COLUMNS

HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:
 
Family Money: The Year That Was - Part 2
 
Snap Shots: Photographing the New Year
  
Modern Medicine: Travel insurance? Who needs it?

Heart to Heart with Hillary
 
Grapevine
 
Guide to buying a large dog
 
Shaman’s Rattle
 
Animal Crackers
 
The computer doctor
  
Social Commentary by Khai Khem
  
Down The Iron Road
  
The Message In The Moon
  
A Slice of Thai History
 
Women’s World
 
Antiques, are they genuine?

Family Money: The Year That Was - Part 2

By Leslie Wright

Here is the review of the rest of my forecasts for 2001.

#10: The peg of the Hong Kong Dollar to the US$ remained in place, as I predicted it would. But I also predicted that the Hong Kong economy would see modest, somewhat volatile but relatively unspectacular growth in 2001. Well, this always volatile sentiment-driven market in fact fared poorly this year, with the Hang Seng Index losing some 25% of its value.

#11: I then discussed the international bond market, and pointed out that if the US market suffered a significant correction, then major-market bonds would perform quite well. That has in fact proved the case.

#12: However, one area of concern at the beginning of the year was emerging-market debt. Several countries - Argentina and Thailand to name but two - had issued bonds for which their governments were having difficulties finding the money to pay the dividends as they became due.

Indeed, Argentina’s economy encountered serious problems in 2001 - but the consolidation of Thailand’s public debt has eased some of the pressure on the economy, and servicing its international debt has prevented the much-feared run on the Thai Baht.

#13: On the local scene, I guessed that the ‘illegal’ structures along the Walking Street section of Beach Road would still be there at year’s end, with much discussion having gone back & forth between the interested parties, and a few token extensions having been dismantled to appease the authorities and save face all round. But the main edifices would still be there and open for business as usual, resulting in yet more deliberations and delays to the construction of the new jetty. Any further comment would be superfluous.

#14: On the other hand, I predicted that one or two public toilets would be constructed along Jomtien Beach; but these would not be up to international tourists’ expectations, so letters will have been sent to the editor of this newspaper complaining about their size, maintenance, and aroma (the toilets, that is, not the tourists) - and that prediction proved correct in both aspects

The Songkran festival in Pattaya, as predicted, was traumatic for local residents, with pick-ups roaming around town filled with young farangs, accompanied by scantily-clad local females rented especially for the occasion, whose idea of participation in the merry-making involved soaking anyone within range of their high-pressure pumps charged from 45-gallon drums of water.

#15: The long-awaited water treatment plant was finally operational this year - but of little apparent benefit to many of us who are not connected to it.

#16: Resurfacing works on various roads were indeed undertaken, mostly during the rainy season, and patches laid on the multitudinous potholes and cracks which appear with tedious regularity, making driving about town an ever-exciting adventure ...

#17: I predicted that the public bus system, which was supposed to have been implemented more than three years ago, would again not happen in 2001, and baht buses would still be driven around by mirror-ignoring anarchists with whom arguing is potentially dangerous to your health. Another easy one, and I expect this situation will remain for as long as it is the interests of the local authorities to maintain the status quo.

#18: As happens every year, lots of bar-girls fell madly in love with ageing farang wallets, the owners of which will have been made to feel ‘special’ for the first time in years, and took their new-found playmates out of that miserable life (which of course the gals were forced into out of economic necessity, not because it’s easier to work horizontally for 20 minutes than vertically for 10 hours) to set up house together (in her name, of course, since the proposed bill to permit foreigners to own land still has not been passed into law - as I predicted it wouldn’t).

#19: As also predicted, lots of huts in the provinces were damaged by inclement weather during the rainy season, requiring a contribution from the farang boyfriend/husband to rebuild the family hut (which of course needs to be larger than before, to support the additional cousins who have come to help with the farm while she/he stays with the farang).

#20: Similarly lots of mothers and fathers in northern provinces got sick during a) the hot season, b) the rainy season, c) the recently-passed cool season, and hence were unable to work, requiring additional financial support from the farang boyfriend/husband.

#21: As also predicted, gold shops around town have done almost as brisk a trade in 2001 as the pawnshops, which always benefit from the subsequent trade-ins. (Now there’s a business venture to get into!)

#22: Motorcycle shops have also done well in 2001, but lots of the bikes are unregistered and either a) race or b) meander around town with no road tax, no licence plate, and no rear lights.

#23: And last but not least, there have - as predicted - been lots of bars, hotels and restaurants for sale in Pattaya - all ‘guaranteed’ by their present owners to make the new foreign owners a small fortune (but better start with a big one...).

Summary

So let’s see how many I got right.

This year I’m not going to count my predictions about the local scene, as these were easy ones to call by anyone with any knowledge of local affairs. But of the 20 more serious predictions that were discussed last week and this, I reckon I got 17 about right. So that’s an overall score of 85%.

Things to Come

My crystal ball for next year is very cloudy, so I’m not going to venture any lengthy predictions for the coming year, except to say that I’m bullish for UK stocks in the first half of the year; for the US to recover in the 2nd quarter; neutral for European stocks; and neutral-to-negative for Japan and Asian equities, with the exception of China, which I expect to do well again in the coming year.

I’m neutral for emerging markets with a few exceptions, but suggest you use broad-based emerging market funds rather than try to select individual winning markets, as the situation going forward for these smaller and inherently more volatile markets is very unclear.

International bonds I expect will continue to do well; Sterling will, I believe, remain relatively strong to the US dollar while doubts persist over the Euro.

And fun and games will continue in this wonderful town where your dreams and fantasies can be fulfilled and shattered, all within the same week. Happy New Year.

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Snap Shots: Photographing the New Year

by Harry Flashman

The welcoming in of the New Year is always a momentous time, and one that you should try and capture on film. However, so much happens at New Year that there is no way you can encapsulate it all on one tiny negative. Photographing New Year, the whole “event” takes time, patience and lots of film, so be prepared.

For most people it is a case of eating and drinking, and generally to excess. So here’s the first New Year photography problem. Harry has always found that if you try to enjoy an event, and photograph it at the same time, the results will not be what you want. Unless of course you want 30 degree horizons and other photographic signs of insobriety. So Rule number 1 - if you are going to photograph New Year, leave your own celebration until 1 a.m. They’re still celebrating in Delhi at that time, so you haven’t really missed anything.

What you must do is sit down beforehand and work out a “shoot” list. These are the shots you have to take to make a reasonable photo album record of the event, because that is precisely what you are going to produce - a photo album.

The first shot should say what the event is. In this case being New Year you would look for and photograph a sign somewhere which proclaims Happy New Year 2002, so look for it and snap away. Take two shots, just in case one isn’t quite right.

The next shot has to say the location. If you are having the celebration at one of the restaurants, take a shot of their sign. Let’s imagine you are at the Captain’s Corner, then a shot of the illuminated sign outside is the way to go. Set the camera on “A” for auto, turn off the flash and you’ve got that one.

Your next shots are the ones that will say “Who” was at the New Year’s party. These are the ones that show all the guests, but please, please, please don’t line them up in a row like a group of soldiers on parade. Have a look at the social pages and you generally see those types of shots every week. 46 people in a row and the photographer is backed up in the next street to try and get everyone in. No, what you want are candid shots of groups of people relating to each other. People face each other when talking. Look for people greeting each other, hugging, kissing, shaking hands and be ready to snap them. This is where the camera is still on “A” and now you can turn the flash on. Try not to miss anybody, even Aunt Agatha who will be sitting tipsily in the corner. You can always ask another family member to go and chat to her just for the photograph.

As the night wears on, you will get plenty of photo opportunities, and people will often get up to sing or drone into a microphone. Again, this is where you are ready and record it all.

Now here’s a tricky little shot - the “magic moment” is 12 midnight is it not - so include a shot of a watch or a clock right at the exact moment. Now, do you wait till 12 midnight to get it? Of course not. You set your watch or the wall clock to the midnight hour and record it, because when the real midnight comes, you are going to be busy.

Come 12 o’clock and you will get all the physical interactions, the Auld Lang Syne being sung and people with linked arms enjoying themselves. At this time you will be busier than a one armed paper hanger.

The other event that happens on the stroke of 12 is the fireworks. There should be lots going off and try to get some star-bursts. Remember how to do these? Time exposure and no flash. Leave the shutter open for 30 seconds and you’ve got it all.

Happy New Year from Harry Flashman! Now go and have a beer!

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Modern Medicine: Travel insurance? Who needs it?

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

Many people have a somewhat cavalier attitude to insurance and I’m just as guilty! A few months ago I did mention medical insurance in this column and it was amazing the response that this brought. When people began to see just how much they were financially “at risk” by not having insurance, the better brokers were inundated. Let’s see what the response to this week’s column will be when I look at travel insurance. By the way, this is not travel insurance to cover your lost luggage, but to cover medical emergencies.

Unfortunately many people travel under the misconception that the travel insurance they took out with the travel agent is going to cover them for all eventualities. Sadly not. The following is a true story, taken from one of my recent medical journals from Australia. A gentleman with a leaking heart valve, which was under investigation and examination by a cardiologist, has to make a business trip to America. He takes out travel insurance from the travel agent, but discloses nothing about the on-going cardiologist’s review. Two days after getting to San Francisco he gets very short of breath and is admitted to hospital. The insurance company was contacted which then gets a report from the American hospital, and a report from the patient’s usual doctor in Australia.

The history of the cardiac condition now comes to light, and the insurance company state (justifiably) that if they had known of this situation, they would not have accepted the man as a reasonable risk and refuse cover. Meanwhile, the man deteriorates rapidly and has to have an emergency heart valve replacement. All was not plain sailing and he ended up having 42 days in intensive care. Total cost came to USD 576,500, for which the businessman was totally liable. To raise the sum of over half a million dollars he had to liquidate his company and sell his house at “fire sale” prices.

Like another horror story? A young woman is going to the UK for a working holiday. Like many people, she has asthma, but it is reasonably well controlled. Since she was flying directly to the UK and there is a reciprocal medical agreement between the UK and Australia, she decides she “logically” doesn’t need travel insurance. Six hours into the flight she gets an acute attack of asthma and has to be off-loaded in Singapore. Complications occur and she ends up being in Singapore for 6 weeks and then has to be medically evacuated back to Australia with a doctor and nurse escort team. Her stay in Singapore and the medivac came to AUD 390,000 and her parents have to sell their farm to raise the money.

So you can see, just because you are covered at the other end of your flight doesn’t mean to say you are not “at risk”. The moral of these two tales is simple - take out good travel (medical) insurance and make sure you declare any pre-existing conditions. Insurance companies are in the business of “risk” assessment. Forgetting to declare your medical history is not thought of as being an acceptable risk. This omission could prove deleterious to both your health and your wealth.

Think about it before your next trip!

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Dear Hillary,

Every week I buy the Pattaya Mail and of course I read your column. It is unbelievable how many stupid farangs are walking here on holidays. The farangs go to the airport in their particular country and close their eyes and set their brains on zero and come to Thailand. In Pattaya they meet girls who are “in love” with them. Forget it! The ladies only want the money for their family and their children. Later the ladies go home and the whole family is happy for the extra food and money. The farang believes everything. When the lady says, “That is my brother” forget it - mostly it is her husband or boyfriend. When the farang goes home with a broken heart he writes letters and sends money. The lady promises “I go your home and wait you.” Forget it! She goes back to work in the bar again. Later when the farang comes back and marries the girl he finds he is married to the whole family, and buys houses, but not in his own name - in hers. There are also stupid farangs, on the other hand, who get angry when their lady wants more than 2,000 baht each month. But the real situation is that all the ladies are looking for a good man, and there are enough good ladies here who would like to be taken out of the bars. My question is now why do most farangs here use and treat the girls like animals, just because they are paying for them? I hope you farangs understand that there are many ladies who have a heart, and sometimes a real broken heart, just like the ladies in your own country.

Al

Dear Al,

You obviously have a good understanding of what goes on in that side of Pattaya, and all the scenarios you have written about have and do, and will happen. It depends so much on the tourist keeping his brains under his hat and not in his jockey shorts, doesn’t it! Like you, I am appalled by the loud mouthed drunken louts who frequent some of the bars, and who think they own a girl because they have made a financial transaction. It is the old law of supply and demand, and nothing to do with master and slave. Everybody deserves to be allowed to keep their dignity. However, what is so often forgotten is that initially the lady you meet in the bar is doing a job. That job is to keep you, the customer, happy and keep you coming back to the bar. That is what she is paid for. Ladies who are good at their job make the farang tourist feel very special, and this is very easily mistaken as being “love” instead of being “commerce”. If it develops into something else, that may (or may not) be a bonus.

Dear Hillary,

For the last two years I have been based in Pattaya and have had a live-in relationship with a young lady for most of that time. As my contract runs out soon I have taken another off-shore posting to go to Malaysia for the next year. I am wondering whether I should keep the lease going on the condominium and keep my girlfriend in it, or just tell her that I will let the lease run out (there is another four months to go) and she will have to go back to live with her mother till I come back. I don’t want her to go back to the bar. What do you think I should do?

Frank

Dear Frank,

To be perfectly Frank (sorry, frank) it all depends on you, Petal. Wake up, Frank. Surely you know by now whether this is the girl for you. Stop dithering and make a decision. How much does this girl mean to you? Not much it seems. From the kindness of your heart you will let her stay on at the condo you have signed a tenancy agreement on for the next four months - so you have got to pay anyway! After that she can do anything except go back to the bar (where you got her from) for the next eight months. Sounds to me as if she should go back there right now and hope that someone who thinks more about her, rather than himself, comes along.

Dear Hillary,

Can somebody please tell me why Thai people cannot hear phones ringing? I can be in another room and hear the phone ringing and ringing and ringing, and yet neither my maid or my girlfriend do anything about it. I use my home phone for work too, so it is bad that it gets left to ring out. They both hear their mobiles going off, so what can I do? Any advice will be appreciated.

Phone Moan

Dear Phone Moan,

Have you ever stopped to think that perhaps they don’t want to answer the phone? Can the maid speak English? If she cannot, then Thais would rather ignore the ringing than embarrass themselves or the person on the other end by being unable to communicate. On the other hand, they may both be too “kee gee-ut” (lazy).

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GRAPEVINE
Grapevine’s Year

January and February

The New Year 2001 started in cracking form. It was announced that the infamous baht buses were to be abolished and replaced by brand new, flat fare minibuses. No need to be cynical, this was really it at last. No more rip-offs of Japanese tourists who thought the baht bus fare was $40 rather than 40 baht. Pattaya was to have a public transport system fit for the twenty first century. However, January came and went and not a lot, to be brutally frank, actually happened. Eventually, an official explained that his deputy had been unable to order the minibuses as he had lost the bit of paper with the phone number written on it. A meeting was then held to see if anyone could remember the number. They could, but by then the minibuses had been shipped to Taiwan. Better luck next time.

March and April

Making the headlines was a French tourist in serious distress after accidentally dropping her car keys down a manhole in Central Road. Unfortunately, as she was trying to rescue them, her passport also dropped through the slits. Eventually a worker appeared on a motorbike carrying a ladder but, following a full analysis by the assembled crowd, it was decided that a ladder was not much use for the downward task in hand. In the event, the personal possessions were not recovered, but it was suggested helpfully that tourists be reminded to carry two sets of keys and keep the passport where it won’t fall out. The other news was that 86 resident farangs decided to leave Pattaya during the horrific water throwing festival. The number rose to 107 after it was announced Greg’s Kitchen was closing for four days.

May and June

The Readers’ Letters were full of heated debate about the merits and faults of Pattaya’s gay festival. The intellectual rigor was on occasion a bit disappointing. One guy said he had nothing against Gay Power as long it worked out cheaper than electricity, whilst another opined that homos should not be given non immigrant visas without realizing that this is a double negative. A shocked tourist from Newton Le Willows was so disgusted when he saw a farang and his boyfriend holding hands on a baht bus that he told them they were going straight to hell. This proved to be untrue as they got off at the Dusit roundabout. Meanwhile, on the straight front, a man stopped a woman in the street and explained he did not normally talk to strangers, but he was on his way to confession and was a bit short of material.

July and August

The long heralded social order campaign got under way. Police charged around in pick-up trucks insisting that bars and nightclubs close promptly at 2.00 a.m. There would be no exceptions. This was something of a blow to the hundreds of entertainment spots which weren’t doing much business and were used to closing at 12.30 a.m. or even earlier. Raids were also conducted on premises to look for any behavior which might affront public morals. One bar conducting a quiz was asked what was going on. The owner said they were arguing about which way the queen of hearts looks in a pack of cards. Convinced that gambling was going on, the authorities ordered the shutters to be brought down at once.

September and October

ESSS0 (Eastern Seaboard Social Surveys Organization) conducted an investigation into what sort of room you get for 100 baht a night. The Royal Cliff and the Dusit were amongst many institutions not bothering to reply. One backpacker said he had found a three star hotel near Soi Bukao for 100 baht, but two of them were shining through the ceiling. Another lodger paying 90 baht complained bitterly to the manager that the facilities in his room were practically non existent. She replied that he had obviously got up on the wrong side of the floor that morning. In late October, a group of local intellectuals started a debating society specializing in serious subjects. One man stood up and said that under capitalism it’s dog eat dog. His opponent said that under communism it was the other way round.

November and December

Christmas preparations seemed to start early this year. A shop in North Pattaya displayed a beautiful nativity scene with snow and all, but apparently overcrowded. Observers who stopped to look noted that the small plastic figures represented Ali Baba and the forty thieves. Whether this is an improvement on Snow White and the seven dwarves is still being debated. As the recession continued to bite, some farangs decided to economize. One former manager on Christmas Day told his hungry family to be patient whilst he carved up the Big Mac. But there were some new features this year. An Australian asked her shopping companion in the Big C complex if she had seen the new aluminium Christmas trees. She went on to explain that they were so realistic you could not tell them apart from the real plastic ones.

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Guide to buying a large dog: Vizsala (Hungarian Pointer)

by C. Schloemer

Good points: distinguished appearance, first class gun dog, clean, steady temperament, intelligent, easy to train, makes an excellent family pet.

Take heed: no drawbacks known

Often referred to as the Hungarian Pointer, and essentially a pointer in type, the Vizsala is a distinguished looking dog of aristocratic bearing, his short coat an attractive rusty-gold. He is powerfully built, but lithe and well balanced, with a light footed, smooth and graceful gait, has a keen sense of smell and is well able to point, set and retrieve. Here is a multiple purpose dog for work on upland game, on rabbits, and for waterfowl.

The Vizsala is Hungary’s national dog and is one of the purest breeds in the world. Intelligent and eager to please, he is easily trained. Whether the owner wants to hunt his Vizsala or prefers a well-behaved household pet, he will find this breed to be devoted and loyal.

Size: Height at withers: dog 57-63.5 cm, bitch 53-63.5. Weight: 22-30 kg.

Exercise: Like all gun dogs, and hunters, this breed needs lots of energetic exercise to remain fit and healthy.

Origin and history: Like most ancient breeds, the origins of the Vizsala has been obscured by the centuries, but it is fair to say that its ancestors were hunters and companions of the Magyar tribes which swarmed over Central Europe more than 1000 years ago and settled in what is now known as Hungary. Primitive stone etchings of the 10th century show dogs resembling the Vizsala. And a manuscript of early Hungarian codes carried a chapter on falconry which was illustrated with a picture of a dog which can be identified as a Vizsala.

The reason for the breed’s continued existence, even that far back in time, lay in the fact that its innate hunting ability was fostered and developed by the agricultural and pastoral terrain of the plains of Hungary. What the human hunter needed was a dog swift of foot, cautious so as not to alert quarry in uncovered territory, a superior nose, and a dog which would assume the responsibilities of the specialists as both hunter and pointer.

The continuance and development of the breed at the hands of the Magyar nobility showed they took great care to avoid introducing new blood to make certain they retained a pure breed of outstanding quality and quality.

In more recent history, the close of World War I found the Vizsala almost extinct, and the breed was preserved only by the most devoted and firmest of fanciers. Some refugees who fled to foreign countries took their Vizsalas with them.

The breed was admitted into the American Kennel Club registry in 1960.

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Shaman’s Rattle: Merry Xmas? Was it really Jesus’ birthday?

by Dr. Iain

Put simply, the answer is a resounding, No! But it’s the thought that counts. If you look at the wealth of historical data that exists in the world, and the research that has been done, then you will come to the same conclusion.

In a very erudite communication American Baptist Pastor Greg Wilson wrote, “The date of December 25th is itself evidence that this holiday is not about the Christ of the Bible. For while we do not know the exact day of our Lord’s birth, we can be virtually certain that it was not December 25th. All of the Biblical evidence is against such a date. At that particular season, the shepherds would not have been in the fields with their sheep at night. They would have secured them in folds, against the bitter cold of the Palestinian winter. It is also unlikely that Caesar would have required all the citizens to return to the cities of their birth for a tax-census in the dead of the winter. Robert Myers in the book Celebrations, states “The Biblical narrative of the birth of Jesus contains no indication of the date that the event occurred. However, Luke’s report that the shepherds were ‘abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night’ suggests that Jesus may have been born in summer or early fall. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea, it is likely the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night.” All very logical.

However, if I now said that according to legend, December 25th was the birthday of a man who roamed the earth and was born of a virgin, who was known as the “Mother of God”, would you agree? If I gave you additional clues that pointed out that this man was also considered as the son of God, whose function on earth was seen as the protector of our souls and our guide to heaven, would you agree? I hope so, because again the research would point us towards Mithras who was also known throughout Europe and Asia by the names Mithra, Mitra, Meitros, Mihr, Mehr, and Meher. And Mithras’ birthday was December 25th.

The history of Mithraism is convoluted, as are all such ancient religions. Mithraism began in Persia where originally a multitude of gods were worshipped. Amongst them were Ahura-Mazda, god of the skies (I wonder if Honda and Toyota knows about this?), and Ahriman, the god of darkness. In the sixth and seventh century B.C., a vast reformation of this system was done by Zarathustra (AKA Zoroaster), a prophet from the kingdom of Bactria. Ahura-Mazda was elevated to that of supreme god of goodness, whereas the god Ahriman became the ultimate embodiment of evil. Does this look like a familiar scenario? It should do, it is the fore-runner of the Judeo-Christian God and the Devil.

In the same way that Ahkenaton, Abraham, Heliogabalus, and Mohammed later initiated “supreme being” cults from the worship of their respective deities, Zarathustra created a dualism with the gods Ahura-Mazda and Ahriman. As a result of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews (597 B.C.) and their later emancipation by King Cyrus the Great of Persia (538 B.C.), Zoroastrian dualism was to influence the Jewish belief in the existence of HaShatan, the malicious adversary of the god Yahweh, and lay the foundation for the evolution of the Christian Satan-Jehovah dichotomy. That Persian religious dualism became the foundation of an ethical system that has lasted until this day.

According to the legend, Ahura-Mazda was said to have created Mithras to be as great and worthy as himself. He would fight the spirits of evil to protect the creations of Ahura-Mazda and cause even Ahriman to tremble. Mithras was seen as the protector of just souls from demons seeking to drag them down to Hell, and the guide of these souls to Paradise.

Now here is what is interesting, the worshippers of Mithras strongly believed in a celestial heaven and an infernal hell. They believed that their god would sympathize with their suffering and grant them immortality and eternal salvation and they looked forward to a final day of judgement in which the dead would be resurrected.

They were baptised and took part in a ceremony in which they drank wine and ate bread to symbolize the body and blood of their god. Sundays were held sacred, and on December the 25th each year the birth of Mithras was celebrated. After Mithras’ earthly mission had been accomplished, he took part in a Last Supper with his companions before ascending to heaven, to forever protect the faithful from above.

Does this mean that Mithras and Jesus were one and the same? Does this mean Mithraism and Christianity were one and the same? No, on both counts, since other deities such as Osiris, Tammuz, Adonis, Balder, Attis, and Dionysus were said to have died and been resurrected and many classical heroic figures, such as Hercules, Perseus, and Theseus, were said to have been born of a virgin mother and a divine father. However, Christianity does have some of its origins in pagan religious practices which were incorporated into Christianity as it spread across the world. After all, who wanted to lose the Xmas holidays! And a Happy New Year!

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Animal Crackers: Living with a House Rabbit

by Mirin MacCarthy

Despite cruel jokes about their breeding habits and the wisecracking Brer Rabbit who inhabits my TV set, rabbits do make good pets. In fact, house rabbits are in vogue all over the world, ranking in “pet” value along with domestic cats and dogs.

Rabbits are probably even better than cats as pets, being more easily socialised than the aloof felines, making for a loving companion animal.

Rabbits, like puppies, do chew everything, so it is important to bunny-proof your house if Thumper is going to have the run of the place. It is natural for rabbits to chew on furniture, rugs, curtains, and unfortunately, electrical cords. Exposed cords should be encased in vinyl tubing (found at hardware stores). By splitting the tubing lengthwise the cord can be pushed inside it.

The “cure” for this habit is distraction therapy. Plenty of attention and safe chewable toys works best. A cardboard box stuffed with hay makes an inexpensive playbox. Young rabbits (under a year) are also more inclined to mischief and require more confinement and bunny-proofing than mature rabbits.

Even if you want your rabbit to have the run of the household, it is better to start with a secure cage. While bunny is caged, you house-train your pet by putting a litter box in one corner and praise the little rabbit every time the litter box is used, just as you do with puppies (or humans for that matter)!

Urination should not be confused with “marking territory” which the unsprayed rabbits will do. Spaying or neutering your rabbit improves litter-box habits, lessens chewing behaviour, decreases territorial aggression, and gives your rabbit a happier, longer life. Do this between 4 to 6 months.

Surprisingly, rabbits should not be fed a great amount of green food as it may cause diarrhoea. If you feel you must give your rabbit green food give a small amount of greens, carrot, apple or bread. Contrary to popular belief, lettuce is not suitable for rabbits as too much lettuce can lead to kidney damage. Fortunately the most suitable diet for rabbits is the easiest to provide. Pelletized feed products have been developed which provide all the necessary ingredients to raise a healthy rabbit. As a guide, a 5 kg adult rabbit needs 150 grams of pellet food daily.

House rabbits and indoor cats can get along fine, as do rabbits and well-mannered dogs. Dogs should be trained to respond to commands before being trusted with a free-running rabbit, and super- vision is needed to control a dog’s playful impulses (this is especially true for puppies). Adding a second rabbit is easiest if the rabbits are neutered adults of opposite sexes, and they are introduced for short periods in an area unfamiliar to both rabbits, however it should be noted that rabbits are solitary animals and eventually two rabbits housed together will fight.

Very early on, with a new baby rabbit you should get it used to being handled. Your baby rabbit may struggle when picked up the first few times but hold it firmly and gently against your chest and soothe it by gently stroking and speaking to it in soothing tones. The best way of holding rabbits is to hold them firmly with one hand under the rump so your rabbit will feel secure, and never pick up a rabbit by the ears. As well as being cruel this can damage the muscles and membranes in the ears.

Rabbits groom themselves just like cats, and consequently do get fur balls in their stomachs just like puss. To try and stop this, it is best to have a weekly grooming session, and provide exercise time/space - at least 30 hours a week; and give a fresh handful of hay each day; adding fresh vegetables gradually to the diet; and give petroleum laxatives during a heavy moult.

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The computer doctor

by Richard Bunch

Over the next two issues, as the year draws to a close, I will recap on some things that have been in the column over this time and are well worth remembering.

When things go wrong, don’t panic; stay calm and think before unleashing a plethora of keystrokes!

Often when a problem occurs it is concurrent with newly installed hardware and sometimes software. Although a problem may not seem attributable to a recent change on your system, it probably is. To troubleshoot the problem, you have to eliminate the variables, so if you just added a piece of hardware, check Device Manager to make sure it’s properly installed and the driver is working. If it is then remove the driver then the hardware itself. Has the problem gone away? More than likely the answer is yes, so then you need to resolve the issue for that device.

Frequently, a recent application installation can cause problems, so uninstall it; the probability is that this will fix the problem but if it didn’t try going back another week.

Some later Operating Systems include technology that can control this for you. Windows ME was the first to incorporate a System Restore feature, although not 100% successful it will very often return your system to a working condition. Windows XP went one step further and as well as a System Restore, it has Rollback, a nice touch, as if an updated hardware driver is causing a problem it is possible to rollback to the previous one. A word of warning about the System Restore feature; this is a powerful tool but can also unleash a disaster in its own right. I mean this because if your system had a virus that caused damage and was rectified, it is possible that the System Restore will also bring back the unwanted virus, so use caution and if this is a possibility choose a Restore Point well before there was any possibility of the virus being on the system, even if this means having to reinstall and deinstall many programs or pieces of hardware. It is better to err on the side of caution.

When installing applications, I even include Windows XP in this although under this system it is unlikely to be such a problem with its protected DLL’s, I consider it prudent to only install one application at a time, restart the PC and check all is well. Many programs will often prompt you to do a reboot but this is not always mandatory at the time and can be forgotten if not done immediately. By adopting this, although a little irksome it is often possible to reap the rewards as it is possible to diagnose the culprit. If you notice, many applications offer installation options like minimal, typical, full, custom, etc. I firmly believe in taking the custom route, deselect any options that you don’t think you need and only select those that you do. One thing to be mindful of is that, and graphic programs are probably the biggest offenders, installing lots of fonts is just about the quickest way to slow down any system. Generally speaking, your system should have not more than 300 fonts, check this out in Control Panel and if you are bogged down, prune those that you don’t use, taking care not to remove system and program fonts! It is a good idea to backup the fonts directory before doing this.

Next week we will continue this topic.

Send your questions or comments to the Pattaya Mail at 370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, 20260 or fax to 038 427 596 or e-mail to [email protected] The views and comments expressed within this column are not necessarily those of the writer or Pattaya Mail Publishing.

Richard Bunch is managing director of Action Computer Technologies Co., Ltd. For further information, please telephone 0 1782 4829, fax 0 3842 6335, e-mail: [email protected] or see the firm’s website www.act.co.th

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Social Commentary by Khai Khem

A ‘Southern’ Sunday

I have never been inside an American Southern Baptist church. My recent stay in Atlanta, Georgia would have been the perfect opportunity to visit one. However, the excessive amount of wine on the previous Saturday evening meant that I was too hung-over to attend a church service with the proper decorum. Staying with a family of old friends who were members of that particular Christian denomination, I was sure that sometime during my visit I would have the chance, but alas, I never got around to it. My resident Atlanta pals got up early in the morning and all went off to church. My lady friend from Boston and I slept late like the Heathens we really are.

We two visitors from out of town had planned to go into the city and have an expensive and indulgent lunch. I had even bought a book which listed all the finest restaurants in Atlanta and rated them. Unfortunately when we called around for reservations, we were told that all of our choices were closed on Sunday. Even the dining room in the classy Ritz Carlton Hotel was closed. My voice must have betrayed my disappointment and puzzlement. When the hotel manager heard that I was from Thailand he expressed his deepest regrets. It seems that Sundays are not popular dining out days for locals and this is the day that the top class restaurants choose to give their staff a day off.

Never mind. I was in the American South which is famous for their wonderful home cooked meals and my host was a cook! We would not starve. Southern fried chicken and things like homemade biscuits and gravy, fried catfish and other sumptuous delights were served and I began to worry if my clothes would fit by the time I returned to Pattaya. Much of the food was rather bland for my taste, but I didn’t have the heart to add the dried chilies I had secreted in my bag. There was a vague feeling of being ‘watched’ while eating during my entire stay. Everyone, including perfect strangers in restaurants and waitresses commented that I didn’t eat enough to “keep a bird alive.” But I simply could not consume the giant portions which are so popular in the USA. I didn’t even want the leftovers to take home. That seemed to shock the spectators.

Sundays are family days in most places, and Atlanta is no exception. The work week is hectic and modern life seems to cut into the time we all have with our loved ones. I decided to join some friends for an afternoon at a lovely park. I needed the exercise after that enormous lunch and I offered to walk the dogs; both of them.

The Cocker Spaniel was a well behaved lady, but the Siberian Husky dragged me up a hill and through a pinewood forest until my knees were scraped and my clothes were in rags. Served me right! These dogs are made to pull pack-sleds in the Russian hinterland. Well, I was on holiday and new experiences were exactly what I needed. The remainder of my time would be spent doing some personal business, so I planned to have some fun even if it killed me. The days were flashing by and I realized soon I would say farewell to my friends and wing my way back to tropical Asia.

Cramped sleeping quarters and strange food aside, I was having a wonderful time and planned to return some day in the near future. A cold nip was in the air. It was autumn and the leaves were turning bright oranges, yellows and reds. Dressed in my thin clothes from Thailand I shivered constantly, but even that could not detract from the beauty of the peaceful Georgia countryside.

I had arrived in the USA after the September 11 terrorist attack and had wondered how much it would change everyday life in American. During my visit I could see that it had not really changed the way of life there very much at all. That buoyant spirit was still apparent and people were basically going about their lives as they always had; perhaps a little more aware of some issues which need addressing. But not ‘terrorized’. Not that, certainly.

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Down The Iron Road: The Great Western Family 4-6-0 
- Part 7

by John D. Blyth, P.O. Box 97, Pattaya City 20260

The Mighty “King” Class

Last week I gave some clues as to the doubts which have led this small Class of 2-8-0 locomotives to be argued over since the first one took the rails in the summer of 1927. Once again it was Sir Felix Pole who held that only the Great Western should have the most powerful locomotives in Britain. Actually, he was never to be convinced about the ‘Tractive Effort’ figure (relatively simple to calculate). I have never seen what the actual cost had been of producing all the modified parts I have mentioned to enable Pole’s insistence that they should have a high ‘T.E.’ figure and that it should be far in advance of all comparable locomotives. Pole, in fact, demanded over 40,000 pounds.

The production of the first locomotive was touch and go. No one had told the works manager Swindon that his target of the end of September was way off. U.S.A. Baltimore & Ohio RR had invited the G.W.R. to send a locomotive to take part in their Centenary exhibition and the locomotive was wanted in the U.S. by the end of July. There was just enough time for this to be done, including fitting the air brake to engine and tender and running it all in. They also needed to make one run to Plymouth and back with the ‘Cornish Riviera Express’. The locomotive was also due to make a run with a test train under the observation of engineers from three U.S. railroads. There was no question of using any other than engine. No. 6000, named after the then reigning monarch, King George V.

No. 6000 ‘King George V’ fitted with air-brake equipment prior to its visit to the U.S.A.

The engines were named in reverse order, after the Kings of England, all the way back to King Stephen. And while No. 6000 was ‘flying the flag’, others of the type were going into traffic. One of them, No. 6003, working a London to Plymouth train, suffered derailment of the bogie, happily not doing bad damage nor derailing the whole engine. But until the cause had been determined and put right there could be no chances taken with No. 6000 on U.S.A. rails. It turned out to be a minor design fault, and W.A. Stanier, with No. 6000 in Baltimore, was able to get the railroad shops there to effect the alteration.

Driver Young and Fireman Pearce handled this almost unknown locomotive with classic skill. The test train was heavier than most than even the ‘Kings’ would handle at home, and the small (by U.S. standards) locomotive gave the Yankees an impressive display. However, at home, some of the early performances recorded were disappointing and questions were being asked about design faults. In fact, so large an engine needed time for the crews to become familiar with them so that they could show their true potential. In particular, the boiler revealed itself to be one of the most consistent steam-raisers ever made. A descendent of the famous ‘No. 1’, it was much bigger, but it really was the secret of their eventual success.

Built in 1927-28 and ten more in 1930, they soon settled down to a successful career, although their great weight was a limitation. This almost justified Sir Felix Pole’s demands. An almost equally good locomotive - still the most powerful - could have been produced much more cheaply but for Pole’s intervention. They needed careful and regular maintenance, and scheduled shopping dates were vigilantly observed. Even so, there were some bad failures.

In the early part of 1954, a bogie frame broke, on a ‘King’ just about to join an early morning train. This led to the emergency withdrawal of the whole class for a short period until the extent of damage on other engines had been checked and a simple but permanent remedy found. Near the end of 1954 drafting devised and fitted by Sam Ell was leading to some unexpected troubles. The increasing rate of failure was alarming. Indeed, on one day just eight ‘Kings’ out of 30 were available for service! A double-chimney might be a clue, it was thought, and an L.M.R. ‘Duchess’ Pacific, already so fitted, was borrowed for May 1955. The performance was so satisfactory that first one ‘King’, then several (and within 15 months the whole class) were fitted with this accessory. Their performance was transformed at once. Many of the ‘Castles’ were also fitted, but only those with new boilers (which doesn’t indicate new engines - exchanges in shops were made regularly). But this work was still incomplete when dieselisation brought new problems.

I have no space to deal with the many test runs made with ‘Kings’, one of which at least demonstrated their brute strength (60 M.P.H. maintained with a train of almost 800 tons). However, the presence of a ‘King’ on the 1948 Interchange trials (and also a ‘Modified Hall’) should be noted. The width permitted by the G.M.R. loading gauge (itself a legacy of Brunei’s Broad Gauge) allowed the ‘King’ to run only on the line from King’s Cross to Leeds, and the ‘Hall’ from Marylebone via the route of the old Great Central Railway (which has now almost totally disappeared in the Beeching holocast) to Manchester via Sheffield; and the Woodhead Tunnel.

No. 6001 on test run in 1953, near Swindon; 60 mph with 25 coaches - 798 tons.

Once again the sure-footed starting of the ‘King’ from King’s Cross showed up the slippery Gresley ‘Pacifics’ which habitually spun their wheels. Roaring exhausts and black smoke thrown high in the sky led the Eastern Region men to ponder. One very senior man said, “Our engines seem to slip much more than some from other lines. Why is that?” There was no answer given and no lessons learnt.

The ‘King’ No. 6018, seen as one of the best at the time, ran well enough but with no special time being kept on all runs. It may be that the coal provided was not familiar to the fireman, but in general the work done was good enough. One cannot say the same for the ‘Hall’, which lost time quite badly on several runs. Here again the coal may have been suspect.

Of the remaining ‘Kings’ No. 6000, after many miles of running as a ‘preserved’ engine, has found a home in the Railway Museum at Swindon, and is not likely to run again. Word is the restoration of No. 6023 to running order is well advanced, whilst No. 6024 is often in use and is in fine fettle. More years yet for these fine machines.

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The Message In The Moon: Sun in Cancer/Moon in Gemini

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

 The Antenna

This combination suggests wit, sophistication, and intellectual agility. Highly perceptive and a natural critic, the Cancer-Gemini has a phenomenal memory and the ability to learn just about anything. That Cancer personality is intuitive, sensitive, and impressionable. And the Gemini inner nature is restless, seeks variety and very curious. But despite this buoyant spirit and gifted mind, natives of this sign have got their fair share of problems.

Introspection is difficult for people of this combo because they are so busy sorting out all the conflicting demands and impressions they receive from those around them. Like all highly sensitive persons, they run the risk of over-accommodating others and adapting to situations which may not actually be in their best interests. In other words, rather than doing what they want to do in life, they often find themselves fulfilling someone else’s dream. This ambivalence toward their own goals in life can land them in difficult situations.

Rather than feeling what they want to feel, they absorb the emotional atmosphere around them. In a tense or overly aggressive environment, these natives can become tense, and in a peaceful and non competitive situation, they become tranquil and passive. Like chameleons, they take on the color of their surroundings. They seem to pick up feelings and ideas from the air around them and are never quite sure whether they are their own, or have ‘borrowed’ them from others. Is it any wonder that Cancer-Gemini Henry David Thoreau chose to work outside the mainstream of society, where his work and thoughts would be unimpeded?

For people born into this Sun-Moon sign, it is necessary for them to stop and think when they need to make a decision. What is it that they really want? Learning to be more assertive will insure independent decision-making. And once they have done so, they need to act. Their first impressions are often correct, so it is vital that they heed them and learn to trust them.

Although decisions need to be made alone, the Cancer-Gemini usually works best in partnership or within an organized framework. These persons are not usually suited to executive positions, since they are often indecisive. But their ingenuity, imagination and intellectual skills can be valuable in many fields. They may be attracted to advertising and the media. Or if there is a strong creative or artistic aspect in their charts, they can aim for the arts.

Loyal to whoever happens to be around them at the time, they sometimes make promises they cannot keep. They often feel the need to tell people what they think they want to know, and then try to back out later. Female Cancer-Geminis may be overwhelmed by stronger, more assertive partners, and thus run the risk of losing themselves in a submissive role. These ladies should search for a partner who is as independent and open-minded as they are and avoid lovers who are overbearing or domineering. A Gemini Moon also tends to make these natives hypercritical. Thus it is wise not to nag a partner just because he or she fails to provide novelty and excitement all the time. That restless nature can surely find fulfilling outlets which ease the need to be constantly entertained by a mate.

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A Slice of Thai History: The Opium Trade

by Duncan Steam

Part One: Beginnings to 1852

The opium poppy, a plant indigenous to Asia Minor and first mentioned in Sumerian medicinal texts, was more than likely first brought into the Southeast Asian region, and thence to China, by Arab traders around the 7th to 8th Century.

Initially used for medicinal purposes, opium was something of a rarity until the habit of smoking it for pleasure began to take hold, especially in China, around the 1600’s.

The Dutch on the island of Taiwan smoked a mixture of opium and tobacco to combat malaria, at least that’s what they claimed. The British, having conquered India, began trading silver with China in return for tea, but soon found opium a far more profitable source of revenue.

As more and more Chinese became addicted to smoking opium, the government attempted to curb the cultivation and importation of the poppy.

Chinese immigrants to Thailand in the late 18th and early 19th Century’s not only found excellent employment opportunities, they also brought their addiction to the opium poppy with them, establishing opium dens wherever they settled, from Chiang Mai in the north as far as Had Yai in the south.

Setting up in business as merchants, craftsmen and artisans, the hard-working Chinese began to dominate the commercial life of Thailand’s major cities, particularly the new capital, Bangkok.

The Thai government was quick to recognise the social problems associated with opium smoking and, as early as 1811, King Rama II introduced a ban on the sale and consumption of the drug. The edict was effectively ignored.

By 1821 there was an estimated 440,000 Chinese immigrants living in Thailand. By 1880, it was suggested that over half the population of Bangkok was Chinese or of Chinese origin, a fertile market for opium smoking.

In 1839, King Rama III reintroduced the prohibition on opium and instituted the death penalty for those convicted of major trafficking. Indeed the Proclamation Against Opium was the first publication produced by the Thai government.

However, although those Chinese engaged in the opium trade could be arrested and sentenced to death or long jail sentences by Thai courts, British merchants who smuggled the illicit drug into Thailand were virtually immune from prosecution. If ever a British national was apprehended, the British political mission would make veiled threats and the smuggler was soon released.

The Thais were well aware of what could happen if they attempted to stand up to the might of the British Empire and its determined merchants. In an effort to end the opium trade, China had attempted to ban trade with Britain. The result was the First Opium War (1839-1842) which led to the defeat of China and the ceding of Hong Kong to the British.

Bowing to the real politik of the times, King Rama IV (Mongkut) established a royal opium franchise in 1852, leasing the concession to a wealthy Chinese merchant. Within a short time, opium taxes, along with lotteries, gambling and alcohol, were providing between 40% and 50% of government revenue.

However, in an effort to prevent Thais becoming opium addicts, King Mongkut issued an edict which compelled any Thai found guilty of smoking opium to wear a pigtail and pay the Chinese a tax. As a consequence, very few Thais became opium addicts and the habit of smoking the drug did not take on.

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Women’s World: The Three Witches of Bideford Part 2

by Lesley Warner

During the trial, Temperance Lloyd described in some detail the black man: ‘She said he was about the length of her arm and that his eyes were very big, and that he hopped or leapt in the way before her.’

Susanna Edwards related a similar tale in her confession: ‘about two years ago she did meet with a gentleman in a field called the Parsonage Close in the town of Bideford. And saith that his apparel was all of black.’ This was interpreted by her accusers to be an appearance of the devil.

Susanna Edwards claimed in her final confession upon the scaffold that he was a short black man, similar to Temperance Lloyd’s claim. These apparitions belong to the world of pixies and goblins rather than of witchcraft and diabolism: these beings were in their origin the little people of folklore, transformed by Christian theology into demons and hence acquiring sinister attributes. These demons, it was commonly believed, had intercourse with the witches, or sucked the blood of their mistresses through “witches teats”. Temperance Lloyd also confessed that the black man did suck her in her secret parts, she kneeling down to him but his sucking was with a great pain unto her. In the case of Susanna Edwards the devil had sucked her in her breast and in her secret parts. This sucking was interpreted as being the way in which witches fed blood to the devil or their familiars, the devil placing on the witch’s body for this purpose ‘a piece of flesh from which he, in his own person or that of a familiar, might suck the blood of a witch’.

The most that can be said at present on the sexual aspect of the trials is that the mythology of witchcraft was at its height at a time when women were generally believed to be sexually more voracious than men; ‘of women’s unnatural, insatiable lust’, wrote the bachelor, Robert Burton, in 1621, ‘what country, what village doth not complain.’

It is also important that the Bideford witches were women alone, a spinster and two widows, and they do not appear to have had any children who might have defended them or defined their role as women.

What is so confusing is the witches’ apparent willingness to admit to all the accusations made against them. They made little or no attempt at denial of even the most fanciful of the accusations. It has been suggested that they were tired of their lives and knowing that there was nothing but persecution to look forward to, they submitted to the proceedings as a form of legalised suicide.

Although condemned to be hanged, there was the possibility in the circumstances of a reprieve. On this occasion, however, the powers that be said, “Sir, I find the country so fully possessed against them that although some of the virtuosi may think these the effects of confederacy, melancholy, or delusion, and that young folks are altogether as quick-sighted as they who are old and infirm; yet we cannot reprieve them without appearing to deny the very being of witches, which, as it is contrary to law, so I think it would be ill for his Majesty’s service, for it may give the faction occasion to set afoot the old trade of witch finding that may cost many innocent persons their lives, which the justice will not prevent.”

This was a political decision and the real reason for their eventual deaths. The deaths of the three women were seen as being justified by the avoidance of a greater evil.

If you visit Exeter in Devon outside the old Assizes Courts you will see a plaque affixed to the wall of Rougemont Castle bearing the following inscription:

“THE DEVON WITCHES IN MEMORY OF
Temperance Lloyd, Susannah Edwards and Mary Trembles
OF BIDEFORD DIED 1682
THE LAST PEOPLE IN ENGLAND TO BE EXECUTED FOR WITCHCRAFT
TRIED HERE & HANGED AT HEAVITREE
In the hope of an end to persecution & intolerance”

After reading this book and other material, in my opinion ‘witch hunters’ and their accomplices were a bunch of depraved fanatics that had spent too many years being Puritans and living with Puritan wives!

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Antiques, are they genuine?: 18th century English glass

by Apichart Panyadee

Collectors of 18th century English glass have a number of pitfalls to contend with. They are in three main categories. First, there are deliberate fakes, of good quality and proportions with all the right combinations of feet, bowl and stems. But the quality of the metal is suspect. Next are the glasses in designs that never existed in the original repertoire and where the material is quite obviously wrong.

This page from the Hill-Ouston catalogue shows a selection of 19th century drinking glasses.

The third category, and perhaps the most difficult to spot for the beginner, are the glasses of the 18th century date produced in Europe and Scandinavia in imitation of English glass. This was the result of fashion that swept Europe after the discovery of lead glass. The discovery was made by Ravenscroft in the late 1670s and this subsequently developed an English ‘style’.

Continental glassmakers undertook visits to English glasshouses in an effort to discover their secrets. And English glassmakers were also enticed to work abroad in developing glass industries. A notable example was James Keith, a master glassblower from Newcastle who emigrated to the Nostetangen factory in Norway in 1755. The impact of the English style on Norwegian glass is evident right up until 1830 and is echoed in Finnish, Swedish and Dutch glass. The Peter F. Heering collection of Danish glass contains many examples often thought of as English.

Frankly, the whole question of Scandinavian imitations needs to be more widely publicised. Even now it is possible to come across glass ascribed in sale room catalogues as English and dated to the early 18th century, when it is in fact Scandinavian and was made 50 years earlier.

Lead glass and balusters; wineglasses were reproduced often imitating Venetian fashion of the late 17th century. These glasses were most probably produced in the 1920s.

Eighteenth-century glass began to be reproduced during the 19th century by glassmakers eager to compare their own skills with those of their predecessors. The appearance of deliberate fakes in the early 20th century coincided with the beginnings of research into the history of English glass and the increased numbers of sales in the auction rooms.

In 1897 Albert Harthshorne published Old English Glasses, the first complete survey of the subject. The next 30 years saw publication of the classic works by Francis Buckley, Grant Francis, Powell, Thorpe, and a host of others. With the revival of the Adam style in the Edwardian period, the glass firms churned out imitations of 18th century glasses to match the reproductions of period furniture. A glance through various company pattern books for the appropriate dates reveals page upon page of copies.

Silesian and baluster stems do not occur very often. The outright favourites were air and opaque twists with some facet cut stems and the occasional drawn trumpet stem. The large firms of Stevens and Williams, Thos Webb & Sons, H. G. Richardson and Walsh of Birmingham were the chief producers and may have supplied the Birmingham retailers Hill-Ouston. The catalogue issued by that company in 1934 offered a bewildering assortment of cut, blown and engraved glass with some emphasis on reproduction and “antique services and individual items”. Special attention was given to wine glasses, which are the most accurate of the antique copies and the most frightening for collectors.

These sketches reveal the effort made by freelance decorators who conspired to hone their skill to the level of their predecessors of an earlier age.

Pattern books, catalogues and photographs of fake glasses are obviously of great help when it comes to identifying forgeries. But there really is no substitute for constant handling. Only in this way can both knowledge and a sixth sense be acquired. Each period of glassmaking used certain techniques peculiar to its own time, which when recognised, can give clues to date and place.

An awareness of these methods will allow the collector to spot the types of fake that appear in the Hill-Ouston catalogue. Out of all the techniques the most contentious and misunderstood is the pontil mark which will be discussed in the next column.

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