There are a lot of wooden wonders we’d like to French polish, from Gaudi’s wooden calvet chair to Hogwarts Castle, but never have we thought about French polishing a person…until now.
Welcome to the latest Terry Waters French Polishing News and Blogs
full listWooden Wonders we’d like to have French polished: 28. The Woodentops
Prepare for a trip down memory lane! Do you remember the Woodentops? They first appeared on the BBC in 1955, featuring on the classic children’s programme Watch with Mother. The main characters were a family of wooden dolls that lived on a farm – Mummy and Daddy Woodentop, twins Jenny and Willy Woodentop, and baby Woodentop. Other characters included Buttercup the cow, Mrs Scrubitt and of course Spotty Dog, “the very biggest spotty dog you ever did see”, according to the voiceover at the start of each episode.
Wooden wonders we’d like to have French polished: 27. Gaudi’s wooden calvet chair
Think of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) and you’ll most likely think of the intricate, ornate designs of buildings in Barcelona. But Gaudi wasn’t just an architect – and he turned his talents for creating beauty out of intricacy to more than just buildings. He was determined that his vision would extend not just to the buildings he designed, but to the objects that would be kept within them.
Wooden Wonders we’d like to have French polished: 25. the Mathematical Bridge, Cambridge
Prepare to have a myth busted! You’ve probably heard that the Mathematical Bridge, crossing the river Cam in Cambridge, was designed by Sir Isaac Newton without using any nuts or bolts, instead relying on opposing forces to keep the structure taught.
Wooden Wonders we’d like to have French polished: 24. The Ishtar Gate
Constructed in about 575BC, the Ishtar Gate was the eighth gate to the inner city of Babylon. It was constructed using a rare blue stone and decorated with rows of dragons. And this Wonder really was a wonder, too – some lists mark it as one of the seven Ancient Wonders of the World, before it was usurped by the lighthouse at Alexandria in the 6th century AD!
Wooden Wonders we’d like to have French polished: 23. Rolf Harris’s didgeridoo
Ah, Rolf Harris. A national institution if ever there was one. And as well as Animal Hospital, Jake the Peg and royal portrait-painting, the multi-talented Rolf is famous for playing the didgeridoo. Perhaps he could do with our specialist French polishing services to help ensure his didgeridoo doesn’t become a didgeridon’t?
Wooden Wonders we’d like to have French polished: 22. The Statues of the Apostles, Prague
Any visitor to Prague will tell you of the city’s picture-box beauty, and in the heart of the old town is a real gem for tourists – the medieval astronomical clock.
Wooden Wonders we’d like to have French Polished: 15. My Grandfather’s Clock
We’re going to take you back to your primary school – or possibly your brass band days, depending on your experience – for our next fictional French polishing challenge. Because here at Terry Waters French Polishing, we distinctly remember singing the song “My Grandfather’s Clock” at primary school… although we’re told it’s also a favourite with brass bands, colliery bands and even on the bluegrass circuit!
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