The collection includes: grandfather’s RSPCA merit badge, two japanese dolls, WWII bicycle black out lamp, toy boat, an old camera, a terrorist flag & a regiment cap badge…

“My grandfather was a carrier for the mills, you know, carrying cotton things. He was given this R.S.P.C.A merit badge for looking after horses in 1920. The photograph shows him in Nelson Show, an agricultural show…

These Japanese dolls were collected when visiting Japan in 1961. We were in HMS Belfast cruiser, now on display in IWM London, and we went to Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Tokyo. One of the dolls, the tall one, is very symbolic, it was a gift and I believe it has something to do with fertility.

The WWII bicycle lamp was used during the WWII for not being spotted by the aircrafts, it had green light instead of white…so you couldn’t see much to be honest…

The toy boat was made in Yorkshire.

The camera: I don’t have much information about this camera, a friend gave it to me because I love cameras.

The N.L.F. (National Liberation Front) flag and the regiment badge cap are from Aden 1967…from when I was serving with the 1st Argyll and Sutherland regiment.”

Lawrence D. Silverwood