Polish Enamel and Online Dating

The following four paragraphs are of a personal nature and for you to understand where the story originates, you really need to know me, or maybe have read my emails for the past few years. Anyway, if you feel the need for more context, you could read our company history or browse my weekly Newsletter archive . 

Back at the end of April this year I met a girl online (my definition of girl, is a female under the age of 70ish, so a looser definition than most) and we got on very well indeed, being highly compatible in many areas. We did loads of stuff together, much of it new to me, for example, going to the Kite festival near Oxford (which I told you about in an email back in June), as well as the more usual things such as art galleries, theatre, restaurants and a memorable lecture on future food sources (that she gave), involving the consumption of savoury scones made from grasshopper flour….oh yum…delicious!

We had a wonderful summer together, learned a lot from each other and to my surprise I found someone that I had a deep respect for and fell in love with. And this was a surprise to me (and a relief?) as after Babette died, I wasn’t sure that that could, or would, happen again.  

However, she lives in a very cosmopolitan part of London (really rather exotic) and I live in Reigate (perhaps not quite so exotic). She really didn’t ever want to move away from her beloved West London. I had no desire to move away from Reigate. So, very sadly, when she suggested that this, along with some other associated issues meant we weren’t compatible in the long term, I reluctantly had to agree, even if every other fibre of my being wanted to disagree vehemently. So, the relationship effectively came to an end at the end of July. In saying this I am oversimplifying what was, and still is, a difficult and heart-breaking situation for both of us, and it’s taken its toll on my ability to operate effectively on some days.

The reason I’m telling you about this is partly by way of explanation for the rather brief, lacklustre, and uninspiring emails that I’ve managed to cobble together of late. Because I’m finding it difficult to sleep and to concentrate on much of my work. I’m also telling you, not for sympathy (I actually have very little time for sympathy*) but because there is a chance you also may have experienced something like this in the past and that this may well resonate with you (you may even be going through something like this as I write).

But, there’s another reason as well, which I’ve been discussing at some length with a good friend. She, like me, has been on dating sites and one of the problems we’ve now both faced, is one of geography. Typically, when in our twenties and thirties we were free to move where we fancy, and in any case “love conquers all”. Typically, when in our forty’s fifty’s and sixty’s (and later) we’ve been living in an area ten, twenty or more years, we’re settled, have a family, got lots of friends around and the thought of moving away is no longer an attractive one. We meet someone from outside our area, the chemistry works but the geography doesn’t.

That’s a major problem, with a shed load of heartache attached.

*  ”Sympathy” often involves someone telling their friend that “it will all be OK in the end” … FOR FUCK'S SAKE, that’s wishful thinking on the part of the sympathiser, and most of the time it’s just not true, and worse, often gives false hope!

“Empathy” on the other hand, involves listening to a friend, in silence and does not involve trying to make it better. Empathy is just being there for someone, sitting with them, quietly, whilst they rant or cry. And that simple act of service, all by itself, is healing.

Give me empathy every time!
 

To Product

Falcon Housewares White and Blue Enamel ware.
We’ve been stocking the Polish White Enamel (with a blue line around the edge), for many years now. And in fact, we’ve nearly always had the odd piece in the range, usually bought through a wholesaler, but some years back we managed to order from the main importer and found we could buy from them at much keener prices.

As we’ve just had in a fresh delivery from them and I love this stuff (it reminds me of my childhood), I thought I’d briefly go through the range today.

The principal qualities of enamelled anything, is the toughness of the finish. Crudely, enamel is molten glass sprayed onto steel, in this case, Le Creuset spray their enamel onto cast iron, but it’s fundamentally the same, or a very similar process.

So, for Pie Plates, Pie dishes, Roaster and Casseroles, you have a very tough, easy to clean surface that will last you years and years. They are light, so a very far cry from Le Creuset or even our Tala Enamel Steel pans. But light doesn’t mean poor quality, these are nicely made.

Downsides are that if you drop one, and it dents, then the enamel will flake off around the damaged area (unlike Tala or Le Creuset). But, in contrast, here we are looking at a medium roaster for £13, Pie Dishes from £4.99 to £14.99, or a small casserole for £15.50.

Salient points again are:

1.      Enamelled Steel body.
2.      Easy to clean.
3.      Light in Weight.
4.      Tough scratch resistant surface.
5.      Dishwasher safe.
6.      Oven and Freezer proof.
7.      Inexpensive.
8.      Will last years and years.

This weekend, you can buy two or more pieces and get 20% off. Tell us who you are if coming into Reigate or Cobham. Use code FALC20 when shopping online.

Lastly, Zip Top is a nice storage range which, sadly, we can no longer get. So I’m selling off the stocks we have, at up to half price.

The deal is 20% off one, 30% off two and 50% off three or more pieces from the range of 6. The pictures below should tell the story.

I’ll leave the last, word to Mark Twain

Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.

I hope you have a pleasant and peaceful weekend.

Kind regards

Andrew

Andrew Bluett-Duncan

Director