Happy memories and tears

This lovely little box - known as the kookaburra box - was given to me by my paternal granddad, Charlie, when I was for a time the only grandchild. In WW1, Charlie was a dispatch rider relaying messages between the front line and command at the rear. He served in Italy mainly, and I believe this is where he made a swap with an Australian soldier for this box. It still has the original key and ribbon, vital when I kept all my childish treasures in it.

The beautiful lace tea cloth was made by my maternal grandmother, Alice Ellen, and is probably about 90 years old. It is now only for special use. You can imagine then my distress when this afternoon I shook the cloth out of the window [lazy not going to the door] and it snagged on the window catch and tore. The eagle eyed among you will be able to spot the tear just above the top right corner of the box. I'll have a go at mending it but the edges are so ragged, I doubt I'll be able to make a good job of it. Tears for tears.