Description:
This is a vintage 1970’s “Chad Valley” tin toy “Holly Hobbie” design iron, a pressed metal tin base with plastic handle. This item is approximately 15.5cms in length by 8cms in height.
It belongs to the Chad Valley Make Believe range and encouraged little ones to discover and learn more about their world. Vital skills are encouraged to flourish from early years to school age using toys from this range. Active imaginations would be stirred in little ones as they spent many hours copying Mum or Dad doing the ironing. There are also small ironing boards to go with the iron.
Chad Valley toys became ‘must have items’ in high society, providing high quality products to the White Star shipping line, to H.M. Government, to the Great West Railway, and ultimately becoming toymaker to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) and her daughters. Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. She liked to delight her young daughters with Chad Valley fashion dolls and although such quality saw a somewhat hefty price tag – a couple of weeks wages for most – this did not deter the upper classes from purchasing with enthusiasm.
Toys are still being released under the Chad Valley brand, with plenty being released as recently as February 2022. The name “Chad Valley” is derived from the Chad Brook, a small stream located in the Birmingham suburb of Harbone next to where the Company moved to.
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