I received the following message from a gentleman in the States after he saw a recent post about Silver Cross Wilsonette pushchairs:

“Sorry for the late reply to this older topic. A gentleman over here in the states was doing some home improvement work for us. When he found out I collected strollers and prams he brought over one he had purchased years ago secondhand for me to try and identify.

From your posts I now know it is a Wilsonette, and the Silver Cross name is stamped into the leg rest. The color is a charcoal grey or black…hard to tell with the dust and dirt from storage. No rust, fortunately. The whole body outside along with the mudguards and frame are that color. Only the wheel hub caps were plated metal. He asked me about the age/value and I told him I’d guess 1940s and roughly $100(USD). It is missing the hood which is a shame because the value would probably be less than $100 in the present condition. I wanted to find out from you if there is anyone who has replacement parts, such as the hood, that would fit this model. Also, is there anyway to figure the age of it closely since these were made over several years? Thank you for your kind assistance”.

Some of the Wilsonette pushchairs didn’t have a hood, this was an extra cost so the one you have may have just been a basic pushchair. One way to determine the age is that during the war years and post war of the 1940’s chrome was not used on prams. If the mudguards and frame are painted then I would think this is from that era.

However, maybe some readers of this post may have more information, if so please leave a comment on this post on the website.

October’s pram of the month is a Swan pushchair, from the 1960’s. My sister had a  pushchair like this and in the seventies when we went on holiday I borrowed it, as my mother insisted the baby buggy I had would not be warm enough at the seaside for my little boy! To be honest at the time I thought this pushchair was old fashioned in comparison to my modern Maclaren buggy. But mothers know best don’t they and as my husband tended to agree that we did need something with a hood and apron, the little pushchair was folded up neatly and fitted into the car boot alongside the suitcases and my beloved baby buggy was left at home.

However, I had to admit that my Mum had been right because the weather whilst we were on holiday was a typical British summer, with wind and rain on several days. The hood and apron sheltered baby from the  wind when walking along the seafront and if it rained baby remained snug and dry. Even with the raincape that draped over my buggy I realised the borrowed pushchair was much more practical and when we returned home I bought it from my sister, it lasted until my son was toddling and was then used for my second baby and lasted several more years, then I passed it onto a cousin. Very sturdy little prams!

These pushchairs were very handy to take on public transport. Do any of you remember when pushchairs had to be folded up and placed in a compartment under the stairs on buses, which was open to the elements as in those days buses didn’t have doors, except in the driver’s cab. It was quite scary sometimes if the bus turned a corner sharply and the pushchair rolled onto the platform, but the conductor usually managed to grab hold of it.

Several manufacturers made pushchairs in a similar style to this, the Silver Cross Wilsonette for example. Another advantage of these pushchairs was the ability to change the pram body around so the baby would face the parent or  it could be changed forwards, to allow baby to look where it was going.

I have a Wilsonette now and it is a great little pram, especially useful to take to Forties events as it is easy to lift in and out of the car on my own, and of course it always attracts lots of comments from people who had a similar model.

Did you have a pushchair similar to this one?

I have received this interesting message from an American lady about Marmet prams, if anyone knows the date the factory closed please leave a comment. And if anyone happens to have a photo of the factory if you e mail it to me I will forward it to the lady who contacted me, my e mail is vintagepramfan@hotmail.com

“I am enjoying these stories about Marmet. I worked in the accounting department typing invoices in 1964 and 1965. It was a wonderful place to work.

I am an American and my Dad had taken a job for the US Navy at Irvin Air Chute, so we moved to Letchworth for two years. I didn’t know anyone until I came to Marmet. They were so friendly and welcoming. I still hear from a few old friends at Christmas.

I was acquainted with some great people in the factory too. They were always ready to answer questions and show me what they were doing. I have looked for a photo of the building for years but can’t find one. But I did find a Marmet Dolly Pram just last year and I got it from the lady who purchased it for her little girl in 1964. So who knows, I may have even watched it being made or possibly typed the invoice to the store that would have ordered it. Can anyone tell me what year they closed? Thanks ever so much. Sandy”

As autumn is here, I thought it might be useful to remind you  once again of how to store your pram. Maybe you only use your pram throughout the summer months to attend events, in which case you need to know how to look after it when putting it away for the winter. Or maybe you are storing a pram until it is needed for another baby. Whatever the reason, you should find these tips invaluable.

Before storing the pram, give it a good clean and get rid of any dirt on the tyres, polish the bodywork and chrome and brush the hood and apron. Always make sure you keep the hood up, fully stretched with the hood arms locked in place, and keep the apron on with the storm flap fastened to the hood. This will keep them in good condition and maintain a good fit, with no creases or fold marks.

Remove any bedding – it will become damp if left in a cold place and also mice love to make nests in comfy bed quilts and pillows! Keep bedding in the house if possible or use those airtight bags which can be flattened after the air is removed and then sealed.

The best place to store a pram is in a moderate temperature room, damp and cold conditions will soon cause rust spots to appear on the chrome.

If you don’t have enough space in the house to keep your pram, you may have no option but to keep it in the garage or a shed, or maybe a summerhouse. If the shed is insulated it will be better, outbuildings soon become damp in cold weather. If you wish to use heating then using a greenhouse heater will be safer than other forms of heating and will heat the shed sufficiently to keep the prams at an ambient temperature.

You can of course pay for prams to go into a storage unit but this could work out expensive over time. If you have no option but to put the pram in an outhouse or garage, then coat the chrome work with vaseline, this will protect it and is easily cleaned off later.

Cover the hood and apron to prevent them fading if they are not going to be used for a while, drape a sheet or old bedspread over them and this will be adequate. I also put an old duvet around the coachwork to prevent anything accidentally catching the sides. Charity shops usually have bedding which can be bought cheaply if you don’t have any yourself.

The most important thing NOT to do …

Do not use a polythene cover, this will make the pram “sweat” and may encourage mould. Alternatively you could have a cover that is made especially for coachbuilt prams, but these are quite expensive and not necessary when a sheet will do the job just as well. A large sheet similar to the ones used by decorators is also very useful, these are available online and are very reasonably priced and large enough to completely cover a large coachbuilt pram.

At regular intervals check on the pram and move it slightly so the tyres don’t flatten with being kept in one position and leave the brake off, otherwise this will also flatten the rubber on the tyres.

If you follow this advice your pram should remain in good condition until you need to use it again, then all you need to do is freshen it up. Give it a polish again, even when it has been covered up it is surprising the amount of dust that can gather. Wipe down the interior with a solution of warm water and bicarbonate of soda and leave the pram outside in the fresh air for a few hours, oil any moving parts, check the brake is working, the wheels turn smoothly. etc before using your pram again.

One last, very important, thing to remember about storing your pram is the security aspect, it has been known for prams to be stolen from garages. If you have to keep your pram in a garage or shed keep them out of sight if possible, and make sure the locks are adequate, and for extra security you could install an alarm system. You could also use a wheel lock, as used for cycles, to anchor the pram to a workbench or similar. Remember. no amount of insurance will compensate for the theft of a cherished pram.

Lucy

P.S.   If you can add any more tips please do write them in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!

Pram of the month for November is a Silver Cross flat bottomed model from the seventies, the Rapide. The bodywork is quite different from other similar models, having a border all around the side instead of a coachline or chrome strip along the centre. Maybe you have had one of these at some time or perhaps you own one now? If so do visit the website www.VintagePramFan.com and leave us a comment. 

Classical designs never go out of fashion, whether it is clothes or items for the home. The same can be said for prams, a coachbuilt pram will always have that classical look.  However  today’s young parents may like the style of the prams, but perhaps want to update them a little.

With a coachbuilt the paintwork can be changed to a different colour and have a design painted on the sides. This extract (courtesy of Silver Cross) is from a 1950’s Silver Cross pram brochure showing the colours available for their prams and the interior colours.

Now, sixty years on, in keeping with fashionable trends some coachbuilt prams are being painted in bright colours or have designs on them. These appeal to modern parents who want a sturdy pram but with a more up to date  look than the original colours. I have seen prams with abstract designs and others with nursery characters painted on the sides.

As one Grandma commented, “it would be nice to see more nursery characters such as Muffin the Mule or the Woodentops’ spotty dog instead of the more common ones.”   Maybe, but the younger generation are unlikely to remember these from the Watch with Mother programmes of years ago! Picture left is of a commemorative postage stamp from a few years ago showing Muffin the Mule.

I did a short survey amongst young people I know and asked what characters or designs they would like on a coachbuilt pram. The answers were intriguing, surprising and amusing, but the most bizarre had to be from a young man who said he would have something from Star Wars on a pram for his children!

Most of us probably prefer traditional colours for our prams, but does it matter what designs or colours young parents choose? Surely the important thing is that more and more of them are opting to use a coachbuilt pram, and if they want to customise it so what?

Tell us what you think – should prams stay traditional and original or be given a more modern look?

Over the summer we had a constant stream of visitors, one of them was a former colleague who now has a 7 month old baby.  Struggling  with the baby in its car seat, the young woman noticed my Kensington pram in the hallway.

“My mum had one like that for my brother and I” commented the visitor looking somewhat scornfully at what she probably thought was “an old fashioned” pram. Like the younger generation in the family, she was no doubt wondering why I wanted to have such a big pram for my grandchildren.

I offered to babysit while my visitor went off to a nearby shopping centre, thinking it would be easier for her to go round the shops alone. Just as she was preparing to leave, the baby started to cry so I put him in my pram and gently pushed it to and fro, within minutes the baby was settled.  His mum was amazed and looking at her contented baby she commented “I can’t believe he has calmed down so quickly.”

Once the baby was settled I decided to take him out for a walk, but we had only gone a short distance when it started to rain. The hood on the pram was quickly put up and  I sheltered under my umbrella, which was under the pram on the shopping tray.

When my friend returned from shopping I told her we had been for a walk, she was concerned that the baby had been drenched with the rain and asked if I had taken a raincover. I explained the hood and apron are waterproof, which seemed to amaze her.

(Photo courtesy of Silver Cross).

As we chatted the baby was sitting up happily playing with toys in the pram.

“Now I realise why you wanted one of these prams” commented the young woman, watching her son, who was clearly delighted that he was on the same level as the rest of us.

Of course I then had to boast to the young mother of the advantages of a “proper” pram –  a new baby lies flat and sleeps contentedly, an older baby sits propped up with a backrest and, strapped in, is able to see what goes on around and is on the same level as the rest of the family, whilst the household chores are done the baby sits safely out of harm’s way in the pram playing with toys, when out for walks the baby faces you and is away from traffic fumes. When baby number two arrives there is space for a pram seat on the apron.

When my visitors were leaving the young mum cast an admiring glance over the pram and I wondered if I had converted her to wanting a coachbuilt pram. I had my doubts, she is a trendy young mum who has to keep up with the latest fashions in everything.

However, much to my surprise a few days later I received a phone call from the young woman. She told me that after seeing my pram she had mentioned it to her mum, who in turn had mentioned it to her sister in law, who just happened to have her 1970’s Silver Cross pram stored in a spare room, hoping it would be used for grandchildren someday.  Now I am delighted that another young mother has been converted to using a “proper” pram, her aunt and mother are also pleased that the pram is being put to good use again and that the baby is having the best start in life.  As for the  young mother, what had impressed her most of all was that the pram hood and apron are completely waterproof,  no need to struggle with a  raincover.  She told me that  her son screamed as he hated being enclosed in the plastic cover, as did some of her friends’ babies, and she hated removing the dripping cover on returning home as finding a place to dry it was a problem. Now, the young mum told me, she  couldn’t wait to show off her “proper” pram and was actually looking forward to walks in the rain! I reminded her to leave the hood up and the apron fitted to the pram until they dry, and I am sure once her friends see this trendy mum with her pram they may also want one themselves!

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to be given a tour of the factory in Yorkshire where Silver Cross coachbuilt prams are man ufactured.  It was so interesting to see how a pram is made and I thought you might be interested in knowing more.

Coachbuilt prams were made by various manufacturers in the UK until about 30 years ago and gradually as the market for traditional prams lessened they stopped manufacturing them until only Silver Cross is left.

In their heyday coachbuilt prams were made by skilled craftsmen and women. Each company had its own model designs and for each one a mould was made. The side panels were cut out of metal and pressed into moulds which had the design and shape of the pram on them, the parts were then clamped together and the corners welded to form the carriage part of the pram.

Before the pram body was assembled the panels were painted,  they were given two undercoats and two topcoats, which were sprayed on. Each coat was stove hardened by an infra red stoving process. The bodywork was stoved for a final time before being assembled and when it entered the huge “oven” it was dull but when removed the paintwork had a beautiful shine.

For prams which were two tone colours the body was sprayed first then the main part was masked, leaving the area for the contrasting colour visible and this was then sprayed. Where the two colours met, the edges were blended in by an artist who carefully painted along the join lines.

If the pram featured a painted design this was also handpainted, I think the most intricate example of this is the Barouche, made by Silver Cross, and featuring a coach and horses on the side panel. The photo below is not very clear of the design but unfortunately I don’t have a close up. (picture  courtesy of Silver Cross).

Coachlines were also painted on by hand, using a brush known as a sword liner, this takes many hours of practise before a perfect coachline can be done as it requires a steady hand. On my visit  I was shown a demonstration of this process, it looked so easy but when I tried it myself it was a lot more difficult!!!

The whole production process used to be carried out by a team of people who each worked on separate sections of the prams. For example, the assembly department would be packed with stacks of pram bodies ready to be assembled together, tyres were put onto the wheels and they were then tested to make sure they were durable. Pram beds used to be hand made but with the advent of detachable chassis prams the beds were mass produced, the bed units were put into the prams and attached to the metal body panels.

Hoods and aprons were hand sewn and this was done at the Silver Cross factory mostly by female workers. To ensure these women could work without having to worry about childcare a creche was opened on the premises.That must have been a wonderful place – all those beautiful prams for the babies to take naps in and no doubt a few dolls prams to play with too! What a great company to work for, and I know this was true as I have spoken to many past employees who all spoke of happy times working at Silver Cross, an iconic company but now sadly the old factory has been demolished and housing now stands on the site at Guiseley in Yorkshire, the pram manufacturing taking place elsewhere now.

Pram of the Month for December is this rather quaint Dunkley, look at the wording in the advert where it praises the construction. Looking at the deep body and how low down the suspension is, I would hazard a guess that this pram is from the thirties/forties, I don’t have any information about this make so if anyone knows more about them please add a comment on the website.

My new book ‘Twelve Prams of Christmas” has been launched today on Amazon! You can download it to your Kindle (and if you don’t have Kindle – put one on your Christmas list!)

The book contains twelve stories about prams at  Christmas, compiled by interviewing lots of people who loved sharing their memories with us.

I often take my prams to Care Homes, some of the stories are from the old people there, others are from people I have met on pram outings. The stories are retold with the permission of those involved, they all said how much they enjoyed sharing their memories, and of course they loved seeing my prams too.  Some of the stories are about prams received from Santa, one lady worked in a pram shop and shared her memories and there is a very poignant story from another lady, now in her nineties, who took her six month old baby to visit family for the first time at Christmas.

I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it.

This is the link where you can find it on Amazon, or you can search ‘prams at Christmas’ in the Amazon Kindle store

https://www.amazon.co.uk/12-Prams-Christmas-selection-Stories-ebook/dp/B077XGSZJD/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1512650263&sr=1-3&keywords=Pram

I know most of you will be very busy at the moment, preparing for Christmas. Whether you are in the UK, where we are in the throes of winter, or at the other side of the world in New Zealand or Australia where the sun is shining, or elsewhere in the world,  I would like to thank you all for the support you have shown throughout the year. I have enjoyed reading your comments and loved doing research to find new articles to share with you.

Perhaps some of you are looking forward to Christmas morning and seeing the joy on a child’s face as they unwrap their dolly pram, or maybe you are treating yourself to a pram for yourself.  Or maybe you have been busy sewing a pram set or knitting clothes for a new doll. Do let us know about your Christmas.

Look out in the New Year for a list of future events where you can take your prams, if any of you would like to add information about an event then please e mail me and I will add it to the website. My e mail address is VintagePramFan@hotmail.com

Hope you all have a Very Merry Christmas

Please note amended date for Woodhall Spa – this event is on 7/8th July in 2018, a week earlier than usual, NOT as shown in my earlier post.

Happy New Year to all Vintage Pram Fans

With the Festive Season out of the way it is time to get entries into your new 2018 diaries for pram events.  Below are a few dates, further details can be found on the websites for each event.

(Please DOUBLE CHECK each event before travelling or booking accommodation, dates here were correct at time of publishing but sometimes organisers make changes.)

If anyone would like to include more events please leave a comment on this website www.VintagePramFan.com and I will add them.

This photo shows two of my prams at an event in Yorkshire.

APRIL

14-15 April      Crich Tramway

MAY

7 May                   Woolerton Park, Notts

19-20 May           Haworth War Weekend

26 May                 Batley Vintage Day

26-28 May           East Lancs Railway War weekend

26-27 May            Iron Bridge, Telford

JUNE

2-3 June                Brighouse 40s weekend

JULY

7-8 July                 Woodhall Spa Forties weekend

21-22 July                Festival of the Forties, Cambridge

28-29 July               Pateley Bridge

AUGUST

4-5 August               Baston in the Blitz, Peterborough (note this is BAston not BOston)

11-12 August            Cleethorpes 1940s

OCTOBER

12/13/14 October    Pickering wartime weekend

When you buy or sell a vintage pram you need to make sure it arrives safely at its destination. I have heard some horror stories from prams being lost or stolen and of others being badly damaged in transit.

Therefore it is of the utmost importance that when choosing a courier you choose one that is recommended and has been used by other pram buyers/sellers to deliver or collect a prized pram safely.

If you can collect or deliver a pram yourself  then you will save on courier fees, but if you don’t have a large enough car or van then you may have to hire one. This is worthwhile if you feel you really want to transport the pram yourself. Or you could go by train, many people take their coachbuilt prams on trains but you would have to check the station has a lift between platforms if there are a lot of steps. Compare costs of using your own transport with the fees a courier would charge.

Some of the large courier companies will transport prams, but some will insist on measurements and weight before they will quote a price. Somewhat difficult if you don’t know how much your pram weighs!  A warning to be careful about using a large courier company as many of them use scanners on all the items they transport. A lady I know had her pram delivered by one of the well known companies, when it arrived the body was badly damaged and two of the four wheels were so badly buckled they were unuseable. The seller of the pram had taken lots of photos before she despatched it, of the different sections of the pram and also of the packaging showing it was adequately protected, which was fortunate as she could then prove the damage had been done in transit. The excuse they gave was that the pram had been put through a scanning machine and the damage had been caused from that. A valuable pram was ruined and beyond repair, not to mention a very upset seller and a very disappointed buyer.

Choose a courier who is able to give you an approximate date when they can deliver or collect, but sometimes delays occur which are beyond their control so please bear this in mind. When using any courier. even if they give you a definite date and approximate time to arrive, delays can occur due to traffic, weather etc.

Our prams are very precious to us, especially vintage ones which are irreplaceable, no amount of compensation from a courier firm can pay for the loss of damage to a loved pram. Ask how your pram will be stored if there is a delay between destinations – will it be kept in the van, if so where will the van be parked? Will the pram be taken out of the van and stored between destinations? Again, ask about security of the storage.

Please do be careful and heed the advice given here, much better to use a courier that “knows his stuff” than just a parcel courier who probably doesn’t realise the sentimental value of our prams. Unfortunately one of the trusted couriers, Davy the White Van man, has now given up this job, so I am unable to recommend anyone I have used to transport my own prams.

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From time to time I receive a lovely comment, like the one shown below, telling me how a much loved pram has been brought into use for a grandchild. I think many of you can identify with the experience of Wendy, who shares her story here (and the photo shows another baby in another proud grandma’s pram, this one a Kensington).

“I remember when my first grandson was born, l had him out on his third day of his birth, l was last one of 12 siblings to have a grandchild and was so excited to get my Marlborough coachbuilt pram out. I had spent alot of time polishing it up, scrubbing the tyres and spraying the black hood and apron to waterproof it, as it hadnt been used for 30years and I wanted it to look the best l could make it.

I only just got out my gate and that’s where it all began again, people stopping me, the ladies in the charity shop coming out and saying how lovely to see a proper pram.l was exhausted by the time I got home. My grandson was £3.50 richer as people gave him silver coins, (something you don’t see in buggy type prams).l hadn’t seen another pram anywhere in my town, and ld walk for miles to town and back, hearing all about the prams they had years ago and some still had them, but the daughters wouldn’t use them.Even men and young youths use to shout (l like your pram missus!) l struggled to get my shopping done in a supermarket with being stopped so much.

Then after the first 6 months l saw another pram, then another (coachbuilt like mine but new) and now there is quite a lot of coachbuilt prams around, and its lovely to see them, new or second hand ones. And when l put my canopy on, l got asked l don’t know how many times where did l get it from, l’d had it over 30years and just made new broderie anglaise cover for it.l then started looking for canopies and found them on eBay, so was able to tell people where to look.

Four years later I got another grandson and it started all over again and I wouldn’t change it for anything. The pram is now in spare bedroom with dust sheet on it, hoping for maybe one more grandchild, fingers crossed.

My pram is 38 years old and I bought new set of wheels for it for second grandson, everything else is original apart from mattress, but l’ve still kept it.There will never be a better pram than a coachbuilt pram, l was lucky my parents bought it for me and it’s silver cross, but any of the coachbuilt prams are brilliant for babies and toddlers, mine was in pram upto 2 and half.So you young mums or mummy’s to be, try find one, you won’t regret it. Wendy.”

I recently received a lovely message from a lady who told me that her Grandfather, William Albert Notman, was the founder of the family business that made Manton prams. The business was called Notman and Co Ltd and began making Manton prams in Radford initially, then in Basford in Nottingham in the 1920’s. Very much a family business, most of the workers employed in the factory were relatives.

Manton were wonderful prams, they were advertised as “coach built by Craftsmen”.

The lady who e mailed me has some of the history concerning the business and is hoping one day to bring it all together, we will look forward to hearing more and I would like to thank her kindness in sharing with us how the company was founded.

Below is a picture of a Manton pram, a Chester droptoe model. This belonged to a one of our Vintage Pram Fans,

but has since been sold and refurbished in a different colourway.  (Thanks to Linda B for sharing the photo)

Whenever I take my coachbuilt pram out, I never get very far before someone stops to comment about how nice it is to see a “proper pram”.

It is not only people of the older generation, those who remember having a similar pram of their own, but lots of young people stop and comment too.

I remember being in a busy shopping mall where I caused quite a stir with my granddaughter in her Silver Cross coachbuilt pram. She was a little star in her own right (well, I am her grandma so I think so) but sitting up, securely strapped in, looking so comfortable in her beautiful pram she gathered hordes of admirers. Of course it was not the baby who drew them towards us, it was the unusual sight of a coachbuilt pram. In fact the first comment from some was “oh what a lovely pram”, they then remembered to compliment the baby too!

A group of young students from the local university drooled over the pram and nearly all of them commented that when they have babies they are having a pram like this.

One girl said her mum had used a similar pram for her and her younger sisters, wondering what had happened to it the girl immediately rang her mum on her mobile to ask if she still had the pram!

Surprisingly a lot of men, of all ages, also commented – most compared the pram to a car, admiring the shiny chromework and bodywork. One told me how he had used the chassis when he was a boy to make a go-cart, this was after the family pram had been used for seven of his brother and sisters and goodness knows how many cousins!

A young man, on his lunch break from his office, stopped to ask where he could buy a pram like mine, his wife was expecting their first baby and he said this was definitely the kind of pram they wanted. I directed him to Heritage Prams by Silver Cross if he wanted a new one, or to E Bay to buy secondhand. One very proud expectant father was delighted!

Young mums stopped to say how much they liked the pram and compared it to their own, saying how they had to buy a new one for each new baby as the modern prams are not built to last. I explained that a coachbuilt pram will last for several generations if it is well cared for.

I have to say the only comments I received were positive, but recently I heard of a young mum who had some nasty comments made about her coachbuilt pram. These prams may not be to everyone’s taste, just as modern ones aren’t to mine, but I would never dream of saying that to anyone pushing one.

Maybe you are a young parent who prefers these traditional prams to the modern ones, it would be lovely to hear from you as to your reasons for this, so do add any comments. Or maybe you own one and want to tell us about the reaction you get from people.

The Perambulator Times

Some of you may already be aware of the magazine especially for people interested in vintage prams. This is The Perambulator Times, an A5 publication printed in full colour on glossy paper, published quarterly at a very reasonable price.

The magazine is produced by Beth Huckstep who is an experienced prammie and always fills the magazine with lots of interesting and informative articles. It has worldwide circulation and usually includes interesting articles from readers.

Every issue has around 20 pages  packed full of items of interest to prammies, such as photos of prams, details and photos of events and lots more.

One of the previous editions has lots of pictures and articles, including the big event which took place at the dockyard in Chatham where the tv series ‘Call the Midwife’ was filmed. If you missed the last event  there I am informed another is planned soon and I am sure Beth will be giving more information in her magazine  and I will add it to the Events on here. (Remember if you know of other events this year I can add them to the website if you e mail them to VintagePramFan@hotmail.com)

The Perambulator Times has a section of items for sale or items wanted where you can place details of your own items (but remember there will be a delay before your advert appears).

The magazine is a must  for anyone interested in prams and is only obtainable by subscription.

If you would like to subscribe to the magazine please contact Beth, mentioning you saw her details on here, this is her e mail address bethy_huckstep@hotmail.com

This is a picture of some previous editions of the magazines, lots of interesting reading and all about prams!

Instead of a Pram of the Month, here are details of one of the largest Pram Events taking place this year. This takes place on 21st July at Chatham Dockyard, Kent, where the popular BBC series Call the Midwife was filmed. Everyone is welcome, (tickets available from the organisers) with or without a pram. And you can also take a Call the Midwife tour! For more details of the event and ticket prices please contact the organiser bethy_huckstep@hotmail.com

Remember if you know of other pram events to leave a comment on the website. Let’s get those prams out and about this year, not just in the UK but everywhere (there are hundreds of VintagePramFans worldwide who read these posts!) 

 Coach available
For the Chatham event Seats are Available on a Private Excursion Coach from the Chesham and Amersham Areas to the ‘Prams ‘n’ Dolls 2018′ event at the Historic Dockyard Chatham Kent on Saturday 21st July.
If any of you don’t have your own transport to get to the event and would like to attend, there are some seats available on this trip and you would be very welcome. Seats are just £20 per person (this does not include your entrance fee to the event or the Call the Midwife tour – just the coach trip there and back)
There are 4 pick-up points in Chesham and 1 pick-up point in Amersham. Payment for the seats needs to be paid now or asap please by Paypal or Cheque to Beth Huckstep. Email: bethy_huckstep@hotmail.com
If you are interested in taking up this offer, please contact Beth and she will give you more details.

Below are pictures of the last event at the dockyard, it doesn’t matter what type/make/age of pram you have, all are welcome.

Silver Cross  coachbult dolls’ prams are perhaps not quite as popular  with children now as they were in the fifties and sixties. I have two dolly prams from the 1950’s, one in fairly good condition and the other still in need of more restoration (when I find time!!!).

In 1993 I bought myself a SX twin doll’s pram, an Oberon model, from the Silver Cross shop in Guiseley, Leeds. It cost me £160 and everyone thought I was crazy spending more on a pram for dolls than I had paid for a baby pram when I had my children. My then teenage sons thought I was even more crazy, but as I explained to them if I had had a daughter I could have had a doll’s pram long ago instead of the train sets and Action Men tanks I bought for them!

This is a picture of my twin pram, alongside my Wilson Wedgwood baby pram. The doll’s pram has only been outside once, on this occasion at a vintage event at Sledmere House in Yorkshire.

Silver Cross no longer make twin dolls’ prams so I am glad I bought mine. I always wanted a twin pram when I was a child and although it took me a long time I finally achieved my dream of owning one!

It was bought to display some antique dolls that I inherited from a great aunt, the dolls were over 100 years old then and I thought instead of them sitting in a box in the wardrobe I would sit them in the pram. However, when I put them in there I decided they looked out of place and replaced them with more modern dolls.

The pram and dolls sat in my house on display for several years, admired by everyone who saw them until I got a granddaughter, she was allowed to play with the dolls and the pram but only under my supervision! However, when my granddaughter was three years old I took her out to the vintage event where this photo was taken. Everything was going fine until after a short time she decided she would rather run around on the grass than push a pram! So the pram was abandoned and off she went! Fortunately her mum and auntie were with her, one grabbed the pram to save it running off down a slope while the other went with my granddaughter! This was the one and only outing for my twin pram! Since then it has been used for display again, my granddaughter is now 10 years old and no longer interested in it.

Perhaps if you are thinking of buying a doll’s pram for a child you should bear in mind that a coachbuilt pram is rather heavy for a young child to push, it is better to wait until they are at least five years old I reckon, By then they are big enough to see over the hood and the pram won’t be as heavy for them to push. Children grow up so fast nowadays though so by the time a little girl is around 9 or 10 years old you may find they are no longer interested in either dolls or prams! Sadly a sign of modern times, unlike when I was growing up and at the age of 11 top of my Christmas list was a bride doll. I remember this so well, she had blonde curls and was dressed in a bridal gown and was about 2 foot tall and could be posed as though she was walking.

How times have changed! Do you remember your own dolls or their pram? If so, do share you memories with us by leaving a comment on the website.