SHORT FACTS
Name: Colette Gray Nee Mansell
Lives in: Herefordshire
Occupation: Trained as a teacher, artist, dress designer, but I’m best known for my love of dolls, specially Sindy!
Known for: I have written a number of doll reference books, including the History of Sindy (ISBN: 1872727549), The Collectors guide to British Dolls, and various others including fiction too.
Favourite Sindy:
Questions and Answers
1) Q: How did you first discover Sindy? A:
2) Q: How old were you when you got your first Sindy? A: I got my first Sindy in 1968, which was a New Look with pale long blonde hair similar to my own, and I loved her!
4) Q: What kind of Sindy/Sindy item did you dream about as a kid? A:
5) Q: What kind of Sindy/Sindy item do you dream about now? A:
6) Q: What led you into your Sindy career you have today? A: I loved to make the Sindy clothes for her most of all, and when I could I made my own versions, and this got me into dress design and millinery at Art College, so she helped to start my designing career!
7) Q: Can you mention three people you think helped you there? A: People who have helped and encouraged me include my mother, Jacqueline. Mrs May Murray who was a leading light in collecting dolls in the UK and a great friend. She encouraged me to start writing books and for her doll magazine.
8) Q: Do you have a special goal for your Sindy work? A:
9) Q: Can you mention three people you think of as doll influensers? A: These days Bonita Turner has introduced me to so many Sindy collectors who eagerly seek out my Sindy books and they are collectors items.
10) Q: What do you love/like/appreciate about Sindy? A: Sindy was always a wholesome doll, very representative of the fashions of the day, and with the “girls can do anything attitude” that was new at the time.
Anything else you’d like to share with us?
The love of dolls seems to run in Colette’s family. She has kindly shared this photo of her Grandmother in 1909, Gladys, with her favourite dolls.
Most of the Sindy collectors, that are lucky to have Colette’s book “the History of Sindy”, surely recognize this lovely picture of Colette’s daughter Camilla (on page 273).
Camilla, who is now 35 with one Daughter of her own, who is about to be given her first Sindy on her second birthday!
If we’re lucky we might get a photo from that event as well!
This photo is of four generations: From top left to bottom – Colette’s Grandmother Gladys, Colette, her mother Jacqueline and Colette’s daughter Camilla.
Colette has been an invited and much appreciated speaker at the Sindy Set Meet in June 2023 and October 2025, both held in London and arranged by Bonita Turner.
Among all Sindy collectors Colette is a huge star and her book The History of Sindy is considered to be like the “Bible”! Sandra Williams was attending the Sindy Set Meet in October and she says:
“I had the most amazing day at the Sindy Set Meet in London. Organised by the amazing Bonita Turner from the creations of Mam’selle Magazines.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such an exciting and wonderful day. You made it all happen and I’m in ore of you. Your an incredible lady. Also a massive thank you to the Author Colette Mansell from The History of Sindy for sharing a wonderful day in her company. She has amazing stories on her life and she also shares an 18 month old granddaughter just as myself. So between Granddaughters and Sindy’s we had a lot to chat about.
And thank you for signing your autograph for me. So much appreciated. Hope the cups of tea’s were okay!
Below are some photos from Andrew (Colette’s husband) who also attended the Sindy Set Meet in London in October 2025:
Andrew and Colette also sent some photos of Colette with various Pauls, Sindys and Patch dolls, taken in January 2026.
Here is a YouTube clip filmed in 2002 where “Gloria (ThamesTv) chats to Sindy doll collector Colette Mansell about her amazing collection of dolls that date back from the 1960s.”
THANK YOU Colette for your amazing work and for taking the time to answer all the questions!
January 2026