Half a Marble and a Stone Axe

Last night I re-watched one of my Christmas pressies:

Play For Today

It is an old television Play For Today from 1970.  There is a mysterious element in it of an object found in the garden of a modernised cottage.  The new owner of the cottage finds half a marble on the outside windowsill one morning.  "You've brought it in the house, then" states the creepy housekeeper from the village.  We never know quite what the half-marble has to do with the ensuing events, but somehow it is a link, or a piece of contagious magic.

It is an idea I find fascinating: how a physical object can link a modern person to centuries of history that have played out in ordinary people's lives on the same spot of English earth.  It is the theme in my favourite book:

My Favourite Book

Aimo read it recently, at my insistence, as I had eventually (after 26 years) read his favourite book.  "It's alright, but there isn't much fighting in it" was his opinion.  Whereas my opinion of his favourite book was "It's alright, apart from there was too much fighting."  So be warned, Ferney contains some nightmares, some torture, a bit of strong bloody violence, a murder; but no actual battle scenes.

Although I love Ferney, I would have to admit that the central idea had probably been used first in:

A Good Book

which has as it's central theme an object (a stone axe-head) which is the link between centuries of history, some battles included.  If you are looking for a film or book with this theme, these are available, and you pays your money and takes your choice.  I love them all.