The Quilt Academy's incubator quilt

The artefact chosen to represent Bell House’s Quilt Academy is a mini incubator quilt, of the kind they donate to King’s College Hospital’s neonatal unit. The Quilt Academy is a regular group that (in normal times) meets weekly at Bell House to work on both individual and group quilting projects. The free Thursday drop-in sessions are a hive of activity where experienced and welcoming tutors share their skills with less experienced sewers or even complete beginners.

Incubator quilts in the making…

Incubator quilts in the making…

Since 2019 the quilters have been making incubator covers for premature babies at King’s Hospital, in collaboration with Project Linus. These are specially designed, technical quilts that cover the incubators in the neonatal unit. They protect premature babies from light, which lets them use their energy to breath and grow, they make the baby’s immediate environment a little quieter, and, because every quilt is unique, they allow parents to identify where their baby is in the unit very quickly. When the baby goes home the quilt goes too, to be used as a playmat.

Mini quilt

Mini quilt

In the last year (despite the pandemic) 170 incubator quilts, and over 300 since the project began, have been donated. The quilts are given anonymously and are always received with grateful thanks from staff and parents. Every quilt donated saves King’s neonatal department over £300 which means that around £100,000 pa would have been spent by King’s on incubator quilt covers if these quilts were not made and donated. That money is protected in the King’s budget and used in the neonatal ward. Led by Janis and Marianne, the Quilt Academy meets every Thursday between 10am-4pm (once Bell House reopens). It’s a friendly and social group, with lots of opportunity for talking over a cup of tea or over a cutting table! The fun, creative and supportive atmosphere is especially ideal for anyone wanting to get out and meet new people.

Cabinet of Curiosities' Stories: Princess Mary Christmas Gift Tin

John Wissmann grew up in Bell House in the early years of the 20 th century with his father, a German migrant, his mother, also with German connections, and his sister. On New Year’s Day 1914 he married Gladys Emily Jukes and later that year, within three weeks of WW1 being declared, he was fighting in France. He was killed in action on 15 September 1914, becoming Dulwich’s first casualty of World War One. He did not live long enough to receive one of these small brass boxes, given to his fellow soldiers that Christmas.

John Rudolf Wissmann

John Rudolf Wissmann

When WW1 broke out in 1914, Princess Mary, the 17-year-old daughter of George V, had the idea of giving every sailor afloat and every soldier at the front; a Christmas present. She originally planned to buy a small gift for each soldier herself but this proved impractical, so a fund was set up. The fund was a great success, raising over £162,000 with most of the donations being small sums sent by thousands of people across the country. The gifts were intended for all those serving overseas but were later extended to those serving at home, prisoners of war, and next of kin of casualties. This totalled over 2.6 million people.

Mary tin contents

Mary tin contents

It was proposed that each person receive an embossed brass box, 1oz of pipe tobacco, 20 cigarettes, pipe, lighter, Christmas card and photograph of the Princess. However, people felt strongly that non-smokers should receive an alternative gift. It was agreed that they would receive the brass box, a packet of acid tablets, a khaki writing case containing pencil, paper and envelopes together with the card and photograph. The Gurkhas received the original gift but Sikhs got a box with sweets, spices and the Christmas card. Other Indian troops received the box with cigarettes, sweets, spices and the card.

Princess Mary Countess of Harewood

Princess Mary Countess of Harewood

The Princess Mary Gift Fund Box became a treasured possession for many soldiers, even when the original contents had long been used. The air-tight box made a useful container for money, tobacco, photographs, and other items while on active service and many brought them back from the front to use at home. What would you keep in yours?

Cabinet of Curiosities' Stories: Anthony Harding’s chair

Anthony Harding, who lived in Bell House and built the large extension in the 1840s, is said to be the founder of the world’s first department store. Founded in 1789 on Pall Mall, Harding & Howell’s was a famous and successful store. The wives of the men made rich by the Industrial Revolution went there to shop, meet their friends and examine the latest fabrics to pass on to their dressmakers (no ready-made clothes in those days).

Anthony Harding portrait

Anthony Harding portrait

Anthony Harding’s shop even had a café and toilets, rare in those days and a useful attraction to keep women in the store. Harding sold silks, muslins, lace and gloves, furs, fans, jewellery and hats. One room had beautiful shawl materials hanging down from the ceiling.

Harding Howell store from Ackerman’s Repository

Harding Howell store from Ackerman’s Repository

Some of Harding’s descendants have visited Bell House and told us that he liked to get drunk but lost the use of his legs after six bottles or so. His solution was to have a special chair made at Bell House so his footmen could carry him up to bed. We don’t have an image of the chair but can imagine that it must have been something like a baby’s highchair, with a piece of wood across the arms, like a tray, that would keep Harding from falling out when he was carried upstairs. Martyn, one of our volunteers, is going to convert this doll’s house chair, to show how it might have looked.

Harding’s Chair

Harding’s Chair

The Hot Water Bottle Project

The fun and creative Quilting Academy group at Bell House meets every week to work on both individual and group quilting activities. Led by Janis and Marianne, the Quilting Academy is currently working on a new important and challenging project: The Hot Water Bottle project. 

Hot watter bottles waiting to be covered.

Hot watter bottles waiting to be covered.

A month ago, during a cold snap, food bank staff knew there were homes where residents could not afford to put the central heating on, particularly as we were all at home all day long, but they could boil a kettle so they asked for new hot water bottles. It’s natural that the first thing anyone thinks to donate to a food bank is food but in fact lots of other things are needed too, like toiletries, detergents, or hot water bottles for those in fuel poverty. As a response to the shout out from the local food banks, the idea of hot water bottles began to germinate. A group of keen knitters and stitchers from both the Quilt Academy at Bell House and Dulwich Quilters purchased well-priced ‘naked’ hot water bottles and used existing stocks of fabrics and yarns to ensure the cuddly bottles were ready to hand over.

However, some covers were still on the needles when the first snowflakes started to fall on the ground in February. The group has not given up yet, and the idea is now being proactive ahead of next winter. The Quilting Academy has made a bulk purchase of 100 bottles and will reach out to other stitching groups in the area. The ideal goal would be that each participant could quilt or knit a cover for two or three bottles. This will allow local food banks to receive supplies in the autumn and be prepared for the next winter. Watch this space!