Collecting Fashion Dolls by Terri Gold

11/07/2022

Around London: a continuation of the trip to York only now we're in London on our own.

Around London...

I'll start off with the most wonderful sight I've seen in London in all the times I've been there - the recently restored Big Ben aka the Elizabeth Tower and the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster. It's always been covered with scaffolding. The chime testing is going on with 'silent testing' but no announcement has been made for when it will be back in full operation. It will be open to visitors in 2023.

It took my breath away as it looked like a tower of gold standing out against a sky of puffy clouds. You have to see it to believe it.

Parliament Square contains 12 statues of people who symbolize freedom, statesmen and other notable individuals. It is a beautiful green space surrounded not only by statues but also by famous monuments. I would have liked to get photos of all the statues but it wasn't to be.

Millicent Gerrett Fawcett - British Suffragist Leader

Mahatma Gandhi - Anti-Colonialist, Political Ethicist, Nonviolent Civil Disobedience.

Nelson Mandela - Fought Apartheid and other human rights violations, Won Nobel Peace Price alongside So. African President, F.W. de Klerk for having led the transition in South Africa from apartheid to a multiracial democracy.

My next stop, once I could get going, was the British War Museum. (I was still weakened from being ill the day before.) It used to be called the Churchill War Rooms. After having read so much about this place in all the books I've read on Churchill and WWII, I finally got to wander through, unhurriedly, and enjoy the life-sized dioramas in which the actual rooms were populated by amazingly life-like figures. It really looked as if there were people working in there.

As I approached the entrance to the museum, I recognized the concrete reinforcements that were added during the war. It's interesting that they remain. So much history.

The entrance.

Another level below the main underground level!

I don't know what this award is for.

By the time I got out of the War Rooms, Westminster Abbey had closed except for services.

I did, however, get into the gift shop. Yay! I had fun in there as you might expect. There were a few things I am sorry I didn't pick up but who knew QEII would die in 2 days, while I was on the British Air jet, over the Atlantic, going home? Our pilot announced it. It's not that I thought she would live forever but it came as such a shock.

My favorite collectibles were the embellished pillow-like ornaments.

See those rows of queens?
I'll be back.

10/26/2022

MetroDolls Charity Luncheon to Benefit Toys For Tots October 23, 2022

My husband and I traveled to Red Bank, New Jersey on Saturday, 10/22, in order to make a weekend of our attendance at the MetroDolls Luncheon which would be held the following day.

It was a beautiful day so we went for lunch at a bagel place. Their bagels are the size of small loaves of bread! Scrambled eggs and crispy bacon on a delicious bagel were to be the best thing I had all weekend. FYI, the name of the place is Bagel Station.

It was not this big.

I had to be down at the room in which the luncheon was to be held at the ungodly time of 7AM. All I'll say is that the members of MetroDolls are hard-working, efficient and well-practiced in setting up a banquet room. The tables looked beautiful and all around were the helpers, vendors' tables, auction items and John Davey's vintage Hollywood costume display. Since this was my first time at the luncheon as a member of this club, I was very impressed at how it all came together.

Behind the scenes, members also did so much to make the event a winner. We raised more than $10,000!

A little information about Toys For Tots

MISSION: The basic mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Program is to collect new unwrapped toys and distribute those toys to less fortunate children at Christmas.
GOAL: The primary goal of Marine Toys for Tots is, through the gift of a new toy, help bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to America's less fortunate children.
OVERVIEW: In order to better execute the Program, in 1991 the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation was created at the behest of the Marine Corps.
FOUNDATION OVERVIEW: The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, is an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity which was created at the behest of the U. S. Marine Corps in 1991.
FOUNDATION GOVERNANCE: The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is governed by a board of directors, all of whom are veteran Marines and successful business leaders from throughout the nation. The Foundation’s professional staff is headquartered in the Cooper Center, which is located just outside the Main Gate of Marine Corps Base, Quantico, about 35 miles south of Washington, DC.
FOUNDATION MISSION: The mission of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is to assist the U. S. Marine Corps in providing a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas. This assistance includes providing day-to-day leadership and oversight of the Program, raising funds to provide toys to supplement the collections of local Toys for Tots Campaigns, to provide promotional and support material and defray the costs of conducting annual Toys for Tots Campaigns. Other Foundation support includes providing administrative, advisory, financial, logistic and promotional support to local Toys for Tots Coordinators; managing funds raised and monies donated based on the use of Toys for Tots name or logo; providing other support the Marine Corps, as a federal agency, cannot provide; and conducting public education and information programs about Toys for Tots that call the general public to action in support of this patriotic community action program.

In most cases, I would have many photographs of the event but as a result of some responsibilities, I didn't take the time to do so. However, many of my photos of auction items and those of others are on the MetroDolls website at http://metrodolls.blogspot.com/p/2022-auction.html.

Open Auction

DAE Centerpiece

Ed Ferry

Part of Ed Ferry's Vendor Table

Robbin's Vintage Style Handbags - Doll-Sized, Of Course!

Robbin Atwell

Helpers

Marine Representative from Toys For Tots

John Davey's Display

Jeff Lega

Marcia Friend

Dorene Zebarth (standing) and Sue Gollihur

The outfit on the far left was a gift to every attendee. The other outfits were optional purchases.

Aretha McCrary-Tennessee Setting Up

Robert Tonner talks about the steps in designing and creating a doll.

Stateroom Trunk created by MetroDolls

Part of our "Garage Sale"

10/19/2022

Around London September 4-8, 2022

Sunday. The convention ended with Saturday's banquet. I could have stayed in York longer, it was a very cool city. We traveled from York to London by LNER (high-speed train.)

These photos are of the station in London. I don't understand why we, in the U.S. can't have trains like the one I show above. We need someone like President Eisenhower to take over rebuilding the infrastructure of this country. We're in a sad state.

The trip was quite fast. Finding and getting our luggage to the UBER spot was a small nightmare. Try rolling your luggage over cobblestones.

I was exhausted and not feeling well by the time we got to the hotel. Juli went out and got some OTC medicine and some soup for me. It was good. By that point I was so sick I decided I'd never be able to make it to Windsor Castle the next day. It was a major disappointment.

On Monday, I forced myself to walk around outside. It was a beautiful day. I stopped at a cafe for a coffee, a fresh fruit cup and a scone.

Then I went to a luggage store. I found a piece that would enable me to check in my dolls and extras. Everything arrived in perfect condition. Of course, I was nervous about checking in my precious dolls but I wouldn't have been able to carry them otherwise. I had to take an UBER back to the hotel because I couldn't walk any longer. I had wanted to explore Hyde Park as our hotel was right across the street, but I didn't have the energy. I just got back into bed.

On Tuesday, our friends met us at the hotel and we had lunch before going to the V&A. The building is gorgeous. I would have loved to really get into it more but I was still kind of low energy but I did see some wonderful items. There was a fashion exhibit and I focused on the few dolls and miniature fashions I saw.