Holly Hobbie

I was thinking about this plate the other day and went on a search for it in the dark, depths of the cupboard finally finding it amongst the sea of orange and brown Hornsea wares that were both mine (Saffron) and my mother's (Bronte).  We both started collecting it at the same time in the mid 70s after a visit to the factory on the South Yorkshire coast with the village WI that my Mum belonged to.  Anyway, back to the plate and  Holly Hobbie as she and her little ginger cat always make me smile.

I think Mum bought her at a charity shop in the local town and she went on display soon after,  hanging on the bright turquoise wall in the back porch right opposite the back door.  I remember she was the first thing you saw when you went into the house high up over a bookcase which was full of old hard backed books like dictionaries,  encyclopedias, little china ornaments and dangling spider plants.  The back door was at the top of three steps on which the rusty tin containing tokens for the milkman was always placed.  At the side of the steps was a small paved area with a seat under a window and which, in spring and summer. was always full of pots of colourful flowers.

Through the door, which was always unlocked and often, in summer, open with one of those candy striped plastic fly curtains fluttering in the breeze, past the downstairs cloakroom and into a warm living room with its Rayburn fire and settee covered in crocheted granny square throws and plush velvety cushions.  Holly Hobbie stayed in her place on the porch wall way after Mum died as Dad wouldn't move anything, any ornament or picture had to be left just as Mum had wanted it.  Later, when my sister and I cleared the house we boxed and bagged everything and halved the boxes and took them home sorting through them at our leisure.  Many of the things went to charity shops but I kept this plate.  I desperately need to have another clear out and I think all the Hornsea stuff will have to go to a charity shop or free to a good home if I can find someone who collects it. I'm holding on to the plate though as I love the words on it!

I always thought Holly Hobbie was the name of the little bonneted girl but it is also the name of the designer of the complete range of Holly Hobbie goods.  Here is a  - link - to her Wikipedia entry so you can read more about her.