THE SPADE THAT HAS MY HEART

I have accrued spades across the years with a compulsion verging on obsession. All are sufficiently different to get an outing every now and then, but only one spade has my heart (near left). It’s stainless steel and was made at the Wigan foundry of Bulldog Tools on 22 November, 1990. The date is emblazoned in my memory. It was the day Margaret Thatcher resigned, which was announced on the tannoy as I watched my spade being made, from pouring the molten metal to sanding the handle. It weighs exactly 2.25kg and balances perfectly cradled on my index finger. It cost about £90 in 1990 and it’s one of the best buys I ever made. I would not exchange it for any other spade or indeed any amount of money.