Today

Recently returned from a very enjoyable visit to Sussex where we excitedly reviewed progress on the flat in Brighton. The bedrooms and hall are papered, the tiles are down in the kitchen and we've ordered the curtains and carpets.

Paul & I went to Lewes where there's an amazing 4-storey antiques emporium, and bought useful things like a wonderful sideboard, a truly useful 12 seater table and chairs and some delightfully mad furniture for the bedrooms.

So looking forward to actually being able to stay there.

I was talking to my brother about it and he said "it's a bit like a dolls' house - it's all going to be furnished in advance. With your home you furnish it as you go along."

In My Day

When Lizzie was four years' old we thought that she would like a dolls' house. We were rather broke at the time so decided to make it. As she was only four it had to be fairly robust. So Paul design a square 2-up 2-down with stairs, made out of batten-reinforced hardboard. He hinged the entire front to provide easy access.

Then he papered the house with a sort of white stone effect wallpaper, put in a little cottagy front door and wrote "rose cottage" over the door. The windows were made out of clear plastic.

Next he set to and made some furniture out of clothes pegs.

Meanwhile, I painted the roses around the door and made carpets and curtains out of scraps. I cut some potatoes and made potato print wallpaper, different for each room.

The process was not without some pain - at one time Paul, a little too enthusiastic with the Stanley blade, cut off the top of his thumb. He gathered up the bit (all covered with sawdust) and dashed to the hospital. They didn't want the bit and he had a slightly flattened thumb for a long time although it's grown back now.

When it was finished it stood about three foot high and four foot wide. Took up a lot of space in the bedroom.

Lizzie loved the dolls' house and it was used by her and all her friends until it fell apart about 10 years later.

I do rather love my full-sized dolls' house, though!