This is Katie and Ted. Katie is about the only doll I kept. She is a Kathe Kruse doll with a lovely face & real hair. Her dress & shoes are original but I think she may have had a straw hat too at one point. There was a label about her which sadly went missing years ago.

Ted belongs to my oldest brother but when mum was down sizing her home, Ted came to live with me. He must be fifty four now bless him.

Along with Katie I had a stiff walkie - talkie doll called Diana, a straw filled doll called Suzie Wong and a very life like baby doll called Joanie. Joanie had glorious red hair but I cut it all off. We took her to the doll's hospital in Brighton and they gave her a ridiculous wig of brown curly hair. I suppose I chose it.

Katie also went to the hospital to get her feet repaired but her shoes have never fitted since - too loose.

My God mother knitted me the Whinny the Poo characters. I loved the one of Kanga & baby roo. I'm afraid the mice got at them in a packing case. I suspect their home was rather nice with kapok stuffing !

Later came a Tressy doll with the ability to grow her hair and an inherited Sindy who set up home with my brother's Action Man ! I never had a Barbie.

I loved my dolls. My daughter has NEVER liked dolls ... her love was a little pink rabbit called Auf. When Wee Man was born, I bought her a doll & a cradle. She got home from visiting us at the hospital - saw the doll and said, " What's that ? !" then threw the doll out of the cradle and put Auf in. At least she did treat her little brother with more kindness though at the hospital she had ignored him and eaten all the chocolates....