Once you could and you would
write a letter daily
Seal it up and wander down
and post it in mail..... he
would come along and empty the red
letterboxes twice a day
and that letter would be on it's way
to places far and wide
In a house somewhere the sound would
come of the letterbox pushed open
and onto the mat would fall all that
the postie had bespoken
but now it's true for me and you
a letter come most rarely
it's usually ad's for the current fads
no one wants ! well barely
But that letter plate we still need
sitting on our door, watching
waiting eagerly for a letter
one or more!
So why is it that fashions not
taken sight of this
and letter plates and their mates
been given all the swish
That can be found when you look
around at , numbers, letters,knobs!
the second rate letter plate is
plain and just a blob
Of brass or chrome or black iron
flat and lacking style
Where oh where can it be
try looking to the past!
Way back then style was king
Queen and Princess too
Art Nouveau , Arts and Craft ,
Art Deco too!
But no so now , it's all flat and plain
and everywhere you look the same!
My spirits sad that no letter plate can
be had
That's shines a light to style
So I'm off to search
I could be gone a while.....
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I have spent the last couple of days trying to find a letter plate for the new door ! As you have read above , finding one that will fit our new door that has a little style to it, is like looking for a needle in a haystack!
They are all exactly the same! some will come in both brass and chrome or nickel or the black iron but if once even looks like it may fit and have a touch of character you can guarantee it will be in bright shiny brass which I cannot have since I have a chrome lock already fitted and I do prefer chrome to brass.
I have found and fallen for quite a few gorgeous OLD letter plates only to find that the opening for the letters are about five inches, if you are lucky!
Like this one, a nice curve to the top and a little shaping to the bottom but the opening is only 5 inches or so and it's brass.
This one is very stylish but small opening!
A few have tried to follow a little the style of the past but made the letter plates enormous like this one below
Thought I'd cracked it when I found this one ! But it comes in two sizes, the big size is too big for the place on the door but does have a nice 8 inch opening but the smaller one that would fit only as a 5 inch opening!!
another lovely one, perfect size with good sized opening Art Deco style but bright brass.. so a no go.why don't they do a chrome one?
So if I want style I will have to buy one with a small opening in which case I could go for an antique original letter plate or I have to settle for a plain flat oblong plate in chrome but that is big enough to take today's size of post?
Paul says we could do away with having a letter plate and just have a post box on the brick column at the side of the door.
But I like letter plates, so maybe I'll have both ! A nice original antique letter plate and a post box to take anything that won't go through a five inch opening!
I found this lovely copper one, great style and shape but again only a five and a half inch opening but look at that curve on the knocker/handle so I bought it!! I will how it looks when it arrives against the door and the chrome key pull and then we'll have to make the decision ! Do we go with this old and wonderful letter plate and add a post box for larger items or does this go on mt Sasha Studio door and we have a plain flat letter plate..... I'll let you know ......
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