Vintage 'Pins

I was in Paddington the other day and popped into the Antique Centre which I haven't visited for at least ten years. I was hoping to find some things I've been wanting for the kitchen, in particular an extra large rolling pin. I've been struggling to make do with my small, crappy one for years so it was high on the agenda to replace it with a much larger version.

And I just happened to stumble across this beauty:

It doesn't look particularly impressive, but it measures in at 60cm which is almost twice as long as the one I currently have at home. I saw a similar one in another store just the other week which cost more than double, so I immediately grabbed it and headed for the counter. And on the way, this 1950's rolling pin with green handles caught my eye, so it also ended up coming home with me:

I couldn't wait to try out my new piece of equipment and with a bowl full of lemons, it seemed fitting to knock up a lemon tart using homemade sweet shortcrust pastry:

That big boy worked like a charm - rolling out pastry has never been easier! We have marble bench tops specified for the kitchen in our soon-to-be renovated house (the reno commences next month, but more on that later.) I believe marble is the surface of choice by all the best pastry chefs - it's supposed to be the ideal surface for rolling out dough as it remains cooler than room temperature, which helps to keep the dough firm and therefore easier to handle. Plus it will make a fabulous backdrop for my food photography. So tell me, am I the only one still making pastry the old fashioned way?