Fifties pram stands test of time for Walsall couple
It could have come straight from the set of period drama Call the Midwife but instead it is turning heads on the streets of the Black Country.
Proud owners Jason Wilkes and Samantha Bannister snapped up the original 1950s Royale Lincoln for £57 on ebay – then spent another £450 renovating it.
The Walsall couple shunned the more streamline and sophisticated modern buggies, with their front-swivel wheels and ergonomic seats, for the 1959 classic.
Window fitter Jason bought the pram last April as a virtual shell and finished working on it just in time for the arrival of daughter Romany-Alice 12 days ago.
He said: “It was a complete wreck. The metalwork was rusted, and the hood and apron were missing, I had to start from scratch but I had a little money put by and was able to work on it off and on in my spare time.
“Sam wasn’t even pregnant when we bought the pram. It started out as a hobby but the race was soon on to get it finished. I eventually completed it two weeks before Christmas.
“I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve just been made redundant, so maybe it’s something I might look at doing professionally.”
Jason, 26, and Sam, 21, who also have a three-year-old daughter Grace, say their shiny black and chrome pram is a little heavier to handle than a contemporary model but they wouldn’t be without it.
The couple, of Bloxwich Lane, Beechdale, gave the pram its first outing on Saturday and say the only drawback to their decision to go retro is that shopping trips can take twice as long as normal.
Jason said: “People keep stopping us, wanting to know where we got it from. They just love it.”
Comments for: "Fifties pram stands test of time for Walsall couple"
Mo
'old is gold'
jimmy paige
Well done you two - you have a bargain there. My mother used to get me off to sleep in a Silver Cross pram like that - it's the suspension that is so comfortable for babies - just rocks them off to sleep. Read this article about the guy that saved Silver Cross from extinction - Jason - you might get a job with him!! http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/sep/24/silver-cross-pram-winning-pushy-mums
Suzanne Lewis
How lovely. It's nice to see a traditional pram being used. In today's society they are not practical but are so gorgeous. You won't be able to restore the prams of today in sixty years time. Well done.
Nikki
OMG titch, i didnt think the pramwould actually look that nice, i would love one like that :( wish jaydon was a baby again just so i could get one lol xx
Annie Cox
There's an awful lot of us Prammies out here, well done Jason and Sam, you're doing the Vintage Pram World Proud !!! xxx
leah hughes
Timeless pram! Beautiful well done! It will still be going in another 50years! X
von
yes i do refer the good old prams, i had one the same when my daughter stephanie was afew months old, used to go around wednesbury, people laughed some said they where better, even remembered having the childs pram. my daughter is 19 now.
even have photos too. they are more comfortable than the ones today, unfortunately you cant get them on the buses these
days. theres a shop in brownhills sells them, even the dolls pram, or off ebay. after they got worn out we used to fight over the
chassis for the wheels to make box or go carts. cant do that to day.
Susan Adams
So pleased to see a proper pram I have a royale empress from 1958 they were made to last
Kathleen Keys
Congratulations on having such a beautiful pram. I bought a refurbished Wilson pram for my grandaughter 10 years ago and have still got it!.I know what you mean about shopping trips taking twice as long.
These prams were built to last, not like the things that pass for prams today.
Keep up the good work!
Elizabeth Henshaw
Well done !!!! what a beautiful pram you have there, enjoy xx