Sunday 21 October 2012

Birthday Treat

 Friday was my birthday. On Saturday my birthday treat (if such a thing still exists at my age!) was a trip to The Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. It is a lovely museum. Part of the V&A but much easier to get to! I love it. It also has a great cafe and part of the treat was one of their sausage rolls, a lovely coffee and an amazing piece of cake. The best cake I have had for a long time. Pear and blackberry. I wish I had another piece now!
 I took loads of pictures. Here are some of my favourites...
 Pelham puppets-I have a small collection of these myself, which includes a skeleton like this one. Something I own in a museum. Not sure what that says!
 Lucky Mary Lou, she has such a fun life ahead of her! I see she has a cat that irons-if only.
 When I read the label with these phones, which says 'have you ever seen one like this before?', I suddenly felt very old. Later in the shop I saw two toys that made me laugh but made me a little sad too. One was 'my first laptop'-a toy aimed at quite a young child-it was a wooden laptop shaped thing, which, when it opened, had a chalkboard where the screen would be. Quite weird mixture of eras really. The other product, by the same company,-'my first smart phone'-also made of wood. I didn't look closely but it didn't seem to have too many parts. A wooden brick shaped like a smart phone would do, and would probably be free and already in the toybox. It is what the kids use at school for phones-amongst other things. One of them this week used a toy iron, and a brio railway bridge, which, strangely is shaped quite like the handset of the old dial phones. Full circle!
 This one is for you Dawn! Not the same size as yours, but they reminded me of them.
 I love this picture of a girl having a tea party. I have to drink so many cups of pretend tea at school every day, it quite wears me out!
 This is Cassie as a teddy bear. It looks just like her!
 Love the old monkey and his lovely velvety trousers.
 I would like one of these for school. My shoe is a wire and organza one from a charity shop and my old woman is not old and her children are weird-some are not even children at all. This one is much more together as a set!
 The days when Mr Potato Head was a real potato! I didn't realize that he ever was, only knowing the brightly coloured plastic version.
 If they made these in human size, I would want to live in one. I might have to have a sugar bowl extension though.
 These fairies or angels are beautiful. I might use them for my Christmas cards.
 I love the story dress.
 We had a walk around the local area, as I wanted to find a wool shop I had read about in Country Living Magazine. A local primary school had a beautiful selection of mosaics on their walls. The crocodile and the Pearly couple were my two favourites.

 The said wool shop. Full of hand spun, hand dyed and delicious yarn. Some is even from city farms. I am glad I know where it is now. I bought two skeins in pinky, greeny and natural variegated tones. I also bought a bundle of bits-a selection of meters of different yarns and bits and pieces which I thought would be great for doll embellishments.

 I loved this sign. We enjoyed wandering around the area between the wool shop and the museum.
I want this. Pure and simple! Isn't she beautiful? To see the early stages of a doll, without all the clothes is interesting. She looks almost robotic with her metal arms.

11 comments:

snoopydogknits said...

What a lovely birthday treat! I too have Pelham puppets, from my own childhood; McBoozle, the drunken Scotsman and a little gypsy girl. One of my daughters has a clown. All three of my children played with them loads when they were small. Have a good week. Only 5 DAYS! YAY! ROs

Mary S. Hunt said...

first of all happy birthday!
and what a fun trip!
have a nice week!!

Carole Reid said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SARAH,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

xo Carole

Linda Sue said...

Oh Happy Day! You certainly know where to go to make life worth living- I must go back to England...for a longer stay- we could play! I remember Mr. Potato head being a potato. I never had the plastic sort. I LOVE the naked doll and of course the Cassie bear. I just went to my friend's new shop this afternoon- she is a finder of wonderful childhood things- utterly charming and can be purchased for a hefty price! Thought of you especially in the tiger and cat dept.

Rattling On said...

Happy Birthday!! I am SOOO jealous of your whole day. (I read the Prick Your Finger blog). All those lovely toys...and copper miniatures, very posh!

Tracy said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, belated, Sarah... and What a fun outing to celebrate you! You know, I didn't know about this museum--must go see about that. Such fun to see all the toys and things in miniature. That pear and blackberry cake looks sooo YUM! Wishing you a wonderful birthday year! :o) ((HUGS))

Leenie said...

Kind of unsettling to see toys of childhood in a museum. Am I next? Weeeerd. I even had a Mr. Potato Head toy that required a real potato. We also used apples. Probably went the way of so many fun toys. All the pieces had spikes so they could be pushed into the vegetable/fruit. Much to dangerous for children after all.

Happy Late Birthday

Anonymous said...

Happy belated birthday!! You are never to old for a birthday treat - especially if cake is involved!! Fabulous photos - it's ages since I have been in a museum like that - but it does make you feel old when you see toys from your childhood in a museum!!

mycuriousteaparty said...

What a great post, I was in the V&A last Wednesday eating that same cake, it was very good.. I went to see the Arthur Bispo do Rosario exhibition which is amazing.. And sadly only on to the end of the month.

I haven't been to the V & A Museum of Childhood, looks amazing, I shall move it up to the top of my list, and a visit to 'Prick your Finger.. I want to go there just because of its name.. Great post loved it..

Shell said...

Happy Belated Birthday, Sarah!! Hey, you are never too old for a Birthday treat.

Anonymous said...

You are never too old to treat yourself to a nice birthday! That museum looks and sounds wonderful! Happy Belated Birthday!!