Homemaker meets Yoyomaker!

30 June 2006

Exhibiting at shows, you never know who you’re going to meet.

At the recent Contemporary Crafts Fair at Bovey in the West Country Show at the beginning of this month, I felt really quite privilaged to meet Enid Seeney (now Kelsall) and her husband. She seemed quite flattered to see Yoyomaker and that her designs are still influencing designers today.

Enid told me that she was working at Ridgway Potteries at the time and that was just 1 of 15 designs that she was required to produce each week. Her (now) husband Bob was involved in the printing side of the pattern. Lining the shelves of Woolworths, ‘Homemaker’ was accessible and affordable home ware, and after the war I expect that some pattern and lively charecter was a refreshing change for young consumers of that time.

Enid also told me that production started in 1956 and it wasn’t until the following year that it wasn’t actually available to buy, making 2007 the 50th Anniversay of Homemaker. Now let’s see, Yoyo might have a commemorative design in the pipeline…....we can let you know!.