 |
| The Bon Marché parcel |
Building Bon Marché is an idea
that's been simmering away at the back of my mind for years. It’s the ultimate
project for me – a large 1/12 scale shop with plenty of living accommodation
attached. And I mean plenty, because I’ve been collecting the
contents in the meantime, in spite of having no fixed home for them. (All dolls
house miniature collectors will recognise the symptoms: you go to a fair – just
browsing of course – and within a very short while you see something you love .
. . need . . . or some bargain you’d be a fool not to buy.)
This year I went to the
Kensington Dolls House Festival in May, seriously in the market for a
shop/house kit. I wanted Victorian/Edwardian style, not difficult to find,
you’d think. But nothing clicked until I was about to leave and found the Sid
Cooke stand near the main door.
I hadn’t seen the Bon Marché on
their website – it still hasn’t appeared – but there in Kensington stood the prototype: a ground-floor shop with not
one but two storeys of accommodation above,
plus an attic floor with a further
two rooms. For those familiar with Sid Cooke designs, it’s a sort of blend of
the Empire Stores and Silver Jubilee house.
 |
| Naming the parts |
The flat pack was safely delivered
in July by the proprietors themselves, who were visiting London on business. So
far the kit has been checked over and marked up for assembly. And there’s going
to be one significant addition from me. On the right is a back door that will
give out into a narrow yard complete with a privy (to hide the power supply
unit). This increases the base width by 15 cm (6 in) and involves supporting
the join between the main base plate and the extension with a solid sheet of
3-ply.
There’s still a lot of standard preparation
to do too, like sanding, sealing, and working out the lighting plan. So it
looks like a long task ahead . . . I hope you’ll drop in now and again to watch
it taking shape.
charliechas
