Peggy Nisbet as as Business woman

The Whitecross Road Fire, (© Western Daily News)

Peggy was energetic, determined and confident. She had lots of flair and lots of ideas which she tackled with enthusiasm, seeing them through to the very end.

On 14th May 1970 disaster struck. The factory at Whitecross Road was burnt down. Pattern books, customer details, supplier's information and stocks were lost. It was thought the business would end, but Peggy was determined to carry on. With the support of Weston Borough Council, land was given on the Oldmixon commercial estate, and a new factory opened in January 1971.

In the early 1980s Peggy handed the business over to her son‑in‑law and daughter, Jack and Alison Wilson, although she continued to take an active part for some while. The company moved again, this time to a campus in Winscombe. The new site was spacious enough to cope with what was by now a comparatively large and busy enterprise. At this time a contract was signed with Royal Doulton to clothe their china dolls, in a "Birthday" range, (based on the well known nursery rhyme).   Also there was more emphasis on the making of soft toys including lovely, cuddly, good quality teddy bears.

Peggy had by now retired, and immediately turned her energies to writing a book about her life, her experiences and of the many who helped her, and the interesting people she met through her dolls.   Over the years she became a well known personality in the international world of dolls, especially in the USA, where she was in great demand to speak at doll collectors' conferences.   She also gained a national reputation as being an expert on national and historical costume, and was regularly consulted on the subject.

Peggy had a presence, and was never backward in coming forward.

"She started out when there weren't many woman business people around, and became well‑known all over the world. She was a large‑built lady with a presence to match."    quote from the obituary printed in the "Bristol Evening Post", October 1995.

Peggy Nisbet's OBE

News

21st September 2023

 

Important Announcement

 

My dear wife, Christine, passed away on the 8th December, 2021, after 8 weeks in hospital. I was by her side, when she slipped away from me peacefully, with no pain or suffering.

 

Chris had been struggling with a slow decline in health, associated with a progressive, untreatable, and ultimately terminal lung disease, and finally succumbed to her old adversary, Pneumonia.

 

We had been friends for 55 years, together as a couple for 50 years, and married just a month short of 48 years, when she died.   

 

This website was Chris's idea, and I did all the technical stuff, to make it work.   After news of Chris's passing reached her close friends in the doll collecting world, I was deeply touched and gratified to hear their tributes to my dear wife, and I must thank them all for their kindness and support.   Ultimately, it was her doll friends that gave me the courage to continue with the website.

 

In the months before her eventual hospitalisation, Chris had outlined a number of additions and changes she wanted to make to the website, and it is my intention to honour those wishes, and to implement the changes we had considered, over the coming weeks and months.

 

I must apologise to all those who have written to us via the website, only to have your emails go unanswered.   Unfortunately, the email system had been hacked aroung the time Chris was going into hospital, and many emails must have been lost, as a result.

 

As you might imagine, I felt completely broken by Chris's loss, and it is only now, almost 22 months after her passing, that I have felt strong enough to even look at the website again.   

 

My aim is to continue with the website, and to implement Chris's aims for her many new ideas as soon as I can.   In the meantime, I have hopefully got the email system sorted out, and I will attempt to answer any enquiries as soon as I can, and to send replies with the same high degree of accuracy that a reply from Chris would have had.

 

From now on, I will be flying solo, whilst my co-pilot and guide will be soaring much higher, (though she is always in my heart, and in my thoughts).

 

My thanks to all our website visitors for your continued support

 

Dave (also known as Arthur), and Chris, (my lost love, Guinevere)

 

Christine Poulten

25th December 1949 - 8th December 2021