Saturday 24 January 2009

BY POPULAR DEMAND - MY STUDY

After posting on Thursday a photograph of my old room at University, I received several comments expressing surprise at how tidy I kept my room. The reason was very simple, I had very few possessions at the time. I may well have also done a wee bit of tidying up - I can't remember after all these years. Whatever, I am nowhere near as tidy nowadays. When I was working, my office desk was always a mess. Every few months I would blitz it - disposing of piles of old printouts and memos and sheepishly handing old supplier invoices (and even occasionally old signed cheques) to my staff.

Now I spend many hours a day in my study at home. I've got an old fashioned style pedestal desk and a computer desk, a double height filing cabinet, a cupboard and an old oak bureau. The oak bureau is special to me. It was presented to my great-grandfather on his retirement on 31st December 1940 after 59 years service to one company. That is not a typo - he worked fifty nine years for one company, a textile company called G.Garnett & Sons Ltd. There is an engraved presentation plaque on the bureau.

Having filled ever drawer, cupboard, bureau and filing cabinet I am now using every flat surface to store things on, as well as resting some pictures and folded boat charts upright against the desks. "Don't waffle!", I hear you cry, "Let's see a photo!" So here, as requested earlier by Trixie, is a photo of my study.


You can see my webpage on the computer screen. On my desk is a black and white laser printer. As a retiree, Troy can't afford colour ink for printing (well it is many times more expensive than champagne per litre). I have a month to view wall calendar flat on my desk so I know what I should be doing. You will also see my "Don't blame, me I vote Conservative" [faithfully since 1974] blue mug on my computer desk. A pocket Oxford dictionary is to hand because I sometimes use bigger words than I can spell when blogging or leaving comments. On the wall is a coloured ink drawing of Scarborough Harbour. It only looks odd because it is reflecting the curtains. All my paperwork that needs dealing with is on the pedestal desk. This desk gets tidied about every three months (ok! twice annually).

There are two photos of Mrs Troy on my desk and a photo of a semi-clad Amanda Holden on top of my filing cabinet. Mrs Troy only appreciates 2/3rd of these photos, I appreciate them all. Also on top of the filing cabinets are some "I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again" cassettes of a very funny 1970's radio series.

So that's my study. When I'm surfing the web, blogging or replying to your comments, or trading my shares or gold bullion, or listening to Ipswich Town away commentaries I'll be sitting here. It may not be tidy but it's warm and cosy and it's my own personal space.

17 comments:

Grumpy Old Ken said...

Flipping heck, Troy, A Tory and Ipswich Town. You poor man!

Unknown said...

Very comfy looking, I spy some M&S rewards vouchers too, I remember those. But most bizarre is the radiator, I am going to have to blog about radiators now!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

That looks so tidy to me. My shed is such a mess, and had to be tidied a bit for the pics in the article - though it still looked dreadfully messy.

Troy said...

Ken - I'm a tory by instinct and a Tractor Boy by geography.

Sarah - leave my radiator alone. Do you want me to get AC and destroy the ozone layer? I got a nice selection of M&S vouchers in the mail a couple of weeks ago.

Debs - I shall have to get a door plaque for my study that reads "Tidy by popular acclaim". I thought your shed looked very smart in your magazine article.

Kitty said...

It's still tidy! There's just more of it.

LOL at Ken's comment. x

French Fancy... said...

I love seeing people's inner sanctums and yours looks lovely and inspiring.
I've tagged you Troy, old thing

Troy said...

Kitty - Mrs Troy actually did some tidying a couple of weeks ago when she emptied the piled high bin and vacuumed the floor. She has just reminded me of that fact. I am truly blessed as Ken has, in his own way, pointed out. I do like it when people disagree with you politely - Ken seems a quite refreshing and good humoured Englishman.

FF - Yes, I too find inner sanctums interesting. I'll follow across to find my tag shortly.

D..J. Kirkby said...

What happened to that tidy young man who lived in the room in the last post?

Lane Mathias said...

In the photo appreciation stakes, I'm with Mrs troy:-)

Troy said...

DJ - he just grew old disgracefully.

Lane - well at least you are being straight with me in your comment.

Anonymous said...

Great office, Troy. But would love you to be in it!! And yes, 59 years is very impressive.

CJ xx

Trixie said...

Hell... my one desk is TWICE the mess of your two!

Ladybird World Mother said...

I have been tagged for this one. Photo turns out to be my Mother in law's shed. How on God's Earth can I make that interesting??!
Like your study. And what, Brit Gal Sarah, is wrong with his Radiator? Bizarre?! Have to have another look...

Troy said...

Sorry for the delay responding - have been to DJ/Chris' books launch and then onto my parents who are a computer-free zone.

CJ - my arms aren't long enough to photograph myself in it (poor excuse I know!)

Trixie - well it would be if you put the contents of two desks onto one!

LWM - suggest you plant some weapons grade urnanium in your MIL's shed, that should make it very interesting both for your blog and the Nine O'Clock News.
But can't help you with obtaining any.

Ladybird World Mother said...

Troy, you will be glad to know that MIL shed is not 4th picture. Was a little worried about use of uranium... turns out picture is of a stuffed animal. Great.

Lady in red said...

hi it was nice to see you at DJ & Chopper's book launch.

I have to say that having met you I can see that you have not lost the look of the young lad in your picture.

Troy said...

I went to hospital at 2pm Thursday for an MRI scan and they didn't let out until 5pm Friday. That has rather messed up the end of the week.

LWM - you can use the taxidermist joke I e-mailed you. Or you can keep your credibility and ignore it.

LiR - no, just lost the hair. Please to have made your acquaintance.