"I'm back on the laptop" > writes:

> A friend of mine is going to hold a 500th birthday party for his dining
> table.

That sounds like a truly excellent excuse for a party!

> Yes, the table is (technically) 500+ years old. It has been authenticated
> to have come from an old English 'manor' and was made approx 200 years ago.
> The timber the table is made of has been examined, and it has been deemed
> by some tree expert dude that the timber was approx 300+ years old when it
> was cut down to make the table.
>
> I have long harboured an intense desire to somehow come into possession of
> the table.... but short of wiping out my friend, his family, and all his
> families offspring...... there's not much chance. And the bloody thing is
> *WAY* too heavy to stage a 'home invasion' and carry it off....... which
> would be way to completely obvious!! It's about 10' long.... I think I have
> a couple of pics of it somewhere......

I once had a chance at a table about that size, and possibly heavier;
though not as cool. It had a plate-glass top, and the base was welded
up from old bank window bars. But it was down in Dubuque Iowa, and I'm
in Minneapolis Minnesota, and the only possible way to move it involved
renting a truck, driving both ways (meaning about 10 hours). And
loading and unloading were still going to be exciting. So I didn't.

> ahhhhh yes, here they are...........
>
>
> http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/a...%20Day%202009/

That's very impressive indeed.

> So yes, we are having a 500th birthday party....... and all presents are to
> be made of ..... you guessed it..... wood!!
>
>
> BTW, the grandfather clock in the picture set is a paltry 200+ years old.

Still, not bad, for a clock.

> So now I'm trying to think of something made of wood that will complement
> the table....... because that's where I want *our* present to reside :-)

Salad bowl? With serving implements, hand-carved.

> The food........ well, his wife and I get on like a house on fire, as she
> is the same as me. She does *all* the cooking...... no-one brings *any*
> food to the party whatsoever.

That's one of the interesting divides. For some kinds of parties I
really don't want people messing me up by bringing random stuff. For
other kinds of gatherings, though, a little help is appreciated.
Anything but off-brand soda :-) .
--
David Dyer-Bennet, ; http://dd-b.net/
Snapshots: http://dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/
Photos: http://dd-b.net/photography/gallery/
Dragaera: http://dragaera.info