Seems strange that I should be asking advice on this subject because I have before given advice in this area, but not so specific.
I have 2 items of furniture, a grandfather clock and a roll top desk, both of which may or may not be described as antique (not sure of the definition) but both are very old and somewhat delicate especially the desk as it is heavy and could suffer damage if not handled with care.
They have both been promised to my daughter in Nottingham who is very keen on her family’s history. Both belonged to my grandparents and the clock at least is over 110 years old as they had it on their wedding in 1912.
We had been waiting for a suitable time for me to take them but that is way too far now and I am thinking that we may be able to afford to send them by a specialist carrier. So does anyone know of a company that fits that description? I know several removers but none who would take extra special care, and responsibility. At a premium cost of course, I accept that.
She can’t drive, has no passport, has 3 disabled sons ages 24 years and upwards to cope with, so not an option. In addition she is a tigress in defence of her autistic boys and brooks no fools. Headmasters and social workers flee and quail in terror at her approach, so no chance of the passport because some numpty can’t understand anyone who hasn’t had one by the age of 50.
I am immensely proud of her.
A possibility for you might be to contact a UK International removal company like Abels and get them put on a truck returning empty from France. I have used this system a couple of times.
Yes, thank you David, I had considered that plus Whites and a few others but I just wondered if anyone had used a firm which specialises in antiques realising that they need extra care. The value of these in insurance terms is of nothing if they get damaged, their value lies in family history which cannot be replaced.
I had measured up the car to make sure they could be transported safely by me, but then came Brexit, covid and my inability to go so far because of responsibilities here and so I have to think of something else.
As I am going to England in 3 weeks time for a school reunion and to visit family for a couple of days I suddenly had a thought to day that this might be the opportunity to take the items mentioned above.
I have done a rough measurement of the car and will do a proper one tomorrow and it seems doable. There will be no dogs on board northbound and of course the car will be empty southbound, so no problem for the dog I am bringing back from Cambrai.
But my question is, will I have any problem with customs? The items are antique but only of personal family value being transported to an inheritor. Do I have to declare them? They will be totally visible anyway, and do I have to prove any history?
The only proof I could have is the manifest that Pickfords had when they brought them here, but finding that is not really an option.
Moving long case clocks is a speciality. I am assuming that if you moved it yourself it would be lying flat, which is very bad news for long case clocks. They need to be kept upright.
Long case clocks are very delicate in their timekeeping and have a well known reluctance to keep time after being moved.
It hasn’t worked for more than 15 years Jane, not since Fran and a friend, in their cups, tried to stop it chiming every 15 minutes by removing the pendulum and broke the thing it hangs from.
I am sure Wendy could get an expert to sort it out but the important thing is that it is with her. We worry that, although I am sure it is mentioned to be for her in our donation entre epoux, we may have got it wrong and if I kick the bucket for one reason or another it wouldn’t travel. So its presence with her is the most important thing, getting it working is for later and this seems like the best opportunity.
As long as I don’t get involved with curtoms duties?
@Stella. Very good idea, I’ll sort it this morning with a short video of both items in situe with accompanying snapshots of each.
My grandfather clock was made in 1750 and is a family heirloom currently in my custody. It arrived from Somerset 11 years ago following the death of my uncle.
It was transported in a transit van and laid flat. Following a polish and reassembly of the case it has kept prrfect time and only stops if I forget to wind it up every 8 days.
It is a wonderful timepiece that occupies pride of place in our home.
We had a long case that was made in Conway in 1687 and it was transported twenty miles to our new house and took two or three months to settle.
They are very temperamental.
Bless.
But you are right, this one used to stop every February around the time my Mum died.
Otherwise it was OK . Then within 3 months Dad married the Wicked Stepmother, and it stopped each time she visited.
The account of that is the title story in my published collection and the reason why, only Dad out of all the relatives, did not get a free copy.
