L is for Lundby . . . not Lunby!

I have mentioned them once or twice over the years in passing, invariably dropping the d I fear and writing them 'Lunby', and a real departure for the blog, but I saw this in a charity shop (Age UK, here in Fleet) the other day, and the lady kindly let me photograph it for the blog.

Lundby were a Scandinavian doll's house manufacturer best known for these 'post modern' chalet houses and for buying-out the British maker of dolls furniture/accessories - Barton, who had similar designs in their range.

My interest comes via the Motoplay series from Barton, elements of which were carried/copied by both Blue Box and Lucky (among others) and are still available via Hobbys/Hobbies Annual, as they were always HK imports - you'll know the die-cast petrol pumps as they turn-up all the time in job-lots.

Barton were also makers of wooden farm buildings and such like, but today we're looking at something I know little about - so it's either enjoy the pictures or come back tomorrow and hope there's something a little more war-like for you!

Top floor of the main building, configured as a sort of open-plan master bedroom and a kids room/nursery I think.

What is conventionally the ground floor with a kitchen, living area and study, here being used as a rather Spartan music room?

If Mummy and Daddy were feeling flush, they could purchase an extension, which is placed below the ground-floor! It rather mucks up the conventional layout, but provides two extra rooms, which is two extra levels of play-value I guess. Although there's no stairs to the upper floors, there are windows, so ruling out an imaginary basement!

Close-ups of some of the smaller pieces, it's a very odd mix of traditional and 'groovy' modernist 'Clockwork Orange' accessories. The fireplace is very Scandinavian though, and power was available throughout the dwelling via hidden wiring in the walls and little two-pin plugs - which look like they might be compatible with some model railway accessories - running your level-crossing off your sister's dolls house?

The same odd juxtaposition of styles is found in the kitchen units, where a modern design, finely modeled in plastics is placed next to quite chunky wooden components, but the whole must have looked lovely when brand-new and complete.

My favourite piece, a polar-bear rug made from real fake polar-bear fur! And - it has to be said, not far off 54mm compatible . . . I imagine it on the floor of an Officers Mess, you know: the sort of thing BMSS guys were doing in the 1970's; box diorama, couple of Lady Butler's or Cuneo prints on the wall, a fan of claymores round a targe over the fireplace and a bunch of Yeomanry officers circa 1910, standing around in Mess Dress!

Although . . . it would look good in a throne-room with a bunch of Vikings eating meat off the bone and drunkenly spilling mead - "Oi, watch the bearskin Olaf, it stains easy!"