So here we go....
My father made a dolls house for me when I was about 6yrs old and it was almost as big as me. He had fitted it out with electric lights, doors and furniture. My mother had supplied the furnishings and .... the folk who lived in the house. They were peg people, actual clothespin pegs, delicately dressed in the finest clothes. My parents must have spent hours and hours of pleasure and love making this present. Needless to say I loved it! I was the envy of all those children who came to play with me - especially my friend Freida. Unfortunately it didn't last many years as I came home from school one day to find it gone, just the furniture and the folks were left. Mam carefully explained that we did not have enough money for coal for the fire so it had been used for firewood, but I still had the furniture and people - I then noticed that we were a lot more furniture missing in the real house!!
I don't think I ever recovered from this loss. It had to be used, I agreed, but it was a sad fact in those days. Make do and mend was the way, no credit taken - if you couldn't pay you went without. These things didn't really stand out l a r g e in our lives as it was part and parcel, everyone was the same where I lived at the time......
Through the years I often looked at dollshouses, all types, colours and kinds .... that was when I missed my own .....
I made sure that all my own girls had dollshouses of one sort or another, even my boy had a garage!!!
In a Charity Shop .......... I looked at DH and said "look! I have to go see".
It was a handmade dollshouse, sadly neglected .... beautiful ..... I went back outside and before I said a word, DH put his hand in his pocket and said "How much?"
He later told me that the look on my face was priceless!!The house didn't fit in the boot of the car so it had to ride home on the back seat - I kept turning round all the way just to look at it!
It is approx 3 ft long and 2ft tall, rather large (just like the one from so long ago). 
We managed to manoeuvre it into the house and have a good look at it.
So, so neglected.
I didn't mind. What! I can do this!
DH will be allowed to help if he wants ....
The house sat in the dining room until the Christmas when it was relegated to the workshop/garage so that DH could work on its structure ..... the roof, the doors etc.
It stayed there, wrapped in plastic until last year when I insisted it was brought back inside so that work could begin - it has been a case of more important jobs being done and my dollshouse continuing to sit there.
So in it came, sat on the table where I could see it in all its shabby glory. I had bought some furniture a year after purchase and last year I found a family to add to it.
So it sits and, on occasion I turn up a magazine or a pattern and I think - I must renovate that house or I shall run out of time and it will be something else for the skip .....
My beautiful house ..... even in its neglected state I hope it knows it's loved .....
Thanks for sharing that story. Yes, Hard times. I grew up in the fifties. We only had a coal stove in the living room. My sister and I shared a bedroom and in winter we had ice flowers on the windows. We had flanelette PJs with knitted underwear. My mother never really liked cooking as the kitchen was arctic.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine you fell in love with this house. It looks very English. The little people are very cute. I looked at the ink and saw the furniture you bought. Really cute.
Keep us updated please,
Lisca
Thanks for sharing that story. Yes, Hard times. I grew up in the fifties. We only had a coal stove in the living room. My sister and I shared a bedroom and in winter we had ice flowers on the windows. We had flanelette PJs with knitted underwear. My mother never really liked cooking as the kitchen was arctic.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine you fell in love with this house. It looks very English. The little people are very cute. I looked at the ink and saw the furniture you bought. Really cute.
Keep us updated please,
Lisca