Yesterday Bill said,"the toy theater is just wonderful!"
Perfect segway for me to take you along to London's Covent Garden!
Where once there was vegetable and fruit sellers, now you'll find antiques and hot chocolate (22 kinds) and...
Pollock's Toy museum.
Just head upstairs...
For a treasure trove of toys, miniatures and papercutouts.
So many DIY paper toy theatres.
Reproduced from Victorian designs. Pollock's has been making the best toy theatres for over a hundred years...
You can still buy everything essential (Pulcinella and Cinderella for just a few pounds) to put together an imaginary paper cutout world.
Victorian Times , contact, 9" x 11"
Tiny Mad Hatter's tea party miniatures can perform on your cardboard toy stage...
Plus Buckingham Palace guards.
A Bear will attend.
Wearing a pink clown's hat.
Victorian noise makers and spinning tops are provided should you get bored during the performance.
Post-performance hot-mulled wine awaits you in Covent Garden. And a perfect plate of paella for a fiver.
BONJOUR POLLOCK'S TOY MUSEUM!
Awesome Blog today Carol!!
ReplyDeleteVery inspiring.
Thanks for the great work!
Oooh, I love the victorian noise makers! So lovely!
ReplyDeletewindeater.blogspot.com
Oh, I always loved cutouts--and your painting is fabulous, Carol! Love it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get a notice that you'd posted today! Had to come see if you did. Glad I did!
xo
Two wonderful blogs! The Ballet Russe stuff is wonderful, such imagination and so sensuous. Last year during a gruesome dentist's appointment, the assistant distracted me by describing the costumes she had designed and sewn over the years for her daughter the ballerina and the company. Delightful!
ReplyDeleteThe miniatures are great, and I love the bear!
ReplyDeleteYour painting is beautiful :)
You saved the best for last (or I'm just very hungry) that food looks fabulous!
I remember this museum well - My daughter and I enjoyed it about 15 years ago - we were expecting a children's museum like the one in Chicago and NY - this was a surprise - the doll houses were amazing
ReplyDeleteand trains
Carol, thank you for taking me back to that toy museum. And also for a glimpse of other Covent Garden tenants, like Hobbs. Once upon a time I got so many shoes and boots from them.
ReplyDeleteWow, memory lane as Christmas nears.
xo
Your post was late today. A wonderful post too. Love the painting and the toy shop. I would love to go browes around there for awhile. :)
ReplyDeleteI had the pleasure of visiting Covent Garden once. That toy museum looks fabulous. I would love to see those toy theaters in person.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this fantastic blog post! I've never grown up, and still love toys. It's a good thing we don't live anywhere near a place like Pollock's. First, I'd buy the Alice in Wonderland tea party (I love fantasy stories), and then . . .
ReplyDeleteWish I went there the last time I visited, it looks like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat to see this.
ReplyDeleteAm way behind. Are you in London or was thzt from your last visit?
ReplyDeletePollocks - oh my goodness - childhood memories of nose pressed up against the window when they used to be in, I think, Charlotte Street, and finally being given one of their theatres for Christmas. I have no idea what happened to it. Probably got lost in one of the family moves, but oh the smell of the Pollocks shop and the smell of the paper.
All that and Covent Garden thrown in too. Heaven.
All I need now is some roast chestnuts.
Have you been to the original Pollocks in the old 3 floor, slanted bldg?
ReplyDeleteLovely Victorian post...
ReplyDeleteVery Brit
merci
What theatres and paper dolls these are! Charming Victorian creations. Thanks for your amazing posts, Carol!
ReplyDeleteI love the spinning tops!
ReplyDeleteEnchanting.
Clare:
ReplyDeleteI'm in FREEZING new York instead of FREEZING London!!!
No way! SO cute! And 22 kinds of hot chocolate?? Yes, please!
ReplyDeleteDear PB~
ReplyDeletePerfect post at the perfect time!
so festive and fun....
~suzanne
oooh, I think I can smell the paella!
ReplyDelete.. tres charming ... love the little theatres ... I should have bought one at the Paris Opera gift shop last year ... so sad I didn't, but they were tres cher. Thanks for posting
ReplyDeleteI love this post - we are going to get some "Toys For Tots" to donate and this is oh, so inspiring and cheerful.
ReplyDeleteOh that paella is wonderful!! My only regret was that I ordered the small size, not the big one!
ReplyDeleteDoes the Brussels book mean you went to Brussels too?
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. I just love this post and all the pictures!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this awesome post.
ReplyDeleteGreat job!