Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Today we are in the vestibule of Lettice’s flat where a stack of luggage has been deposited in readiness for the taxi driver who has just arrived at the front door to carry downstairs.
“Is all this lot to be taken downstairs?” he asks Edith, Lettice’s maid, as she stands as sentry by the open front door that leads out into the entrance hall landing.
“All of it.” Edith replies firmly with a nod.
“Oh Lawd!” he curses, removing his cap and wiping his brow at the thought of carrying a travel de necessaire, a portmanteau, two hatboxes and several umbrellas downstairs, not to mention some fancily wrapped gift that is sure to be breakable.
“Edith! Oh, Edith have you seen my tickets?” Lettice’s voice rings out from somewhere within the inner sanctum of the flat, the muffled sound of drawers opening and closing and wardrobe doors swinging accompanying it.
“They are right here, Miss.” Edith replies. “You asked me to leave them on top of your travel de necessaire. Miss, the taxi is here.”
“Oh good!” Lettice exclaims as she breezes into the vestibule dressed in a smart white and black outfit that matches the stylish hat sitting atop the pile of luggage. “Now, I need to go to Cricklewood Aerodrome for the midday Handley Page London-to-Paris flight*, my good man.” Turning to her maid she adds, “Edith, I’ll only be gone until Monday. You’ll be alright here by yourself?”
“Oh yes, Miss.” Edith replies with a bemused look.
“Now, I’ve left a parcel on my desk chair and a couple of library books. Would you be a brick Edith and drop the parcel at the post and return my books to Boots?”
“Yes Miss.”
“Take money from the housekeeping for any costs you incur, and I’ll repay you when I get back from Paris.” Gasping, she rushes away again. “Gloves!”
The taxi driver looks at the pile of luggage again. “The Handley Page London-to-Paris flight!” he scoffs rather more loudly than Edith would like to hear.
“That leaves at midday!” Edith adds firmly, defending her mistress from the scorn of the man before her.
“With this lot aboard,” he eyes the maid. “She’ll be lucky if the aeroplane gets orf the ground!”
“Be that as it may, that’s where the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd wishes to be taken, and take her you will!” Edith says, staring steelily back at the taxi driver.
“All right laydee! No need to get snippy.”
“Edith! Edith have you seen the wedding present?” Lettice calls again, accompanied by more sounds of fossicking.
“It’s right here, Miss, where you asked me to put it.” Edith replies.
“I don’t suppose this ‘ere place has a lift, does it?” the taxi driver asks Edith hopefully.
“No it doesn’t,” Edith replies, a smug smile crossing her face as she watches his shoulders sink at her words.
Complete with gloves Lettice returns, picks up her hat and takes up her handbag and tickets. “You are a brick Edith!”
“Enjoy yourself in Paris at the wedding, Miss.” Edith says. “And I want to hear all about it when you come back.”
Hearing a thud as the taxi driver struggles to pick up the travel de necessaire, the two hatboxes and an umbrella, Lettice looks over. “Hurry up then my good man. The Handley Page London-to-Paris flight leaves Cricklewood Aerodrome at midday sharp! We haven’t time for your silly shenanigans.”
“Don’t worry,” Edith whispers to the driver as she holds the front door to the flat open. “She tips very well.”
*A London-to -Paris air service from Cricklewood Aerodrome, Hampstead, was inaugurated by Handley Page Transport in 1920. Fares were £18 18s return: a small fortune at the time. Each passenger was allowed 30 pounds of luggage for free and were charged accordingly for air freight for any amount over that. Cricklewood Aerodrome closed in 1929 due to suburban development and the Golders Green Estate was built on the site. Some of the streets where the aerodrome was bear the names of Handley Page.
The theme for the 10th of October “Smile on Saturday” is leather. The travel de necessaire, portmanteau and two hatboxes on the floor, as well as the Art Deco handbag on the console table are all made of leather, so I think they suit the theme quite nicely. What is little different to what you might think of this scene is that it is made up entirely of 1:12 size dollhouse miniatures from my miniatures collection, some of which come from my own childhood.
Fun things to look for in this tableaux include:
The blue travel de necessaire and its matching hatbox in the foreground on which the black and white hat and the present is sitting are 1:12 artisan miniatures and made of blue kid leather which is so soft to the touch, and small metal handles, clasps and ornamentation. They have been purposely worn around their edges to give them age. The brown leather hatbox next t them is also a 1:12 artisan miniature and unlike the blue pieces, it is made to open and be fully functional and has a cream satin lining. All three pieces come from Doreen Jeffries’ Small Wonders Miniatures in England. The portmanteau behind the blue leather luggage is actually an Edwardian tooled leather brooch box with gilding. The handbag on the console table is also a hand-made artisan piece of soft green leather, made by Karen Ladybug Miniatures in England.
The two furled umbrellas with the luggage and those in the umbrella stand in the background are all 1:12 artisan pieces made of silk, satin and lace. Four have metal handles, whilst the green one in the foreground is made from painted wood, and one of the black umbrellas in the stand has a leather handle. All the umbrellas as well as several walking sticks in the stand come from specialist artisan miniature makers in England. The umbrella stand is a wooden Art Deco miniature I was given for Christmas when I was seven.
The romantic black and white 1920s hat trimmed with lace and ribbons is a 1:12 artisan miniature made by Mrs. Denton of Muffin Lodge Miniatures in England. Made just like a real hat, the miniature hats in my collection are often far more expensive than real hats are. When you think that this hat would sit comfortably on your index finger, yet they could cost in excess of $150.00 or £100.00 each, they are an extravagance.
The airline tickets sitting on top of the blue travel de necessaire I made myself using a real 1921 Handley Page Travel London-to-Paris ticket which shows the times, prices and locations of flights in both directions.
Lettice’s vestibule is furnished with beautiful J.B.M. miniatures and the Art Deco console table is made by The Doll House Emporium. The table in the background to the left of the picture is a Chippendale occasional table. Next to it is a Hepplewhite chair. Both are made of black japanned wood which has been hand painted with chinoiserie designs. The chair has a rattan seat, which has also been hand woven.
The vases of flowers on the Art Deco console table and the Chippendale occasional table are beautifully made by hand by the Doll House Emporium. The silver butterfly bowl on the Art Deco console table is an artisan 1:12 size piece made from sterling silver.
The carpet in the foreground is a copy of a popular 1920s style Chinese silk rug made in miniature by hand by Mackay and Gerrish in Sydney, Australia. The hall runner in the background is actually an embroidered and tasselled bookmark. The geometric Art Deco wallpaper is beautiful hand impressed paper given to me by a friend, which inspired the whole “Cavendish Mews – Lettice Chetwynd” series.