This Easter, Alresford Museum will be celebrating the arrival of two new members of the Royal family.
Obviously, the paparazzi will be out in force to see them for the first time on Easter Monday at the museum, in the town’s Old Fire Station in Broad Street.
Young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are the latest acquisitions for the museum, which is building a collection of the town’s most famous exports.
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Museum trust chairman, Roy Gentry, said: "Word has got around, and we’re being contacted from around the world by people who want to return Alresford Crafts toys to their rightful home. This latest acquisition of five dolls was given to us by the son of a lady from Lymington.
"She had an extensive collection, gathered over many years and, after her death, he wanted them to go to a good home.”
John and Margaret Jones started Alresford Crafts trading from the two lower floors of the Town Mill, at the bottom of Mill Hill and, for around 25 years, it was a major business in the town, employing local people.
Perhaps more than any other, the business promoted the name of Alresford to consumers across the world.
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Originally the company made just soft toys, but in 1977 Alresford Crafts started planning a workshop where doll’s heads, hands and feet could be produced.
Initially these were made of bone china, but then production switched to using porcelain. They were proud of producing their dolls wholly in England, and did not call their dolls ‘China dolls’.
Alresford Crafts closed in 1992, but now the Museum is bringing these wonderful toys back to life for the people of Alresford and they will no doubt bring back many memories for the people who worked there.
The Museum will be open from 11-4 on Easter Monday, April 1 and the May and August Bank Holiday Mondays, while entry is free.
More information can be found at museum.alresford.org.
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