Page 51 - Alan Blakeman Collection catalogue

123. GOSNELL & CO GIANT PROMOTIONAL POT LID. 18.5 ins diam, 7ins tall. Fabled giant size Gosnells promotional pot lid depicting the familiar young Queen Victoria, lettering all
round, and gold band, hollow underneath. This was
part of a deal whereby you purchased the large shop window advertising lid with 100 full lids containing toothpaste, for £20 - clever sales gimmick. Presented exactly as dug (story below) with visible damage, Sellotaped
all those years back. Easy to wash off and/ or repair. Perfectly stable, it has travelled all over the UK. One of possibly only four recorded examples. NR. £2,000-3,000+
Best ever birthday present?
The story has been written many times, and in telling has perhaps become less accurate - apologies for that, but here is another precis of the events leading to its acquisition...
It was on my birthday at an early Leek Show in the Adams Social Club run by Alan Bond and
Mark Hambleton.
At the time two unknown collectors to me walked up to the BBR stall towards the end of the day
and said “do you buy pot lids?”
I was slightly hesitant in responding, but said yes, and they then went on to describe a familiar Gosnell lid. I asked if they had it with them, not wishing to leave my table, to be told it was in the car. As I was busy I asked if they could bring it in to show me to which they replied “it’s too big!”
As it was my birthday I was a little cautious thinking this may be a practical joke so as I followed them outside, moving slowly round corners, expecting some kind of prank! But, nothing, and we emerged and walked up to the rear of the car. The boot was opened and inside was a cloth covering a substantial volume, beneath a big suitcase, and inside, below
another covering, was the gobsmackingly large exhibition pot lid - as dug, replete with Sellotape given some obvious damage.
As usual the BBR trusty Morris Traveller was already FULL to the brim with future auction entries so I asked Alan Key if he could possibly drop it off at my house on his way home.
I was much later in getting back to Elsecar and walked in to the front room to gasp at the sight of my
daughter sat on the pot lid watching the TV.
The lid was featured on the cover of the very first Wath held SummerNational w/e, held upright by a then bearded younger
AB and over the years became something of a symbol of the Elsecar Bottle Museum from day one of its opening in April 1991. It has since travelled thousands of miles has made many journeys up and down the country to various talks I have given.