Things of the homemade variety have always been our favourites, telling of a time long ago when money was short and even if you had some there were no equipment shops to spend it in anyway. A firm called F H Ayres in London were the only major ski manufacturers in the UK and early exponents of the ski art often used expensive imports from Norway,Switzerland and Germany.The other alternative was to make your own as was the case with this fascinating pair. Shaw Murray made the skis when he was a schoolboy back in the 1960’s, hoping to use them in the Ochils up behind his house. They certainly bear a certain schoolboy charm coupled with amazing innovation since the soles are covered in strips of ‘lino’, the almost universal floor covering of the era – hope he didn’t steal it off the kitchen floor! He’s also managed to acquire a set of early quick release bindings, though it seems he hardly ever used them. Instead, they sat in his loft for 50 years before he decided to hand them on to us as a little bit of social history – excellent. Looks as if the poles are bought rather than home made.