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Gour

Wednesday’s Piece

Many a chair or a piece of furniture has come into us for repair – some in bits and pieces from the loft or garage – and they go out worth a realisable five times the few pounds charged.

John Lentell – Barum & Sarum

December 17th, 1967

Gour

Tuesday’s Piece

It would be foolish to pretend that I am feeling the spirit of Christmas. I am better off than many but I am nevertheless struggling to survive and I view 1968 with trepidation – what is the use of pretending otherwise?

John Lentell – Barum & Sarum

December 16th, 1967

Gour

Monday’s Piece

I am not wedded to any particular dogma – Christian or otherwise – and (lest I be misunderstood) I am certainly not in the book business! But I would recommend to anyone seeking a better understanding of life and death the writings of Kahlil Gibran – especially ‘The Prophet’ – “every page has some beautiful and liberating thought”.

“His power came from some great reservoir of spiritual life….”

John Lentell – Barum & Sarum

December 15th, 1967

Gour

Sunday’s Piece

Everyone (friend and foe alike!) seems pleasurably surprised when they visit either our shop at C.A.B.S. Basement First Street or our factory at the Industrial Sites. We welcome visitors to the factory – it is a quick run from town. Ring 23673 for directions and bring that broken chair in the garage with you.

John Lentell – Barum & Sarum

December 14th, 1967

Gour

Saturday’s Piece

We are not selling as much as we ought at C.A.B.S. Basement First Street but (heaven be praised!) it does attract a lot of furniture repair, renovation and re-upholstery work. There is something funny about basements in Salisbury as former tenants and C.A.B.S. would readily testify – funny peculiar not funny ha! ha! The repair orders could be because we seem to be the only people offering on a factory scale woodwork and upholstery repairs combined.

John Lentell – Barum & Sarum

December 13th, 1967

Gour

Friday’s Piece

“Tom died – as other Toms must die.

Tom lied – as other Toms may lie –

Tom squall’d – as other Toms do squall –

Tom was of “Barum’s vale” the pride –

Tom lived a “Goose” – a “Goose” he died.

(Tim Vortex)

(Barum is the Latin word for Barnstaple in North Devon – founded as a Borough in 930 and claimed as England’s oldest Borough. It celebrated its Millenary in 1930).

Barum & Sarum

December 12th, 1967

Gour

Thursday’s Piece

We have to move sometime in the New Year – when our tenancy at C.A.B.S. basement expires. we are looking for extraordinary premises to suit our extraordinary business. Shopocracy comes to Salisbury! Suggestions would be welcomed – to John Lentell at 23673 (factory).

Barum & Sarum

December 11th, 1967

Gour

Wednesday’s Piece

It won’t sell much of our ‘pickled furniture’, but we like it –

“When you were a tadpole, and I was a fish,

In the Palaeozoic time,

And side by side in the ebbing tide

We sprawled through the ooze and slime”.

(A toast to a Lady – Langdon Smith, 1858-1918)

Barum & Sarum

December 10th, 1967

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langdon_Smith

http://www.chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/int/evolution.html

Gour

Sunday’s Piece

Believe it or not but a commercial enterprise can have a soul – it can think and feel (other than in terms of profit). Confronted by never-ending obstacles, frustrations and adversity, punctuated by moments of sheer joy, we have every reason to think deeply about things and it would seem to be a good idea to share such thoughts. We shall be handicapped by pressures and laziness (or even censorship!) and we might not make it to this column every day but it is worth a try.

“Candour, who, with the charity of Paul,

Still thinks the best, whene’er she thinks at all,

With the sweet milk of human kindness bless’s,

The furious ardour of my zeal repress’d”

(Charles Churchill)

Barum & Sarum

December 7th, 1967