I'm fairly sure this was bought around 2005 in a little Asian corner shop on Stroud Green Road (but it might have been in 199, in Bayswater where I used to hang around a lot for no reason other than that I find the wedding icing architecture and generally forlorn atmosphere there quite enchanting. I`ve always been attracted to melancholy places, I`m not sure why. But Dear God I hope Bayswater hasn`t become trendy and cleaned up- though given the charmless recent development of blocks just up from Paddington I suspect that`s a vain prayer).
Either way, the shop seemed to have stock dating back to the early 1950's; This could be found, feeling sad, on a shelf down near the floor. As a result, of course, I couldn't resist going in whenever I passed and buying things like this gem, or little red and black notebooks which had been most pleasingly bound with thread and had soft, yellowing pages.
The album is not large, 5,25 x 6.5 inches and has a coral pink cover of textured cardboard. It`s really nice to handle, fitting perfectly in one`s hand, and is a good size for a small collection.
I already have a stamp album and several albums of matchbox labels and I am not sure what I might use this for, except maybe leaves or pressed flowers. or some Mystery Items which have yet to Reveal Themselves, but when they do will make me and the album feel complete.
Anyway, I ought to fill it soon because it's starring at me like a hungry child.
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