Prams and Perambulating

Definitions of perambulating ...
strolling or walking around; "perambulating nursemaids with their charges"

It started in childhood for me, this love of big English Prams. My grandmother who unabashedly spoiled me bought me a Silver Cross Doll Pram. I loved my dolls and played with them until I was 14 years old. Baby dolls, not Barbie's. I was getting too tall for most of the doll carriages sold in the toy stores so one Christmas, or maybe it was a birthday, I got a large Pram for my doll. Big wheels, curved handle and lots of room. It was tall enough for me to use. I had long ago outgrown the other one I had.

I loved walking my dolls down the street to the nursing home and visiting with the old people there. The ladies loved my dolls, and I loved the old people.
As time passed I began baby sitting for our neighbor, who happened to have a huge Silver Cross Pram for her baby. I walked that baby all over town. The Pram just glided over the sidewalk. It was total joy to go perambulating. When Melissa was born, naturally I had to have a Pram, a big one. My father and mother took me to pick up the one I wanted. It was perfect. Brown tweed hood and brown body, (the style for the time). Once again I found myself perambulating all over town. For some strange reason, the best picture we have of Melissa's pram is this silly attempt on our part to make one large picture of two. But you can get the idea of what it looked like. All other picture are of the baby inside. When Melanie came along, I wanted a more modern Pram so we went on the search and came up with this one. It was very tall, but my mother always worried that the carriage was too shallow and had some fear Melanie would fall out. As you can see, she was 3 and still fitting this Pram.
My dream Pram is the Silver Cross Balmoral. I watch e-bay all the time for one near us. Shipping is a bit much on something that size. I want one so I can walk all morning long with my future grandchildren dressed up and enjoying the fresh air.
People don't seem to just walk their babies much these days. They cart them from spot A to spot B in fold up things. No sauntering, and just enjoying the fresh air type walks.
Parks used to be full of mothers walking their babies, showing off their tiny miracles and the outfits they had made for them. Now, the world rushes in cars. Babies are put in car seats, infant seats into shopping carts and that's about it.
I vote to bring back Prams and the art of perambulating .

Me with my dolls, my doll pram beside me, notice the blankets (on the handle) needed for the dolls in what appears to be summer time by my clothing.

Melissa's pram

Melanies Pram

My Dream Pram, The Silver Cross Balmoral ( I keep thinking the good fairy will deliver one to me some time )