As we’ve been ruminating over the fact that we’re turning 50, some old photos from our past have unexpectedly raised a feeling of nostalgia that we rarely experience – mainly because nostalgia is our thing. We see it around us every day (if you’ve been here, you will know what we mean!).
Rummaging through old boxes has revealed to us several gems our followers may not know about, and we wanted to share them. See this as a virtual glass raised for a toast at a party all about us!
Way back in 1973, when the name ‘House of Marbles’ wasn’t yet coined, beautifully handcrafted boards were starting to be produced in a warehouse in Chudleigh (a little Devonshire village). Operations grew from one person to a group of skilled craftspeople working together to finish the products to exceptional standards. We see this moment in time in these never-before-shared photos that are so classic and, in some way, also intimate, like our own family photo album.
While the people in these photos are no longer employees (and some sadly no longer with us), this familial feeling speaks of the House of Marbles culture, whereby so many staff become kin, staying for many years at a time and becoming part of the fabric of who we are, so when we walk ‘family’, we do mean it (and of course, over the years we do actually have the blood are thinker than water kind too!).
After the initial flurry in board making, we turned our hand to something requiring much more skill – Rocking Horses. Riding on the crest of this wood-crafting wave led us to the development of many more ranges which have been House of Marbles favourites time and time again. Although the Georgian Nursery favourite hasn’t made a revival amongst our 50th Anniversary collection of products (released to commemorate this year), it epitomises our past so succinctly. Perhaps it is the fact that we are among few businesses that can boast of having once produced in Britain, and maybe it’s that the literature looks so darn adorable.
Much of our advertising literature from back then is exemplary of the time and has dated to the extent that we ought to consider adding some of the content to our own games museum (at the risk of self-referencing). What better way, though, to show some of our 50th Anniversary products in their original packaging? We hope it sets the scene for why we celebrate this landmark year. Oh, and if you’re wondering, yes, that is Princess Margaret in our main image for this blog. We have genuinely been Royally blessed.
View our Range of 50th Anniversary Products in new commemorative packaging HERE
