Old Belgian Battenburg Lace patterns: advice sought on what to do with them

Annemos

Good afternoon everyone. 

Many thanks again for all your suggestions. I carefully looked at them. (It would be much easier and less expensive, to send them within the UK.) But I was getting the impression that they would not be in quite the right place. The focus was more on Bobbin and Tatting lace. 


So I have contacted the Brugge Lace Centre in Belgium. 

https://www.kantcentrum.eu/en/museum-knowledge-centre

They have just kindly replied that this lace is not made very much in Belgium these days. But they will be very happy to have my patterns and also the meters of ribbon for their collection. 

I have cleared out my cupboards and also found some new patterns I purchased all those years ago. And also some extracts from handicraft magazines. 

So I will send them all across to them and hope it is not too expensive to send. 

But even if it is, I shall be happy that they will go to this museum, in memory of the 80 year old lady and eventually me. 

Katiehound

Perhaps it will be cheaper to send them via courier rather than the mail? but I guess you will have checked out all the options.

Glad to hear that you have found a museum that would like them, it means they will be available to everyone.

Annemos

Oh dear everyone. 

Feeling a bit depressed about this. 

I sent the package with Parcel Force. It was 2 kg. To BALstraat in Bruges. It cost 35 pounds.

Tracked it for the past 9 days and paid the Customs charges of yet another 23 pounds.... these days they slap on 18 euros just for handling a parcel. Then they also put VAT on the sending charges.) 

So we are at 58 pounds. 


But now after 9 days of correct tracking.... the tracking has now changed to a delivery tomorrow to BALIEstraat. 

I am very worried it will not arrive and/or go missing. (I searched this address... it is just a small house in a back street of Bruges that is up for rent!) 


I tried to log a "complaint" to try and intercept this problem, but the system has not sent a confirmation receipt, as it says it should within ten minutes. I may have to try the Belgian Post Ombudsman if nothing ever arrives. 

(I have a lot of experience, now, having gone to the Financial Ombudsman here over a Subsidence claim and also two British Gas complaints with the Energy Ombudsman.) 


I shall not be doing this sort of thing again. And if that package gets sent back to me.... they will all be going into the dustbin!!! (On second thoughts.... I shall just hand them in to the Charity shop up the road.)

button_box

Hi, I wondered if your parcel had been safely delivered to the correct address?

Sometimes when we try to do the "right" thing other organisations/circumstances seem to conspire against us and it is very frustrating.

I hope you had a positive outcome from your good deed, particularly as it had come at a substantial finacial outlay.

Annemos

Hi button_box. Thanks for thinking about me. 

It did eventually arrive there about a month ago. And the last I heard:  the lady who received it that day said she was not going to open it, but she would wait for their Curator to open it. 

I never did hear anything at all back after that.

(Bit of a shame... as it has left me wondering if they perhaps thought the patterns were "nothing special".)

As you say. I would think twice before doing anything like this again. 

Annemos

Good evening everyone. I am very happy to share, that the Lace Centre has just sent me a Postcard, thanking me for the gift. 

A lovely postcard with a picture of lace on it. 

Katiehound

That's great, glad to hear that someone (at last) has acknowledged your gift and that they will be able to use it/them. certainly better than being binned!

button_box

Hi Annemos, glad that someone has got back to you to acknowledge your gift to the Lace Centre.