Kaboodles

26/08/2026

‘What's it?’ Wednesday

This one caught us out.

When we first saw the word “bilboquet”, we immediately thought it was going to be connected with books (like bibliography or bibliophile).

But it’s not biblio-anything! It's bilbo-something and nothing booky whatsoever!

Bilboquet is pronounced ‘bill-boh-kay’. It is a traditional cup and ball skill toy dating back to the 16th Century.

The aim is to swing the ball, attached to the handle by a cord, and catch it either in a cup or on a spike (versions varied).

It sounds simple but is surprisingly difficult, especially the spike version.

The word bilboquet comes from Middle French - combining ‘bille’ (meaning ball) and ‘bocquet’ (meaning the tip of a spear or javelin).

Bilboquets have been made from various materials. They were most commonly turned wood in something like boxwood.

Older examples have been found in bone and ivory and even silver.
Victorian examples have been found with beautifully turned handles and painted balls.

Latterly, 20th Century versions turn up in Celluloid and plastic.

It may look like a children’s toy but it was popular with adults and Henry III was said to be infatuated with it. He could apparently be seen playing it even while walking in public!

The King's love of the toy turned it into a status symbol. Aristocrats competed to have the most luxurious versions. This is when bilboquets were commissioned in ivory, ebony and other expensive woods.

Then, as French culture influenced the world, the bilboquet's popularity spread too. By the 18th Century it was here in Britain as the "Bilbo-Catch" or simply "cup-and-ball". Jane Austen was known to be really fond and good at it!

Antique bilboquets are collectable. Here’s what to look out for:
- Original cord
- Original ball
- No cracks in the wood
- Turned/carved decoration
- Bone, ebony or silver (obviously)
- Unusual designs - there are some double-cup and multi-cup versions

Still made today - more commonly the cup version - it is amazing to think of it originating in the 1500s, a favourite of a King, and people today mistakenly thinking it’s connected to books! ;-)

24/08/2026

Pick your copy up at Kaboodles from Thursday. We'll look forward to seeing you and the welcome is always warm!

📣 THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE IS HERE! 🍂

Our brand-new September edition of Rochester Life is heading to print – with copies available from Thursday 27 August at The Little Shop and our other pick-up points around Rochester.

Can’t wait that long? 👀 You can have a sneak peek online now at rochesterlife.co.uk.

This month we chat to local children’s author K.D. Greaves about her wonderfully imaginative world of books, report on Rochester’s charity sleep out, and bring you another packed helping of local and community news, What’s On, features, puzzles, horoscopes and more.

And, as always…

🧡 It’s completely FREE!

Look out for the colourful new issue around Rochester from Thursday!



KD Greaves The Little Shop Rochester Kaboodles The Rochester Corn Exchange Snowy Veterinary Centre St Andrew's School The Bluebell Circle City Wall Wine Bar Glo Rochester Musical Bumps Medway

19/08/2026

‘What's it?’ Wednesday

Ooh! A niddy-noddy!

A what?

What is it ...?

A niddy-noddy is a traditional wooden construction that spinners and knitters used to wind spun yarn into a skein.

It has a central spine which forms a handle and a crosspiece at each end, at right angles to each other, forming arms. The wool is wound round the arms in a figure-of-eight, making neat loops, stopping tangling. This forms what they call a skein.

Once in a skein, yarn won’t tangle, it can be measured and it can be washed and dried evenly before it’s used for the weaving or knitting.

You might hear one called, more technically, a hand reel, or a cross reel, or simply a skein winder.

So why is it known as a niddy-noddy?

No-one really knows but it dates way back to the 18th Century at least.

Some will tell you that in the 1501 Leonardo da Vinci painting “Madonna of the Yarnwinder” a niddy noddy is held by child Christ.

Many people think the name derives from Old English and comes from the rocking/nodding motion as your hands wind the yarn. Historically, the word "noddy" was used to describe anything that bobbed or wobbled.

There is also some lovely folklore behind the name. In some old stories, "niddy" was the nickname for a grandmother (or elderly woman). The story went that grandma would often use the tool to work on her yarn late into the evening, and then "noddy" - nod off in the middle of her work!

Who knows? But it’s a lovely story.

Antique niddy-noddies are usually made from wood (usually ash, beech or fruitwood). They are popular with various collectors – those of treen, spinning equipment or textile-related antiques. Simple 19th-century examples are not rare to find but early hand-carved examples are the sought-after ones and are much scarcer.

15/08/2026

Cabinet opportunity!

Thinking of trading your own antiques, vintage items or collectables?

A cabinet is just £10 a week + a day per month of your time.

You'll be seen all day, 7 days a week!

Our current traders are selling a myriad from fossils to retro and everything in between 👀

Two have recently changed employment plans and are freeing up two cabinets.

Message us with your interest or questions.

You can use Facebook Messenger or email:[email protected]

Don't miss this chance!

12/08/2026

‘What's it? Wednesday

Since lots of us have been involved in solar and astronomical events this evening, you may have heard some technical terms that you wondered ‘What is it?’.

We heard ‘orrery’ and said just that!
What is it?

An orrery is a mechanical model of the Solar System.

It was designed to show how the planets move around the Sun. It is operated by turning a handle or winding a clockwork mechanism, making the little planets travel round their orbits.

Around 1713, John Rowley, an instrument maker made one of the first known examples for Charles Boyle, 4th Earl of Orrery. The instrument itself ended up being named after him.

Orreries were particularly fashionable in the 18th and 19th centuries. They were used in education, for astronomical demonstrations and collected by wealthy enthusiasts.

They can sometimes be found labelled ‘Clockwork Solar System’ and, although surviving antique models in high end shops tend to be elaborate, with lots of planets, some early orreries were less elaborate and showed just the Sun, Earth and Moon.

Seen one?

You can look directly at these! 👀

11/08/2026

Your free copy is available at Kaboodles Emporium! 👌

05/08/2026

‘What's It?’ Wednesday

This week we found out what gimcrack is!

What is it?

It's a lovely old English word, around since the 15th century, which describes something flashy but inexpensive. It looks impressive but lacks real quality.

It would be something cheaply made, generally of little or no practical value and often imitates something much more expensive/valuable.

The exact origin is actually a tad uncertain but it's thought that it comes from:

"gim" (that's a hard ‘g’) which is an old word meaning neat, clever, or dainty;
and
"crack" - meaning a boast or something flashy.

Almost any decorative object could be described as a gimcrack if it is attractive at first glance but found to be made of cheap materials, poorly made or too flimsy.

So, that could be, typically, cheap gilt costume jewellery, mass-produced Victorian souvenirs or novelty mantelpiece ornaments. They’d be knickknacks and pretty but actually pretty worthless.

The term is still appropriate today for, say, cheap souvenirs, novelty gifts, some of the low quality costume jewellery that comes from China - anything that looks expensive but isn't.

To describe items as gimcrack would have been mildly insulting but, of course, because they were not valuable and often not kept, many antique gimcracks are now very collectable and ironically have a good value!

01/08/2026

It's tomorrow!

*Sunday 2 August from 8am-3pm*

Oodles of Kaboodlers will be selling at the Fair. See some different treasures and traders!

If you're going to the car boot in the morning, we're just through the tunnel when you're done! 👌

Free parking, free entry after 12 and great coffee and burgers! 😋
We're in the Slip and shaded! 😎

Enter via the Main Visitor Entrance, off Western Avenue.
Use postcode: ME4 4TY
Once parked, Slip 5 is on the right at the end of that roadway that you came in on 👌

29/07/2026

'What's It?' Wednesday

If someone was looking for a 'socle', would you know what they were after?

What is it?

A socle (pronounced ‘sock-ul’) is a base that supports an object. Often what we might also refer to as a pedestal.

A socle will generally be decorative and form the base for, amongst other things, statues and busts, vases and clocks.

They come in various materials but primarily marble, wood, stone, or a metal.

The same term is used in architecture for the lower part of a building or column which forms its solid base. On buildings they'll often project slightly beyond the wall or edge of what they’re supporting in order to helps protect from knocks or dampness.

The word socle comes into English from the French for a base, pedestal, or plinth.

In turn, socle in French is thought to come from the Italian ‘zoccolo’, meaning a block, base, or wooden clog.

Having an original socle can sometimes increase an antiques desirability and value. This applies especially to bronze sculptures and clocks, for example.

This is not only for its additional decorative value but because it shows us how something was originally intended to be displayed.

28/07/2026

Come and see us here if you can't make the Emporium!

*Sunday 2 August from 8am-3pm*

Oodles of Kaboodlers will be selling at the Fair. See some different treasures and traders!

Free parking, free entry after 12 and great coffee and burgers! 😋
We're in the Slip and shaded! 😎

Enter via the Main Visitor Entrance, off Western Avenue.
Use postcode: ME4 4TY
Once parked, Slip 5 is on the right at the end of that roadway that you came in on 👌