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Dolls Hospital

Di.Poppitt

Di.Poppitt

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I bought a couple of dolls at auction the other day, both made by Pedigree; one is probably 1950' the other 1930's/40's, she's celuloid with a simple hook on the end of her arms and legs to hold the elastic. I was putting a new rubber band in place, and holding it tight with a knitting needle, and it took me right back to when I used to do exactly the same as a child.
Not for me the Dollies Hospital, I had to repair my own dolls. But I used to dream of a hospital just for dolls, rows and rows of them all lined up for days on end, waiting their turn.
Sounds a bit too close to home doesn't it.
 
:D I had a celluloid doll as a child, sounds just like the one you have now. I only got it because it's tummy had caved in, it had been used in the haberdashery shop across the road from our house for displaying baby clothes, it was of no use to them anymore so the lady gave it to "That poor little blind girl at number 46" 8) .

Me, I played with it for hours 8) operating on it’s tummy using cardboard, string, second-hand brown paper sticky tape (the stuff you had to lick and tasted rotten), news paper anything I could lay my hands on really and in most cases get a clipped ear for using it on a doll, when it had been saved for mending something more important than a broken doll. :)

I also had a brand new walky-talky doll one Christmas 8) . Dad had won her in a raffle, she had a yellow satin dress and hat to match, needless to say I was never allowed to play with her :cry: . She stood in the corner of my bedroom and I was only allowed to look at her – but when everyone was asleep I would wake up and play with and talk to her in the dark :wink: (a little scared that Mom would come in and catch me) and got a reputation in the house as a sleep-talker.
:)
 
Shame she couldn't have gone to the dolls Hospital Pom. I only got second hand ones, with the arms and legs hanging loose :D
 
Do any of you more senior ladies remember the tiny plastic dolls we had just after the war.I used to dress mine in silver paper out of my Dads cigarette packet and it slept in a match box.

About 50 years ago my sister and I had a doll each for Christmas mine was 'Lorraine' a brunette my sisters'Valerie'had blonde hair.Ican't remember what happened to mine but my sister still has Valerie minus some of her blonde locks.

About 20 years ago I used to do voluntary work in Chelmsley Hospital.The hospital used to have lots of dolls donated by children who had tired of them.Sorting through them one day a colleague remarked on the boy doll,I said that he did indeed have the looks of a boy."no,he really is a boy doll,look" and he certainly was.The only boy doll I have ever seen,think he was made in Italy.
 
:D I don't know about in the Uk, but all Preschools here are required to have dolls of both sexes and ethnic ones also 8)
 
There don't seem to be many dolls around now Pom. I had to buy my great niece a rag doll, it was the only one I could find. :D

Yes Alberta I remeber those tiny dolls. The only thing I kept in a match box though were catterpillars. I always put in a leaf or two for them to eat. :lol:
 
Doll's Hospital

I remember a Doll's Hospital, in the same block as the Central Fire Station in Lancaster Street. I was the youngest in our family by ten years,
and due to the war never had a china doll, but was allowed to occasionally
play with a double jointed china doll which belonged to my sister, one day I was swinging it round and dropped it, so off we went to the Doll's Hospital which I found a fascinating place, but I can't remember ever being allowed to play with it again.

There was also a Doll's Hospital in Erdington's Wilton Market for many years, but I was past dolls then and didn't have any daughters so never went there.
 
So this Doll's Hospital didn't have anything to do with the Doll's Club then? I was more familiar with that. 8)
 
:D No she’s not Paul, she’s just playing cowboys and Indians with her doll that looks a bit like 'The Rocker’ so she can take it to THE DOLLâ€ÂÂS HOSPITAL , that’s right isn’t it Di :?: :lol: :lol:
 
I remember there was a toy shop called the Dolls Hospital on Nechells Park Road ...near the swimming baths. Nechells Park Road seemed so long when I was young in the 1950s.
 
HI JAMES ;
I Reconen it must have been a very big money erner in those days because they was all over the shop[ meaning everywhere
city centre ; they was dotted every where ; we had one by us on the lichfield rd just past our post office
just passed church land those girls must have been very destructed if you asked me
competitiveness was very rife in those days i bet it was cheaper to buy a new doll than getting it repaired ;
have a nice day james astonian ;;
 
I seem to remember being dragged along to a 'Dolls Hospital' sort of place with my sister when one of hers had a problem, all very cissy i thought at the time.

But upon seeing rows and rows of heads, arms and legs on the shelves it became more like an Edgar Allan Poe story, very eerie...
 
I think my mother sent a doll to the Doll's Hospital once. I never knew where it was but, in my child's mind, I imagined it as some sort of magical place!
 
Hi All,

I think that dolls hospitals have disappeared because, by and large, dolls are conspicuous by their absence. Due to the equal society girls are being encouraged to take part in the same activities as boys. They now play, football, rugby and cricket. You never see a young girl pushing a dolls pram these days.

It is about time that society realised that boys and girls, men and women are different and long live the difference. That is not to say that men and women should not have equal rights.

Old Boy
 
I have just come across this picture of The Dolls Hospital on Broad Street, it is dated 1955.Moss
 

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My doll went to the Dols hospital in Erdington when her long wavy hair became a matted mess and her eye developed a squint, she came back with a short bubble perm and blue eyes, thought she was the bees knees then!
And Old Boy, you can still get dolls prams and dolls, my friends daughter ha just had one to celebrate the arrival of her new baby sister and she loves it, perhaps some of the old qualities are returning.
Sue
 
My mom used to take my doll's to a hospital in Walsall as it was only a bus ride from Four Oaks. Like you Sue I was always thrilled when they came back looking like new. I have a dolls pram my granddaughter loves to play with when she visits. I also have a rocking cot a neighbour gave me, which he made for his daughter over 30 years ago. We have great fun dressing the dolls. I love it as having sons I never got to play dolls after my childhood. I have made blankets pillows and a quilt. Still a little girl at heart....
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Di.Poppitt said:
I bought a couple of dolls at auction the other day, both made by Pedigree; one is probably 1950' the other 1930's/40's, she's celuloid with a simple hook on the end of her arms and legs to hold the elastic. I was putting a new rubber band in place, and holding it tight with a knitting needle, and it took me right back to when I used to do exactly the same as a child.
Not for me the Dollies Hospital, I had to repair my own dolls. But I used to dream of a hospital just for dolls, rows and rows of them all lined up for days on end, waiting their turn.
Sounds a bit too close to home doesn't it.
Click to expand...
My partner's one doll's eyes have dropped they are both on a sort of rocker. They are life size toddlers 1950's or late 40's. How would she repair the doll do you know?
Nico
 
Alberta said:
Do any of you more senior ladies remember the tiny plastic dolls we had just after the war.I used to dress mine in silver paper out of my Dads cigarette packet and it slept in a match box.

About 50 years ago my sister and I had a doll each for Christmas mine was 'Lorraine' a brunette my sisters'Valerie'had blonde hair.Ican't remember what happened to mine but my sister still has Valerie minus some of her blonde locks.

About 20 years ago I used to do voluntary work in Chelmsley Hospital.The hospital used to have lots of dolls donated by children who had tired of them.Sorting through them one day a colleague remarked on the boy doll,I said that he did indeed have the looks of a boy."no,he really is a boy doll,look" and he certainly was.The only boy doll I have ever seen,think he was made in Italy.
Click to expand...
My gran gave me a boy doll with boy's genitalia in the early 60's. He cried when you turned him over and he came in a blue roper suit..She thought it was right for boys to play with dolls, if they wanted to. At school we shared all the toys. Gran made his clothes on a tiny sewing machine the size of a house brick, thought she lost many of her fingers in a machine as a girl she was an adept seamstress.
 
Old Boy said:
Hi All,

I think that dolls hospitals have disappeared because, by and large, dolls are conspicuous by their absence. Due to the equal society girls are being encouraged to take part in the same activities as boys. They now play, football, rugby and cricket. You never see a young girl pushing a dolls pram these days.

It is about time that society realised that boys and girls, men and women are different and long live the difference. That is not to say that men and women should not have equal rights.

Old Boy
Click to expand...
Maybe Cov kids are different as little girls push little prams here and play with dolls. The creche (which I call a nursery) by me has child size kitchenettes and they are encouraged to play outside and learn about animals and plants and grow things. The little boy next door has a thing about vacuum cleaners he loves hoovering. Nico
 
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