drop toe prams - again!!

Over the weekend I found, quite by accident, an event at Sledmere House near Driffield in Yorkshire, it was a "Nostalgia" event and lo and behold the first thing I saw when walking in was a beautiful coachbuilt pram!!!! The lady who was pushing it told me she had bought it secondhand from its original owner and used it for her granddaughter. The pram was a Marmet, sorry don't know the model, and was a drop toe model. It was in lovely condition. I told the lady I had an interest in restoring old prams and she queried as to whether they should be restored or left completely original. I had to agree that if the pram is in good condition then it is best to leave it but if the chrome is rusty or the bodywork dented and scratched these do need sorting out. The same with the hood and apron, especially on the older prams with the merimo fabric.

The hood on my Wedgwood is torn where the fabric was thin, due probably to the effects of the sun, it was not faded but in the leaflet it does state the hood and apron on this model was "fadeless". So even if your hood is not faded, the material could be thin, sunlight rots fabric in time.

As I don't want to replace the hood and apron (the apron is fine) I have decided to repair it myself. By removing the stitching that joins the hood and its lining together, there is a piece of material folded under that I am able to use if I cut off a piece. So if you have the same problem with a small repair then look under the hood lining, you will need to remove the hood lace first.