My Chair

Here is the first piece of furniture I bought after I moved into my own house. That was back more years ago than I care to say. It had pride of place, as a focal point, in my sitting room, when I had just about nothing else.

As I was totally skint at that time, I could afford this chair from a 2nd hand furniture rooms along the Quays in Dublin, as it was going literally for a song. It was a once off - a bit like myself! The shop was owned by a lady by the name of Mrs. Gately. I wonder if she still is there.

But getting back to the chair! At the time, I was depending on taking in some lodgers, in order to help pay for my mortgage. Having put an advert in the local evening paper, I was delighted to get a quick response. It was a quite sophisticated-looking girl, who happened to be Swiss - living here on a temporary basis. Her name was Barbara. Looking back now, I think Barbara was interviewing me rather than the other way round. That, I discovered later, was very much in keeping with her personality. By this time, I also had a very cheap 2nd-hand sofa in my sitting-room along with the chair. Barbara sat down on the sofa and looked across at the chair. "Well, I have made up my mind! I will stay here, because someone, who has a chair like that, must be okay!" And so she moved in! All because of the chair! That was my first chair - and Barbara was my first lodger! More to come!