Memories shared from a Senior engineer at Pedigree Dolls:
“When I worked for Pedigree Dolls and Toys in the R and D department from 1967 till 1986, this set was one that I designed, engineered and made the development model for.”
“The skis were tested with Sindy fully dressed inc ski sticks, was sent down a 6ft long slope, over a jump and rolled over some 29ft without falling over. I was in the process of doing a test when the then M D (Mr Ken Edey) walked in and said what are you up to,
I explained what was going on to which he bet me a 10 shilling note that it would fail. I accepted the bet and in front of all R and D staff Sindy did the run in full, but I am still waiting for my 10 Bob, no luck, unfortunately he passed away many years ago.
Nice little part of Sindy history for you.”
AND
The 1974 Kellogg’s Sindy Competition:
One of the winners of the 1974 Kellogg’s Sindy Competition, Sue Newson, says:
“It has been an amazing turn of events that has brought me here to the The Little Sindy Museum.
I just happened to make a comment on the Buy and Sell UK – 100% to the DEC Ukraine Appeal Facebook group, as a Sindy doll was being auctioned.
I went on to mention, in passing, that I won a competition as a child to come up with a slogan for Sindy.”
“Next minute, loads of people started messaging me saying the competition was well known amongst ardent Sindy fans, and I was put in touch with the lovely Martina.
Since then, Martina has helped to bring back so many happy memories for me, by sending me photographs of the display she has of the Kellogg’s competition prizes at the museum. It was as if I was 4 years old again! I particularly remember being fascinated with the light switch on the bedside table, the noise the hairdryer made, and how fiddly the silver cutlery and the candlesticks were.
Such magical memories, that I am so very grateful for. It made me realise what a lucky girl I was in 1974 to win all those prizes. £50 was a lot of money back then. My parents would never have been able to afford to buy all those items for me, even though they were the most kind hearted and generous parents my brother and I could ever wish for.”
The competitors were to write the end of this slogan I think Sindy is a very special doll because –
And four year old Sue wrote: “she has lots of lovely clothes, and I want to collect them all”
TLSM is so happy to have found Sue and she shares a lot of more information about her winning experience, just click on the photo to read and see more!
Thank you for sharing your story with us Sue Newson!
Andrea Jaques remember this competition as well. She says:
“Sitting at the breakfast table gazing at the illustrations on the back of the cereal box. WILLING my family to eat more so that I could have the empty box. Getting my Mum to cut the application form out and write it out for me. Sticking a stamp on the envelope and running all the way to the post box at the other end of the village. Making absolutely sure it went in the post box. Strangely, I never heard anything and certainly never won, but congratulations Sue, wonderful to hear someones dream really did come true!
I do remember this so well. I was 8 years old and had two brothers. To find something so special on the cereal box that was just absolutely “for me” was such a thrill. The LONGING I felt and needed to win was unreal!
Years later (another story) I bought a fold up Sindy home for my daughter, when I assembled it for her, it had a tiny silver door knob missing. My husband was serving in the Falklands at the time, so I wrote to Pedigree and asked them if they would send me a replacement. Pedigree wrote back to me and apologised as they couldn’t do that as they didn’t make them anymore, but asked if it was ok to send my daughter a replacement toy.
I was a little disappointed as my daughter loved that little house and I had no money to buy anything else.
Imagine my daughters and I joy one day when Sindy delivered her beautiful range rover and all the camping gear a HUGE amount of Sindy toys, in exchange for the missing silver knob!! We felt we had won the lottery!! To this day, we remember and appreciate such a kind gesture from Sindy!
I am still, I have to say, a very avid doll collector, my daughter defected to teddies! But Sindy always has a special place here!”
Thank you Andrea Jaques for sharing your memories with us!
HOW TO FIND INFORMATION
TLSM is trying hard to find trustful information regarding anything Sindy related. And there is a great “dollyfriend”, Beatrice Victor, whom I started Sindytectives with. We are trying to find the red thread and to be able to document the results for people to use when trying to ID something from the Pedigree Sindy era. But everytime we think we have found the correct answer something new turns up and puts everything up side down again!
But we don’t give up! If you have a Sindy bought new in box we would love to get in contact with you to be able to ask some questions! Please contact TLSM !
A fun little joke, from Beatrice Victor, that sums up our frustration really good:
“-How can one know the difference between a 1977 Funtime Sindy and a 1977 Weekender Sindy?”
“-It’s written on the box…”