Auntie Dot and Uncle Moss were the first people I knew who travelled abroad for a holiday. It was the 1960's and a local coach company began tours to Ostend, Netherlands. It became an annual event and I would look forward to the presents Auntie dot would pack in her suitcase.
On one such occasion she brought me a Traditional Dutched Doll. Along with lots of my friends we started collecting these dolls. My dutch doll really inspired me as the tiny cloggs were genuine wooden ones and I loved the detail of the costume.
I think it must have been 1965 when mum and I went on our very first excursion with the bus company, again to Ostende. The shops wre fascinating and amongst the glamour of the traditional souvineers I came across a toy section. A tiny doll, no bigger than my hand caught my eye. It was simple and inexpensive. I bought it, naming it Ginette. On my return home I would play for hours with my new doll, nobody else had one. I made furniture out of boxes and clothes out of scrap material. At this age I really enjoyed making my own creations, inspired by Blue Peter. Anything I made was for Ginette. I was a very content child, enjoying playing at home always creating, something which never went away.
In 1964 I remember getting my first Sindy Doll. It was Christmas and mum took me to see Father Christmas in the prestigious Binns Store in Middlesbrough. Mum bought me my Sindy Doll, and when I opened the box the smell of the new plastic really had an impression. To this day I can still picture Sindy when I come across the smell of new plastic dolls.
The Sindy doll was launched in September 1962 by the Pedigree Doll Company. Pedigree had a long history of making dolls and wanted to branch out with a teenage doll. Sindy was one of many teenage fashion dolls reflecting wider popular culture and was nicknamed ‘the girl you love to dress’. She had a girlish figure and flat shoes at first, with a head of big, curly blonde hair. She also had a promotional gramophone record, featuring The Dolly Beats – no doubt gaining inspiration from the iconic youth band of the era, The Beatles. And with fashion influenced by the likes of Mary Quant, and models such as Twiggy, it’s no surprise that Sindy became Britain’s top teenage doll.
Sindy had everything a teenager of the 1960s could wish for, including a handsome boyfriend, Paul. Although as a keen follower of fashion she had a huge wardrobe of designer clothes and accessories, I enjoyed making her clothes and remember making her a bed out of a shoe box. I loved to colour and draw, creating lots of written material for my dolls. I guess it was the beginning of the creative road I would follow later! To see more posts, visit the ABC Blog here
38 comments:
I always thought Sindy dolls were Cindy dolls - guess I've never seen the name written down before.
What a lovely entry! How many memories it stirred for me. Including the one about my first Barbie Doll with knees that could bend (baaad idea) my brother successfully found out that the could bend forward, as well as back - not a pretty result. The doll is long gone, still love the brother.
I always look forward to your new poem at the beginning of the month. Also loved your post on dolls - I think most of us have dolly memories. I had a knitted doll which I called woolly (not very original) - when I was about eight my mother gave it away, saying I was too old for it. How I mourned woolly's passing.
Lovely dolls !
Lovely dolls !
I enjoyed looking at your girly dolls, especially the little Dutch girl. I recall having only one doll in my childhood, given to me for Christmas when I was six. My younger sister broke it on the afternoon of Christmas Day, and I never received another one.
A lovely post! and what lovely memories! AND lovely dolls! Thanks for sharing!
My friend had a Sindydoll. I remember it well.Fun that you show it to us. Love your post today.Have a nice evening:)
A great post with good memories!
I love the first doll (I am Dutch after all). However Ostende is not in the Netherlands but in Belgium. Unless I am extremely geo-challenged!
Sorry...
Wow! a real Cindy doll, mine was very much the same but she had dark hair!
The Dutch doll is darling! My daughter began a collection of dolls from various cultures when she was still at home, and, now that she is in her sixties, her dolls are on display in special cases in her beautiful home. No Sindy dolls in the US, of course. The equivalent was Barbie, which Candace never had. The doll for which she (and I) created clothes was a small Madame Alexander, much more realistic.
I thank you for reminding me of all those lovely girly things. Great post.
TYRA
Great post. My wife makes ceramic dolls. Very girly.
An Arkies Musings
By coincidence I have just been writing a poem about a great loss! The loss was of my Dutch Doll, left on a park bench in the 1930s!!!!
Do you know I have a phobia of dolls and clowns so I read this rather than look at Sindy. Well written mempirs again Denise Fastyr mie- Good evening in Manx.
Do you know I have a phobia of dolls and clowns so I read this rather than look at Sindy. Well written mempirs again Denise Fastyr mie- Good evening in Manx.
Someplace packed away in my youthful treasures is a Dutch Doll just like yours. My Aunt brought it back from her trip to Holland. i too loved the real wooden shoes and the starched hat.
I was passionate about dolls and made their clothes and had a shoebox bed too. I was really into paper dolls and drew and designed their clothes too. I just found a whole packet of paper dolls I had saved for more than 50 years. Thanks for bringing back wonderful memories.
Wonderful memories - brings back my love affair with my dolls when I was young - thank you!
Such wonderful childhood memories. I'm new to this ABC Wednesday project, and yours is the 2nd blog I've visited for the letter G. It's wonderful fun so far!
They keep looking young.
Great post.
When I was a kid, boys were not allowed to play with dolls.
oh the dear dear little wooden shoes. I wish to be a child again and play --your header simply refreshing. Do you call the flowers below snowdrops, and are crocuses next??
Very cute post and dolls :-)
Mara is right, Ostende is in Belgium. But the doll looks Dutch. Lovely Girly things (and I also thought Sindy was Cindy).
Dear Denise,
Thank you very much for this beautiful post that reminded me my childhood in early 80s. My mother was working for Unilever company and had sometimes business trips to London. In those years, some of our friends at school had Barbie dolls imported from USA and very expensive in Turkish toy market. Me and my sister asked mum to buy us Barbies from London but she returned to Istanbul with two beautiful Sindy. Later, she bought us also Barbie dolls but my first Sindy doll always had a special place in my heart.
Have a wonderful Wednesday,
Müge
So many lovely memories - for me, as well as for you! Lovely post.
I never had a Sindy. I had a teenage doll, but she was big - about 14" tall. My brother named her Hilary. I had no idea why, but he told me I must name her Hilary and I complied. Now, looking back, I suspect there was a girl called Hilary in his class, and maybe he had a thing for her. LOL!
Wonderful G, Denise. That first one looks a lot like Madam Alexander dolls.
Love the dolls Denise.
I had to giggle at Blue Peter.(and Magpie) I had forgotten about those shows but they were very popular growing up, most non-brits wouldn't have a clue what they were..So thank you for bringing back the memories..
Much love and peace, Kai xx
HI Mrs. Nesbitt,
Wonderful story and memories! I had a doll also when I was young. Thanks for the walk down memory lane! Have a great day!!
Sherrie
I love Girly things! This was a nice post to read because I'm expecting my daughter to come visit this weekend - for a Girl's Weekend. No boys allowed. (My dolls were all "Cindy" dolls!)
I also had a Sindy and her boyfriend but it was my mother that made their clothes. Even now I don't like to sew.
Have a nice week.
I love this post,Denise!It brought back memories of my Barbie which was one of the orginials with the short red hair, pearl earring, etc. My cousin Barb gave her to me along with Ken. I had their wedding and flight attire. I remember on outfit my mom got me for Christmas or something but I hated the way it was made. It didn't want to fasten across her bust so I made my own alterations. Like you I have been doing that ever since. Thanks for bringing back a good childhood memory. Cheers. Mine is up now but not nearly as good as your's.
Oh what memories you dug up!! When I was much younger my family and I went to Holland. We brought back minature clogs. I never had the urge to wear clogs, but I loved them. So simple but beautiful, I can remember now the feeling of the smooth, cool, carved wood. Thanks Denise x
I guess we all had our favorite toys, and they bring back such memories. I had a Chatterbox doll and a Shirley Temple doll that I remember most fondly.
Thanks for visiting me again.
"Girly things"?
I have recently put my finger into something called "Man blogs vs Women blogs" Do not like the signals that a blogger is not a blogger.
That the female part of me not is appreciated or have the right focus because I normally stand in vertical position when peeing.
Your girly things reminded me of old and hopefully past traditions.
But you never know
Ahhhhhh! This brought memories of all my dolls, and platying with them with my sister. Unfortunately I have none of them now. I was the eldest of 7 and there wasn't much money so the toys went down the family (four of us were girls!)
I had a Rosebud teenage doll.....called Rosamund. Brunette with a blue polka dot dress. My sister had a blonde one but I forget what she called hers. They wwere bigger than Sindy dolls. We loved them. We used to make caravans out of cardboard boxes and kit them out and they used to go on holiday with all their children!
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