Paddington and the Red Brolly
PADDY: “Hullo everyone! Do you know what? Saturday the 26th of September’s ‘Smile on Saturday’ theme is ‘umbrella’, so I thought I would help Daddy out. He can’t hold an umbrella and photograph it at the same time, so I am posing with it, so that he can photograph it.”
DADDY: “Thank you, Paddy.”
PADDY: “You are welcome, Daddy. It’s just as well I am holding an umbrella because it is spring time here in Melbourne. That means it could be sunny or it might rain, and this antique umbrella will protect me no matter what the weather decides to do!”
Paddy is right. The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 26th of September is indeed, “umbrella”. Paddy is holding one of my antique umbrellas. It is a red 1930s Art Deco Rayon umbrella made by Paragon, Fox & Sons in England.
Paragon, Fox & Sons (now known as Fox Umbrellas) first began making umbrellas in 1868 when Thomas Fox opened a shop in Fore Street, London. In 1848 that Samuel Fox, a wire drawer by trade, started to make solid steel ribs in Stocksbridge, Near Sheffield. They still exist today, and a renown for their high quality umbrellas. In the 1880's a major change in the manufacturing process took place with the introduction of the steel umbrella frame invented by Mr. Samuel Fox. Up to this time the umbrella frame was made of whalebone. Samuel Fox continued improving and developing his ribs over the next few years when his son William Henry Fox joined the company around 1913 and around this time adopted the trademark 'Paragon'. After World War I Samuel Dixon's son took over the running of the business which he again expanded and improved the production methods, whilst keeping the very high quality of the merchandise. During the early 1930's he started exporting to Japan, USA and other overseas markets. During World War II the company manufactured flare parachutes which introduced them to the new invention nylon. The Dixon family was quick to realise the advantages of nylon instead of silk and became the first to introduce the material into umbrella covers and they were first shown to the general public in the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, 1946. Suppliers of umbrellas to the British and Japanese royal families, Fox Umbrellas still exists in London today, and it is renown for its high quality products.
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Paddington and the Red Brolly
PADDY: “Hullo everyone! Do you know what? Saturday the 26th of September’s ‘Smile on Saturday’ theme is ‘umbrella’, so I thought I would help Daddy out. He can’t hold an umbrella and photograph it at the same time, so I am posing with it, so that he can photograph it.”
DADDY: “Thank you, Paddy.”
PADDY: “You are welcome, Daddy. It’s just as well I am holding an umbrella because it is spring time here in Melbourne. That means it could be sunny or it might rain, and this antique umbrella will protect me no matter what the weather decides to do!”
Paddy is right. The theme for “Smile on Saturday” for the 26th of September is indeed, “umbrella”. Paddy is holding one of my antique umbrellas. It is a red 1930s Art Deco Rayon umbrella made by Paragon, Fox & Sons in England.
Paragon, Fox & Sons (now known as Fox Umbrellas) first began making umbrellas in 1868 when Thomas Fox opened a shop in Fore Street, London. In 1848 that Samuel Fox, a wire drawer by trade, started to make solid steel ribs in Stocksbridge, Near Sheffield. They still exist today, and a renown for their high quality umbrellas. In the 1880's a major change in the manufacturing process took place with the introduction of the steel umbrella frame invented by Mr. Samuel Fox. Up to this time the umbrella frame was made of whalebone. Samuel Fox continued improving and developing his ribs over the next few years when his son William Henry Fox joined the company around 1913 and around this time adopted the trademark 'Paragon'. After World War I Samuel Dixon's son took over the running of the business which he again expanded and improved the production methods, whilst keeping the very high quality of the merchandise. During the early 1930's he started exporting to Japan, USA and other overseas markets. During World War II the company manufactured flare parachutes which introduced them to the new invention nylon. The Dixon family was quick to realise the advantages of nylon instead of silk and became the first to introduce the material into umbrella covers and they were first shown to the general public in the "Britain Can Make It" exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, 1946. Suppliers of umbrellas to the British and Japanese royal families, Fox Umbrellas still exists in London today, and it is renown for its high quality products.
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.