Revisiting my Childhood- Meeting 'Crumpet' Again.

Last year I decided to buy myself a special gift for my birthday. I had been thinking a lot about my childhood in recent times and remembered with fondness my love for a special doll my Mum and Dad gave me one year when I was about 7 years old.

The doll was called 'Crumpet' and here is a special little link back to 1971.

http://youtu.be/1Ja977TlcQE

I had this doll for only a short time. My big brother Brett decided she would be a great test pilot for one of his latest adventures and tied her to the Hill's Hoist in the backyard. By the time I found out and tried to save her she had been spun around so much her head had come off! These dolls didn't take well to being stunt dummies so she was broken beyond repair. I was shattered!

I'm not sure what became of my original Crumpet but I began a search for her replacement about 2 years ago. What I found was that they were difficult to find at all let alone in their original clothing or indeed in working order.

I found a few on Ebay in the U.S.A. but they were all broken and only one had her original dress.

Then I came across a doll collector and seller in South Australia who dealt with lots of vintage dolls from this era so I sent an email asking her to notify me if she ever came across a Crumpet doll in her dealings. I never dreamed she would find one in good condition as there seemed to be so few left anywhere.

In August last year I was so surprised to receive an email from her letting me know she had sourced a Crumpet in her original box, in original clothing and with her little tea set and table, in working order!

I asked to see some photos of the doll and this is what she sent me.

When I opened the first image my eyes filled with tears and I was in love all over again!

I had found my Crumpet!

I spent the next 3 months paying for this doll and she finally arrived in time for my 45th birthday. 38 years after I had first met her.

The day she arrived and I opened the box I couldn't believe how powerful the emotions were. She smelt just the same as I remembered from all those years ago. I held her in my arms and cried tears of happiness for a childhood I adored and so many other treasured memories. I guess you just have to have a special 'friend' like Crumpet to understand. I'm sure many of you can.

Crumpet is again a treasured part of my family and she sits proudly in my bedroom and smiles her pretty smile on my side table. I occassionally pop a size 'D' battery in her and she serves tea for Isabella and I. Isabella often asks if she can hold Crumpet and of course she can. I hope one day she has special memories of a treasured friend that will help her revisit a happy childhood as my little friend in the red velvet dress does for me.