Retired painter and decorator Derrick Huddart started work on a doll’s house for his wife in 1998 – and has now unveiled the finished article.
The High Harrington couple have been married for 67 years and when Elinor said she never had a nice doll’s house as a child, Derrick decided to do something about it.
Initially Derrick stopped working on it after about six years, and instead began to make rocking horses which proved very popular. So much so that he has created 45 since he started.
It was when Elinor asked him one day if he was ever going to finish the doll’s house that he returned to the task and added extra rooms, a garden and a conservatory and now considers it complete.
“Whenever we were on holiday we used to look for odd articles to go into the house or garden, so it’s now quite well furnished and stocked.
“We have lights in the rooms and there’s even a fire in one of them. I think it looks pretty good.
“I’ve even added a garage and built rooms above it and there’s now a car in there as well,” says 90-year-old Derrick.
“We played with a doll’s house when I was young but it wasn’t a very nice one, which is why I asked Derrick to build one. He’s done a really good job over the years,” says Elinor.
