What kind of things do you treasure that others clearing out your possessions might consider not worthy of keeping for the next generation? It’s hard enough disposing of loved ones belongings, having to make judgements on the value of items makes it harder. My siblings and I faced such dilemmas in September 2019 when we lost our father, Ronnie Pounder, aged 94. Imagine finding an old Fairy Liquid bottle with a few old and used darts in it. Trash or treasure?
I could forgive my siblings for thinking this was probably an item for the skip but I recognised the treasure encapsulated within the protective bottle. These weren’t just any old darts but they were RONDART’S darts and specifically darts that he had used in his dart blowing variety act on a TV show in Japan in 1967. As it happened I had seen these and other RONDART artefacts that RONDART had given to my father and his brother over several years.
RONDART was the world’s only mouth blowing dart variety entertainer. He was born in West Auckland 1929 (died Witton Park 2005), a local lad, well known to my dad’s generation. I wish I had asked my dad much more about him. I knew the artefacts were important to him and he wished for them to be preserved and displayed permanently somewhere, to keep the memory of this West Auckland legend alive. My quest to do this continues and if there is a suitable outlet I’d be glad to hear about it. For now this modest treasury, in memory of RONDART, the world famous variety performer, is on temporary display at the Hippodrome, Bishop Auckland People’s Museum, Railway Street, until 5 April 2022.