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