| Pendelfin was born in 1953, in the shadow
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| | family of rabbits were produced for the
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| of the Pendle "Witch" hill near Burnley
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| | first time. This became a turning point
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| in Lancashire, in the north of England.
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| | for PenDelfin as these figures started to
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| It started out as little more than a
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| | sell very well indeed. Repeat orders
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| hobby for Jean Walmsley Heap (J.W.H.) and
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| | started to pour in, and attention started
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| Jeannie Todd, working from a wooden hut
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| | to focus almost exclusively on producing
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| in Jeannie's back garden. But this hobby
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| | PenDelfin's trademark rabbit models, all
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| soon became an obsession and a successful
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| | with a carefully thought out character
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| business as the Pendelfin family grew and
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| | and history!A band of musically inclined
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| grew.The very first PenDelfin piece was
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| | rabbits, rabbit bookends, uncles, aunts
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| modelled on the Pendle Witch and took the
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| | and of course the original Father and
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| form of a moulded wall plaque. Very early
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| | Mother rabbits all followed, as well as
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| on in the Pendelfin journey, J.W.H. and
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| | many other lively young characters and
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| Jeannie realised that their roles should
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| | several large and lovingly modelled
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| be different, and so as they took their
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| | stands to provide a backdrop to the
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| first experimental steps towards success,
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| | PenDelfin village, as it became.PenDelfin
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| J.W.H. took on the design and modelling
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| | continued to expand, and although it had
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| of the stoneware figures and Jeannie
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| | its trials and tribulations, by the 1970s
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| began to master the art of mould-making
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| | was a well established company in
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| and casting.Following on from the Pendle
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| | Burnley, occupying a large part of a
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| Witch, The Fairy Shop, a large
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| | former mill building and dispatching
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| 3-dimensional wall plaque, was modelled,
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| | members of the PenDelfin family to
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| based on an original painting by J.W.H.
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| | enthusiastic collectors all over the
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| and (ab)using an antique mirror to
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| | world.On the 11th June, 1986, disaster
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| produce the mould of the frame. At this
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| | struck as a devastating fire destroyed
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| point, with mould-making sessions and
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| | most of the PenDelfin works. Almost
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| materials growing, the shed was becoming
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| | miraculously, and thanks to amazing
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| far too small and PenDelfin was relocated
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| | efforts by all the staff, lead by Arthur
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| to the village of Harle Syke and into a
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| | Morley, production was underway again in
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| small lock-up shop.During PenDelfin's
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| | less than a week.In 1992 the PenDelfin
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| time at the shop, witches continued to be
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| | Collectors Club was founded, with "Family
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| a popular theme, with more witch-based
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| | Circle" pieces produced each year for
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| models being produced, including the
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| | club members only.PenDelfin is still in
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| Cauldron Witch, the Pixie House and on a
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| | business today, but is perhaps not the
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| completely different theme, the famous
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| | company it once was. Ownership of the
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| little Thrifty, modelled at the request
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| | PenDelfin company has changed, and the
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| of J.W.H.'s part-time employers, the
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| | models are produced abroad now, with only
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| Burnley Building Society. Little Thrifty
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| | the decorating being done in the UK. Time
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| began life in the Children's corner of
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| | will tell whether the legend of PenDelfin
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| the Burnley Building Society. Created by
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| | endures, but in the meantime the older
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| J.W.H. he was involved in many stories
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| | pieces are no becoming ever more scarce
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| encouraging children to start putting
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| | and collectable, with rarities such as
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| their pennies away. One large model of
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| | Aunt Agatha and the Rabbit bookends
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| him was created, but making it proved
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| | commanding strong prices as collectors
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| such an ordeal that no further models of
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| | seek out the early pieces to complete
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| his size were ever attempted.Interest
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| | their collections.Perfect Pieces (
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| began to grow in the figures being
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| | specialises in British pottery from the
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| created, and around 1954 Doreen Noel
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| | last 100 years, and has an extensive
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| Roberts joined, eventually taking charge
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| | Pendelfin section, with a very large
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| of the group of small part-time staff
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| | stock of retired pieces and stands, as
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| working there. The size of both staff and
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| | well as newer membership pieces.Visit the
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| operations began to increase, as sales
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| | Perfect Pieces website for more
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| gradually improved. In 1956 a small
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| | information or to contact us.
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