your home with a harassed expression and a lap full of crumbs. 

JG