Protect And Preserve Family Treasures

I have so many items that have been given to me over the years from members of my family. Each one has a little story attached often that only I know or have been told. So many items we have found since my Mum died that she had carefully kept. Many we know just why she kept them or my Dad knows, but others we look at and wonder why our Mum, who was so tidy and organised carefully kept it. She may have told me years ago, but was I listening, obviously not?
  One item Mum gave me, that I know the history of, has been in our garden shed for probably twenty years. Years ago when I was very small we had my Grandma's copper kettle on display in our living room .Shining and bright Mum would tell us it was the kettle they used all her young life on the range where she lived. After church on a Sunday my Grandma would invite everyone in the bus queue in for a cup of tea to wait for the bus. The gleaming kettle would be boiling on the range whilst everyone sat and chatted about their village life. When my Mum and Dad married and copper kettles on ranges were no longer needed my Grandma gave it to my Mum and it was polished and admired for years with plants and dried flowers in. During this time the lid was lost but it still had pride of place.
  Over the years copper kettles went out of fashion and it was put away in their shed. Twenty years later my Mum gave it to me as I had such fond memories of it as a child. I tried to clean it but it was so tarnished and dented I gave up and it was put away in our shed. These last few years have changed my views of possessions so much. I have realised the only ones that matter are the treasured ones. I rescued it from the shed determined to clean it up.

  I thought it had really gone beyond the point of no return but bought some "Brass and Copper Bath" from Amazon. I followed the instructions and had to use all four sachets as I measured out so much water in an empty plastic storage box to cover it. 

When I took the kettle out it certainly didn't look as gleaming as the illustration on the box but it was much cleaner. I wiped it clean and then used Brasso. I have only cleaned it once and although it still has a long way to go I am very pleased with how it has started. I will keep cleaning it every few weeks until it improves more. Sadly the dents are all too obvious still but I shall put a trailing plant in it to cover the worst, 

  Maybe one day the fact I have recorded the memories of this kettle here will mean that this old dented kettle will be special to another member of the family.