Who remembers Kamella fabrics? I have a beautiful pram rug made by Kamella and it is so thick and fluffy, ( double sided so can be either white or pink) and looks stunning on one of my vintage prams, very much admired and a real talking point when I take my prams out.

Kamella also made sleeping bags and dressing gowns for babies and children. Their adverts in wartime pointed out that during air raids there was added danger for babies being exposed to the cold when being taken to the shelters. A Kamella pure wool sleeping bag enabled baby to be carried anywhere, safe and snug and protected from the cold. They also claimed the Kamella was an ideal garment for a baby in a cot or pram. I remember my young cousin having one of these sleeping bags, in the 1950’s, probably it had belonged to his older siblings, but it always felt so soft and snuggly.

An elderly lady was telling me recently that she had a Kamella sleeping bag for her wartime babies, every night she would tuck baby into his cot and if the air raid siren went off she simply picked the baby up and carried him out to the air raid shelter. He didn’t wake up and didn’t feel the cold, she told me.

For her older child, she had a “siren” suit, this was an all in one padded suit that she put on her toddler and he was kept warm and snug until they reached the safety of the shelter, then he could snuggle down and go back to sleep. These siren suits were made popular by Winston Churchill apparently.

This wartime mother told me she always had a basket prepared, filled with nappies and bottles for the baby’s milk, but as she had to manage two children on her own (her husband was in the forces)  she couldn’t carry blankets as well as the children and the necessities so the sleeping bag and siren suit were invaluable.

Another interesting thing, (totally unrelated to prams!) this lady told me was that every night before she went to bed she would fill the kettle with water in case there was bomb damage to the water pipes through the night. Strangely enough this is a habit I picked up from my mum, I always fill the kettle before retiring at night, but until now I didn’t realise why my mum did this, but old habits die hard!

Silver Cross prams have been very popular with the rich and famous over the years, as well as being the choice of the “ordinary” parents.

Despite media articles the Queen did not have a Silver Cross pram, but she did have one of a different make fully restored by Silver Cross, hence the confusion.

In 1977 when Princess Anne was expecting her first baby, Peter Phillips, the Centenary Committee of Silver Cross agreed to present two prams to the Princess. The Company Chairman arranged for a large London store to take several Silver Cross models to the Palace and the Princess and her Nanny then selected the ones they wanted. A dark green Super Burley and a soft body, navy blue Balmoral were chosen and these were used by the Princess for both her children. The prams were stored away and in 1988 Princess Beatrice, daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, was pictured in the Silver Cross Balmoral soft body pram.

(Photo kindly provided by Mr J Wilson of Silver Cross)

Note the name Balmoral was used for a soft bodied pram in the seventies, whereas later the Balmoral was a coachbuilt model, yet again Silver Cross used the same names over the years for different prams.

Princess Caroline of Monaco also chose a Silver Cross pram for her son, this was a Silverstream. No doubt the Princess followed her mother’s advice, Princess Grace used Silver Cross prams for her own children.

If any of you are fans of Coronation Street you may be interested to know that Johnny Briggs, or Mike Baldwin as his character was called, also chose Silver Cross for his daughter Jennifer Louise in the seventies. This was a “Princess” model and was bought from Pooles store in Northampton. At the time the couple were reported as saying “what superb craftmanship, we love the pram.”

Throughout the 1980’s the media often snapped pictures of famous people with their Silver Cross prams, Dustin Hoffman and Christina Onassis were both pictured using Silver Cross pushchairs.

So if you chose a Silver Cross pram for your babies, you can be proud that the rich and famous shared your choice.

It is now several years since I decided to find how many coachbuilt prams are still being used.  Are they in danger of becoming a product which will be  lost forever, or are they going through a period of revival? And what are these prams being used for? Are they museum pieces? Are they used for a baby? Who uses them? Modern parents? Or grandparents?

Some people collect these prams for their sheer beauty and as examples of great British workmanship, but an increasing number of people use them to display reborn babies. These are dolls that have been customised, they have rooted hair, lifelike features, complete with those baby wrinkles. It is sometimes difficult to tell them apart from the real thing!

Reborn dolls are ideal to display in a coachbuilt pram, they really do look so realistic and can be dressed like a real baby, and although some people find it strange that a grown woman should wheel out a pram with a doll, surely it is better to have a reborn baby in the pram than have it empty? And the “doll” is really only a “prop” to show off the pram’s beauty, and maybe to advertise the talent of the reborn artist. Certainly the skill and patience needed to turn an ordinary doll into one resembling a lifelike baby is an art, just as other crafts are.

When out at pram events the comments received on my reborn baby vary with people saying ‘oh I thought it was a real baby!’ and others ‘ Don’t like that, it’s spooky!’ It is usually the men who make the ‘spooky’ comments, most women love the dolls and children especially love them.

Then there are others who are scathing about anyone taking a pram out, let alone with a reborn doll in it!

Most women have memories of a special doll from their childhood, just as men have memories of their cars and trainsets, so why do people think it strange that women still have this interest? What is the difference between a woman having a collection of dolls and prams, and a man having a collection of model trains or cars? Absolutely none at all as far as I am concerned. Each in their own way is preserving something that would otherwise have been discarded and lost forever.

It would be interesting to hear comments from others on reborn babies – do you think they are wonderful or do you hate them? Do you own one yourself? Maybe you take a reborn out in your pram? Do share your thoughts with us and leave a comment on the website www.VintagePramFan.com

I am sure lots of you look at the flimsy buggies used by parents today and wonder if they are as safe as the ones we used for our own children. I am assured they are, after all we have stringent health and safety standards these days and no manufacturer would sell a product that was unsafe for a child.

But even with the safest pram accidents can still happen as this story informs.

In  the 1980’s Silver Cross had to reintroduce overtime working into their factory after an accident involving one of their pushchairs hit the worldwide headlines and people clamoured to buy the same pushchair after reading how it was that which had probably saved a child’s life.

The accident involved a Silver Cross Ranger pushchair. A young mother was walking in the Central Park area of New York and as she was crossing the road a car drove at speed through a red light, hitting the pushchair which was being used for a young child.

The handle of the pushchair was wedged under the car chassis and was dragged along, with the little girl in it, for several blocks.

Newspaper reported witnesses screamed as they saw the car, driving at around 80 mph, and the pushchair trying to free itself. Eventually the handle snapped and the pushchair rolled to the kerb, with the baby still strapped inside. The child was still conscious and was rushed to hospital where she was expected to make a full recovery.

The New York police said they had never seen anything like it before and stated that the Silver Cross pushchair had undoubtedly saved the baby’s life. Not only that, but it was reported that one of the hospital doctors was so impressed that he bought the same model pushchair for his own child.

When news of the accident reached Silver Cross they replaced the pushchair free of charge for the mother.

Remember the days when all the town centre department stores had a pram department? As a little girl I used to love to go into Lewis’s  and have a look at the prams that were on show there. I would stand for ages just gazing at all the different models and bouncing the handle up and down, wondering which pram I would choose when I grew up and had babies of my own. My mother used to have to almost drag me away from the pram displays. On the top floor there was a department for prams and baby items, dozens of beautiful coachbuilt prams in different styles and colours! What a wonderful sight.

Now you are lucky to find a department store, never mind one with a pram department and as I mentioned some time ago, the new John Lewis store in Leeds didn’t have one coachbuilt pram on display, neither a doll or baby one. I haven’t been there for a while, wonder if they have added one to their display now.

At one time, even small towns had their own department stores, in fact I bought my pram for my first baby from one of these independent stores in a small market town.

When my friend and I went to London we went into Harrods and were in our element with the prams on display there, brought back happy memories, but unusual to see such a display nowadays anywhere. Even toy prams don’t have the same appeal, they all look as flimsy as the modern baby prams unless you opt for a traditional Silver Cross coachbuilt one. Heritage Prams do a child’s toy pram in similar styles to the baby prams. A few years ago they did a miniature version of the Balmoral, it was called Baby Balmoral and was a toy replica of the full version, with the exact same fittings as the baby one, even the leather strap suspension.

Part of the pleasure of being a child was being taken into a toy department, such as Lewis’s, and being taken to see Father Christmas and tell him what you wanted him to bring. Top of my list every year was a Silver Cross doll’s pram. Oh the joy of looking at all those dolls’ prams on display in Lewis’s and the dolls to go in them. I did get a dolls’ pram but it wasn’t a Silver Cross and it wasn’t until I was in my forties that I finally bought myself one, much to the amusement of my family!

Silver Cross Heritage produced several models of doll’s prams, in limited editions, as due to strict copyright regulations of the images they were only licensed to produce a certain amount. They did a Peter Rabbit pram with a blue hood and apron and a plaque on the side of Peter Rabbit. They also did a Winnie the Pooh pram, also with a plaque on the side and the lining in matching Pooh Bear material. To commemorate the Millenium they produced a Limited Edition of the Millenium pram..

More recently they have produced dolls’ prams in bright colours with polka dot material for the hoods and aprons, and have also done a pram with a pink or blue  hood and apron and matching coachwork, again a smaller version of the baby pram.

If you are looking for a coachbuilt doll’s pram  to give a child for Christmas, it is never too early to order one. If you are planning on restoring an old one, then do leave plenty of time to do this, the different stages can take several weeks, even months, to complete and summer is an ideal time as you can work outside if necessary.

In the 1950’s, for the first time in its history, Silver Cross ceased production of their dolls’ prams for a short time. They sent out a circular to all their retailers saying that as they had a massive demand for baby prams, they would have to cease production of the toy range until such time as demand slowed down. Late forties and early fifties were known as the “bulge” years after the birth rate soared when families were reunited after the war, so obviously there was a huge demand for prams for all the new babies being born. Not only that, but after wartime austerity when it was difficult to buy a new pram, a lot of mothers were determined to buy brand new for their baby.

Do you have a dolls pram that you have restored, or one that was bought for you as a child? We would love to hear about it if so.

This month’s Pram of the Month is the Vanity model by Pedigree, from 1964. The pram had a feature moulded side panel and the hood and apron were in Merimo fabric.

Pedigree prams were very popular, they were often slightly less expensive than some other makes, but nevertheless they were sturdy prams and many have survived over the years.

Did you have a Pedigree pram for your baby or do you still own a Pedigree pram? If so do leave a comment on the website as other Vintage Pram Fans love to read what others have to say.

www.VintagePramFan.com

Now summer is upon us in the UK, there are lots of events around the country where you can take a pram. These events include Vintage or WW2 events, where prams always attract a lot of attention. It is of course better if your pram is authentic to the era, if you take a seventies pram to a forties event there is sure to be at least one re-enactor who may make unkind comments, but chances are most of them won’t know the age of a pram anyway.

For a 1940’s event dress the pram as it would have been in those austere war years, no frilly pram sets or flouncy canopies. Handknitted pram blankets or plain pram quilts are more in keeping. Babies would be dressed in handknitted pram sets or a simple hand knitted cardigan and hat and a dress or rompers. A string of wooden cotton reels will suffice as a pram rattle, or a handmade pompon hanging from the hood will look authentic, remember in the war years it was a case of make do and mend.

It doesn’t matter if your pram representing the war years is a bit battered, prams in those days were very scarce so were passed down amongst family and friends and were often the worse for wear.

Unless they were upper class, ladies wouldn’t have furs draped over their shoulders or wear fur jackets. For general everyday use they would more often than not wear a simple coat and cover their head with a headscarf, or “for best” they would wear a nice dress (with a string of beads around their neck), coat or cardigan and always a hat. And a 1940’s lady always wore gloves. Cloth or leather ones to wear with a coat, or lacy or crocheted cotton ones in summer. Handbags were “boxy” styles and wedge heel shoes were very popular, this was because the wedge heel was more sturdy and thus hardwearing.

Prams over 25 years old are now classed as “vintage” so at vintage events it is perfectly acceptable to take a pram over that age. Outfits for babies and parents are different according to the decade so check on google for ideas.

One thing to remember though is if you are now a “mature” lady then it is more authentic to dress according to how someone your age would dress in vintage eras, not how a young mum of that time would dress.

If you check out the website for “Rod’s Diary” there is a list of all WW2 events. If I know of any others I will add them on here, or you can add any in the comments section of this post by going to the website.

 This was taken last year at a vintage event, look at the different types of prams. And look at all the people admiring them!

Another word of advice is to perhaps add a notice on your pram asking people not to touch the doll (or pram), unless you can supervise them of course. Reborn dolls are very costly and can easily be damaged if people will insist on touching them to make sure they are not real. Also don’t leave valuables, such as purses or phones in the pram bag or under the pram cover as it has been known for people to unzip  the bag and steal items. Sadly a sign of the age we live in.

But most of all, get yourself and your prams off to as many events as you can this summer and don’t forget to send us photos if you would like to see them on the website! You can e mail them to me – VintagePramFan@hotmail.com

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about an accident involving a pushchair, and this is a comment I received from a Vintage Pram Fan in USA, telling me of a similar incident. It just goes to show the strength of these Silver Cross pushchairs!

Thanks to Joanne for sharing her story with us:

“My husband and I visited London in 1970 and I saw the SX Carnival everywhere. We lived in NY and had not seen it there. I bought one complete with hood, apron, and footmuff and brought it home for our six-month-old son.

We used it so much we had to replace the wheels because they were worn down. We used it also for our daughter who is five years younger.

We had moved from NYC to San Francisco after our daughter was born. One evening when my husband was driving on the Bay Bridge a driver behind him, not noticing that traffic had stopped, drove into the back of our VW Rabbit, setting off a four car collision. The force of the hit caused the back of the car to be crushed.

The CHP officers who responded could not believe that the car hadn’t exploded on impact. They discovered that the folded Carnival on the floor of the back area had absorbed the impact and that the back of the car was crushed around it. It was over the gas tank.

We always said the carriage had saved his life. After the body shop cut it free from the car we continued to use it for our daughter. Three grandchildren have also used it. The guy at the body shop said it was stronger than the car.”

Silver Cross Carnival pushchair above (picture courtesy of Silver Cross)

With our British summers you may be wondering what is the point in buying a canopy. The answer is simple – to keep the sun off the baby. As well as exposing it to ultra violet rays which can cause damage to a baby’s sensitive skin, strong sunlight can damage a baby’s eyes.

I see far too many young mothers with their babies in modern prams with no shade whatsoever for the child, not even with a sunhat. A young mum I know said her child pulled off a sunhat, in that case I suggested she sew ties onto the hat so it could be fastened beneath the baby’s chin – it worked! There are sunshades or parasols available for most modern buggies, so if you know someone with a baby please make sure they know how important it is to protect a baby from the sun. And more importantly, make them aware of the following advice:

Warnings have been given out in the media about covering the front of a buggy with a blanket or cardigan/coat to shield the baby from the sun. This is HIGHLY DANGEROUS and there is a danger the child could suffocate as the interior of the pram will become very, very hot.   Imagine being put inside something enclosed like that on a hot summer day. How would you feel? Claustrophobic? Unable to breathe?  Not to mention being unable to see anything! Babies are unable to regulate their own temperatures so it is VITAL that the parent takes notice of this warning, it could save a child’s life.

With a traditional pram canopy the baby is protected from the sun’s rays but at the same time is kept cool because they are still in the open air, but in the shade of the canopy. And if the canopy has a fringe the baby will be kept amused watching it moving in a gentle breeze.

A canopy should have an anti glare lining, usually in green material, which is better for the baby’s eyes and protects them from the glare of strong sunlight.When I bought my first canopy the Sales Assistant told me that it should be fixed onto the pram with the longer side over the pram bed and the shorter side over the hood, this allows maximum protection for the baby. However, there are different views on whether this is correct or not, personal choice I suppose.

The hood should be lowered before putting on the canopy and left in that position, if you leave the hood up then the inside of the pram will be too hot and uncomfortable.

This photo shows the canopy knob to the right of the hood arm.

Some canopies have adjustable arms which allows for them to be placed higher up on the pram when a baby is sitting up. The cords on the canopy can also be shortened or lengthened on most types, allowing for adjustment as required. Do make sure the cords are securely looped, using the leather fobs, over the canopy studs at each end of the pram body, and the arms secured on the sides of the hood fasteners.

To fix the canopy you will need to unscrew the canopy knobs  at the sides of the hood, slot the canopy over the screws, then tighten the canopy knob. (see picture above – the canopy knob is at the bottom right on the hood on this pic). Note that the canopy knobs do not unscrew completely off the pram, so don’t try to remove them.

Another reason to use a canopy is to protect the pram hood. When prams are exposed to sunlight the fabric will soon fade. For this reason it is best to always use a sun canopy when your pram is outside in sunny weather.  When the pram is not being used put it out of direct sunlight, or make sure you keep the hood and apron covered. An old sheet or dust cover is ideal as it will cover all the pram hood and apron.This also keeps the dust off as well as preventing fading. Any fabric which is exposed to sunlight for any length of time will fade and it can also rot.

Let’s hope we have a scorching hot summer here in the UK this year and please ensure you make any young parents aware of the safety issues regarding covering their modern buggies with a blanket instead of using a parasol.

The pictures below show the two ways to affix a pram canopy, you decide which you prefer.

Picture showing a canopy with the long side over the pram body

Picture of sun canopy with short side over pram body (picture courtesy of Lyn B)

Pram of the Month for July is a twin Bedcar made by Silver Cross in the 1930’s. The price is unbelievable in comparison to today’s cost of prams! I wonder if any of this model have survived? Maybe you were a twin or have a friend or relative who could have been wheeled around in a Bedcar, if so do leave a comment on the website.

If you are planning to use an old coachbuilt pram for a baby then it is essential that there is no mould or dirt underneath the interior bed. This happens when a pram has been stored in damp, cold conditions such as a garage or loft. It is often assumed that if the interior of the pram has been thoroughly cleaned then it will be fine for a baby, but underneath the bed unit there may be lots of accumulated debris which has collected there over the years. If you are buying a secondhand pram and it is advertised as “baby ready” do make sure you ask questions about how it has been stored and the process used in making it ready for a baby. Mould spores can be dangerous to a baby, so please satisfy yourself that the pram is suitable.

This is a photo of the grime found underneath a pram bed (thanks to the owner of the pram for allowing its use).

It is possible to check for yourself by removing the interior bed unit, to make sure it is clean and safe.

Removing the interior bed is relatively easy, first of all you will have to take off the hood by unscrewing the screws at the front, on the inside of the hood near the canopy knobs. The hood should then slide off, but it is easier if two people do this as the hood is slotted into the body with pegs and it is helpful if someone else can help pull the hood away from the body.

The bed is fixed with tacks along the sides,  and once these have been removed it should be easy to take out the interior bed sections, this can be in one piece or it may have side bars which will lift off.  On some models there will be two “brackets” at the handle end of the bed, these will also need to be removed. If the tacks are damaged when you remove them it is possible to buy replacements from any DIY store.

You may find it useful to take photos at each stage, so you will see how to reassemble the bed unit.

When the bed unit has been removed you will be left with the shell of the pram body, as shown in this photo. (If your pram has a detachable body the interior may not have wooden spars as shown here).

In light coloured bed units you may find the material has discoloured over the years, in this case I would advise having the pram relined instead of just cleaning it.

The bed in my first pram had badly discoloured over the years and it was an orangey colour, at first I was reluctant to have it relined but then realised it would look dreadful against the rest of the newly refurbished pram. Therefore I asked the lady who made my hood and apron to reline it for me.This is a picture of the discolouration in the bed on my own pram.

It is possible to reline the beds on detachable chassis prams where there is a fitted backrest, or on the older models where the ends of the bed are panelled. I was amazed when I saw what a fantastic job had been made on my pram, and below are pictures of a similar pram which has been relined. (photos courtesy of Jacki Canning).

This picture is of a pram with the panelled ends, with corded seams just as it was on the original bed.

The next picture is of a pram with a detachable chassis, in this one there is a  backrest which lifts up when a baby is able to support itself, or can be left flat for a young baby.

You can use a heavyweight pvc fabric (which must be baby safe) to reline a pram, but make sure you also replace any padding, in really old prams this maybe horsehair which will be full of accumulated dirt. Use heavyweight upholstery padding (again make sure it meets current standards of what is deemed “baby safe”) to cover the metal sidebars. It is imperative that the padding is thick enough to adequately cushion the hard sides of the pram,  some years ago a baby banged its head on an inadequately padded pram side with tragic consequences. For that reason it is better to have the interior relined professionally if you are unsure about doing this yourself.

If you are looking to buy a vintage pram, then please bear in mind that what you are told by the seller may not always be the true facts.  I will be writing more in a future post on what to look for when buying a pram, but in the meantime here is some good advice.

When you see a pram advertised, do try and go view it if at all possible. If you can’t do this then ask lots of questions and satisfy yourself that the seller has answered these truthfully, sadly not all sellers are honest and I have known several people who have bought a pram only to find out that it is not what they thought it would be.

Never part with any money until you have been shown lots of photos of the actual pram, there are a lot of scammers around who “steal” photos of prams from the internet selling sites then try and pass them off as their own. An unsuspecting buyer then parts with hard earned cash but never receive the pram. If you are asked to pay by bank transfer then unless you are 100% certain that the seller is genuine then don’t pay that way, you will have no claim from the bank if the seller is a scammer. It is the same if you are asked to pay by Paypal, often these scammers will ask you to pay “friends and family” to avoid paying the fees, but if you do this you will have no claim against Paypal if the sale is bogus.

Beware if you see prams advertised on some of the pram facebook sites, scammers even try to sell their prams on those, but now most Admin on the facebook pram sites insist on a security photo being added to the advert. This should show the name of the person selling the pram, with the date, and it should be placed on the actual pram in a clear photo, not a close up for example of just a pram hood or apron with the piece of paper showing the name, it should show more of the pram.

Sometimes prams are listed on E Bay or other selling sites which say a pram is newer than it is. You can check the age of a pram by the lining, these were changed over the decades and there is more information in my Pram Restoration book about these. You can also check the approximate year certain models were made. Recently I was told about an advert for a 1970’s pram that the seller claimed was only a few years old, but pram collectors who “know their stuff” soon spotted how misleading the advert was and alerted the seller that she could be the subject of a dispute if a buyer found they had been misled and trading standards became involved.

Having said this, many vintage prams have been restored and have different linings and colourways to what they had originally, but you can still tell the approximate age by the style of pram. If you are in doubt then ask for advice by e mailing me or search on the website, I have written several posts about which prams were made in which decade and these will guide you.

Test yourself on your knowledge by looking at this picture, when do you think this pram was first made and is it still in production?

I received this lovely e mail from a lady called Ann, and I am sure she won’t mind me sharing it with you as I think lots of us can identify with what she has to say. Thank you Ann C for your very interesting message. 

“I would love to see a return of the lovely big coach built prams of yesteryear but as well as the fact that more people have cars and don’t do their shopping locally any more, there is also the fact that in this day and age nobody leaves babies outside shops any more and most shops just don’t have the facility to accommodate large prams in store.

As a young mum in the 60s and living in a basement flat I went for something practical – a Pedigree detachable soft bodied pram which was only a step up from a carry-cot on wheels. It was grey with a cream interior.

I didn’t think much about it until my first visit to the local clinic where we took our babies for their weekly check-up. And that’s when “pram envy” set in ..lol. There, in all it’s glory was a Marmet pram, still soft bodied and detachable but it was all navy blue, navy interior and had two small wheels and two larger ones. Oh it looked so smart with its white broderie anglais covers that I hated mine from that moment on.

Five years later, when we’d managed to buy a house, I decided I would like another baby even though I’d said “never again” after a difficult pregnancy and birth and I couldn’t wait to go and order my dream pram, a silver cross coach built and definitely all navy blue inside and out. My husband once remarked that I wanted the pram more than the baby (not true of course). I even had the matching all navy reclining pushchair for taking in the car. I felt so proud of it wherever I went and especially when I turned up at the school gates to meet my eldest son. All the mums would gather round and admire it and the baby of course.

During those intervening years I became a “pram spotter” in much the same way as men could tell you what year, make etc. a car was. I could tell the make from a distance and noted whether it was leather strap hung or the cheaper version with the chrome fixings, the older deeper bodied prams and the more modern shallow styles that had become more fashionable over the years.

I still love looking at prams even though I’m now in my 70s but most of the latest designs now look like something out of a sci-fi film”

Pram of the Month for August is a Swan pram

I thought it a good choice for this month as some of you may be heading to Cornwall for your holidays and this pram is the Swan Cornwall model.

From the late fifties, this model sold for less than 23 pounds!! I love the elegant styling on this pram, the swirling coachlines are quite unusual.

When I was at primary school a girl in my class had the surname Swann and of course her doll’s pram had to share the same name.

Have any of you got a Swan pram? If so do leave a comment on the website.

Thank you to David, in the USA, for sharing this tip with us about a product to remove mildew:

“Not sure how helpful this information is to anyone in the market for secondhand coach built prams, but here’s some upholstery mold/mildew removal tips posted on a stroller/pram group I’ve been associated with for 13 years over here in the states. You may not have the exact same products available in the UK but probably have cleaners that are very similar.

‘For mildew removal you can use Simple Green, or soak mildewed fabric in a sealed container with Oxyclean and very hot water. Soak until water is cool. Repeat if necessary. Also, Oxiclean Laundry Stain Remover or Fantastic Oxy can be sprayed on, scrub with small, soft brush (toothbrush), wash, repeat if needed. Spray Nine is also an effective mildew remover – let dry in the sun to fade mildew stains.’

Hope these tips might be of some use.

Always enjoy reading articles on your pram website.

David”

This is a photo of a very old pram, its mattress was covered in mildew!

Vintage prams are experiencing a surge in popularity as more and more modern parents want to keep up with the latest trends for all things vintage.

But what do you look for in purchasing a vintage pram which is to be used for a baby?

First of all have a look around this site and at prams for sale or that have been sold on E Bay to find out about the different models, look in pram brochures from Silver Cross to see what the latest coachbuilt models are like, they currently make two styles but these come in many different colourways. Once you have done this you should have an idea of whether you prefer a high pram on straps or a medium sized one which is on a detachable chassis. The picture here is from a 1990’s catalogue, but gives some idea of the different styles of prams.

Think about your lifestyle and where you live. If you live in a house or flat with a lot of stairs then unless you have somewhere to store your pram on the ground floor it is probably not a good idea to opt for a large coachbuilt as they don’t come apart as easily as one on a detachable chassis. Nor do they fit into a small family car.

Whereas the medium sized prams, i.e. the Kensington, or vintage models such as the  Carlton, Grosvenor, Berkeley, Corniche, Tenby etc, have a chassis and bed unit which can be easily taken apart by just unclipping a bracket at each side. The handle also folds over and the wheels will detach easily too and they will fit into even a small car. When my granddaughter was born I bought a Kensington and this easily fitted into my very small car, the chassis fitted into the boot and the pram body fitted onto the seat next to her car seat.

Once you have decided on the model you like then you need to decide whether to buy new or secondhand. New prams cost in excess of £1000 but compared to modern buggy type prams this is not expensive as they will last far longer, your baby will be comfortable in a coachbuilt pram from birth until toddler age.

If you buy a secondhand pram or are given one that has belonged to friends or family it is vitally important that you make sure it is safe to use for a baby. In earlier posts I have mentioned how to clean surface grime off a pram, and there are other posts about restoring faded hoods and aprons – if you want to find these just go to the top of this page and in the Search box on the right hand side enter the phrase or words you are looking for.

A check on all the “mechanical” parts of the pram is essential before it is used, a bit like making sure a car is roadworthy.  Besides this perhaps the most important thing to remember is that years of grime can be accumulated in out of the way places inside the pram, (search earlier posts about this).

Before buying a pram you should try to inspect it personally, photographs do lie and often what looks to be a pristine pram in a photo turns out very different. If you can’t view before buying then you should ask the following questions from the seller:

Bodywork – are there any dents, major scratches

Chrome – is there any rust? If so is it just rust specks or is it flaking?

Fabric – is there any fading on the hood or apron? Are there any tears in any of the fabric?

Wheels – are all the hubcaps present? Are there any missing or loose spokes? Are the tyres worn? Do the wheels turn correctly?

Brake – does the brake work satisfactorily? Are the brake pads present ? (If not then you can buy replacements reasonably cheaply)

Are there any musty smells from inside the pram or on the fabric? If there are then this could be a sign the pram has been stored in damp conditions and will need a new bedliner at the very least.

Should you buy a pram that is advertised as having been “fully restored” or “baby ready” then make sure it has been done properly. A pram can be resprayed in any colour you choose and the hoods and aprons done to tone, in a fabric such as hopsack or cordura which are available in many colours nowadays. This updated look for a vintage pram often appeals to young parents instead of the more traditional black or navy.

Sometimes prams that are modernised with patterned bodies have been wrapped in a kind of plastic covering, this does not wear very well and may soon begin to peel off or look shabby. The same applies to transfers on the sides of the pram, a good restorer will have coated these with lacquer to make sure they don’t peel off.

Hoods and aprons that have been recovered should be made from proper waterproofed material, waterproofing sprays are definitely not suitable for use on a baby’s prams, they can give off highly toxic and dangerous fumes into the pram from underneath the hood which the baby will breathe in easily being in such a confined space.

Similarly, using material that is sold for vinyl tablecoverings is not acceptable as in time this will slacken and the hood will become baggy and loose. Curtain or upholstery fabrics are not suitable either, they are not waterproof and again will loosen in time. A good pram restorer would never use any of these materials.

Hopefully I have covered most things in this post but if you need any advice or want to add any tips of your own then please go to the website www.VintagePramFan.com and leave a comment.

When it comes to choosing bedding for a coachbuilt pram for your baby be careful not to use too many covers as the baby can overheat easily and become very ill. When coachbuilt prams were used in the past we put a cotton or flannelette sheet over the mattress with another one covering the baby, then either a pram blanket or quilt. Babies were dressed in handknitted clothes which were kind to their tender skin and at the same time were warm and comfortable. If you are using a coachbuilt pram there is no need to use a padded snowsuit as this will overheat the baby too much. Some people recommend the pram apron should only be used in wet weather, but I used mine throughout the colder months, both my babies were “winter” babies and were put outside in the fresh air to sleep every morning, snugly tucked up in their pram. If you decide to do this then always use a cat net over the pram, cats love to find warm places to curl up and may even snuggle up next to the baby, which could suffocate the child.

Pillows should not be used for babies under a year old, but to help with reflux you can put a pad under the top end of the mattress to raise the baby’s head slightly.  Some people prop up a pillow behind the baby, usually to “dress” the pram, but if you do this make sure it cannot fall over the baby’s face. It is perhaps safer to just place a pretty pillowcase over the mattress and rest the baby’s head on this. There are some very nice pram sets, comprising of pillowcase and quilt, available on E Bay, or if you sew you can easily make one yourself.

And remember that the fabric on a vintage pram, whether it was vinyl or cloth, is waterproof so no need for a plastic raincover, simple pull up the hood and attach the apron if caught in a shower of rain! In stormy weather use a rainshield that fixes across the gap between the apron flap and the hood, which will prevent wind and rain from blowing onto the baby.

When you come home with a pram that has been out in the rain, wipe off surface water from the bodywork and then leave the hood up and the apron fitted until it is completely dry.

Pram of the month for September is a vintage Silver Cross Corniche.

The pram was bought new in the seventies from Babyland Boutique in Dudley and still has the original shop label attached. In 1977 the pram was sold secondhand to a lady who used it for her babies. It was then put it in storage until 1984 when it was passed onto a relative who used it for her baby son and her second child later on. Afterwards, once again the pram was put into storage where it was kept until recently.

The pram now belongs to a couple from the north, who sent me this delightful photograph of the pram, with the Flying Scotsman in the background as it travelled along the Settle-Carlisle railway. This is the same pram that was used for that baby boy in 1984 and after being refurbished it was presented to him by his parents and is  now being used for his firstborn, a baby daughter.  He told me they use the pram as their main pram for the village where they live and it draws a lot of interest, but most importantly Baby loves it and sleeps contentedly.

The pram is a beautiful shade of burgundy and its owner tells me that he is hoping to get a photo at one of the stations with a crimson LMS train passing through – given how well the pram would match the colour schemes.

I am very grateful to the young man for sending me this interesting story of this Silver Cross Corniche, it is always nice to hear how these vintage prams are once again being used for their intended purpose.

Following on from my recent post about being careful to make sure the advert you see for a pram is genuine, I received this message from a lady who herself became the victim of a scam, this is what she has to say, so please take note if you are buying a pram:

Hi, I have been reading your post about scams. l was scammed myself and I knew from as soon as I paid the money, but that’s too late. lt was a Balmoral silver cross coachbuilt pram, new, which I asked lots of questions about. l was told it had been bought as a gift and because they lived in a flat it was going to be too big. l thought it sounded plausible as my daughter couldn’t have my Balmoral l had kept since having my son first 37 years ago when it was called another name. So it was kept at mine. Then she bought a big 4 bedroomed house and I decided to buy her one of her own. I paid £550 for the pram and something was niggling away at me because of the price. So l asked what was the colour inside and for photos ( l had asked for photos of the pram before buying and got them) saying l wanted to match pram sets.  l was then told they couldn’t remember as it hadn’t been delivered yet, but will be delivered straight to my house. I realised then l was scammed because it could have been cancelled. I contacted ebay and was told l would have to wait for about 6 weeks then open a case.l was shocked at this but one thing I did do was refuse a bank transfer and l said l would only pay by PayPal. So unless you can go see the pram don’t pay any other way but with paypal, luckily I had funds to be able to buy daughter another one while I finally got my full payment back 2/3months later. These people knew the baby was due in 6 weeks, they don’t care it’s just the money they wanted. l’ve ended up buying 6 more coachbuilt prams off eBay but all paid for through PayPal.

It is now several years since I started this website, primarily intended to help with restoration of coachbuilt prams, but as time has gone on it has evolved into a website with all kinds of information about prams.

If you are new to the site and wish to find out about a certain topic it might take a while to trawl through all the previous posts. Therefore, if you want to look for something specific go to the website www.vintagepramfan.com and at the top right hand side of the page there is a Search box. If you type in the topic you are looking for you will be redirected to relevant pages. 

I am also being asked if the book on Pram Restoration is available as a “proper” book instead of a Kindle download. I do have printed copies done sometimes and these are listed on E Bay when available.   The benefits of downloading the book from Amazon onto a Kindle device are that you are less likely to mislay the book, it won’t get dog-eared and nobody can borrow it from you, we all know how often books are borrowed but never returned.

If you want to buy the download version of the book there is a link on the right hand side of this page on the website and it is really very simple to set up an Amazon account if you don’t already have one.

Please bear in mind that the book is intended for beginners, there are lots of hints and tips to get you started on the initial restoration process but no illustrations or detailed instructions on how to make a new hood, for example.   

These are just a few of the topics covered in the booklet:

mould and mildew

faded fabric

how to determine the age of a pram

cleaning chrome

storing a pram

There is also some information about the different makes of vintage prams.

I am currently editing my latest book which will be available shortly, news of its release will appear on here when it is available.

In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact me via the website and I will try to help.