Q. The forthcoming Chatsworth attic sale has inspired me to stage a similar, though much smaller event. The problem is opposition from my 85-year-old mother, who resists any kind of change and does not like to see things going out which she imagines could be put to use at some stage in the future. Our attics and farm buildings are bursting with things which will not see active service again — monogrammed unwieldy suitcases, meat domes, rusty scythes, etc… but they are things which would do well in a so-called country house sale because of their ‘provenance’. How should I tackle my mother, Mary?
Name and address withheld
A. The sale you mention will take place at Chatsworth between 5 and 7 October, with viewing between 1 and 4 October. Readers will sympathise with you and also with your mother. Many a pointless household object can become the repository of sentiment, purely through mental association, longevity of service, or even longevity of storage. You might take a tip from another small country house owner whose mother was won round to the idea of a sale by the following method. The son photographed a handful of items he wanted to dispose of and supplied pithy resumés of their ‘family histories’ on sticky labels on the back. A few days of handling these reconciled the mother to the physical removal of the real things. The photographs, she saw, were more conveniently sized totems. They too could trigger memories and atmosphere. She now claims relief to be rid of the clutter but not of the ability to relive the times when these objects were ‘peaking’.
Q. We have taken a house in Italy and are bringing out some good old friends to stay.
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