1969 Scenesetters

This was the first year that Pedigree actually used the term “Scenesetters” to describe all the extra accessories that you could now buy for Sindy. The accessories proved to be almost as popular and successful as Sindy herself and all her outfits.

Sindy’s bedroom furniture was unchanged but they all appeared to be packaged with extra clothes for Sindy and Vicki. There was no mention of Mitzi but she was included in some of the photos shown on the boxes. We would be keen to know which extra clothes came with each piece of furniture although it is entirely possible that Pedigree simply used up whatever they had to hand, because whilst some 1968 accessories had originally named the extra clothing in that year’s brochure, in the 1969 brochure they are merely described as “extra clothes” or “a Separate for Sindy”.

In 1969 the boxes that the scenesetters packaging was revised, and now they showed photographs of a Sindy using the item. For an example, please see Table & 2 Chairs below.

Sindy’s Horse (12SA4) updated

The second issue horse first appears in the 1969 Style Leaflet and was a beautifully crafted chestnut brown horse with a fine, longer flowing grey brown mane and tail. It was not flocked, but the smooth plastic was moulded to show sinew and muscle. It also had painted eyes and hooves, and a bent left foreleg.

This is the first time the Horse had a name. It was called “Peanuts”, following a competition in the girl’s comic “June and Schoolfriend”.

It is possible that this horse was available earlier than 1969 or indeed later. The 1968 Style Leaflet still showed the grey flocked horse, the 1969 horse appears to be unflocked but suspiciously looks like the grey horse, the 1970 leaflet shows a chocolate brown horse with a white mane, and the 1971 leaflet shows this horse with a ginger mane (which we have seen). As this is the first year we have spotted the ‘bald’ horse, we are placing it here.

We have found the smooth Chestnut horse with the orginal ribbon rosette (shown above left, this horse is from an original collection and still wears his original tack), perhaps using up old stock? But, more usually these horses are found with a simpler finely moulded red plastic rosette with a blue paper centre with a white 1st printed on it, shown above centre.

These horses still had the dark brown plastic saddle with silver plastic stirrups and a harness and bridle of brown plastic with a silver plastic bit.

The horses also came with the cream hessian & brown plastic vinyl nosebag with a real brass buckle on the strap, a bucket, yard broom, horse brushes and a curry comb (not shown) which is shown above left.

Table & 2 Chairs (Ref 12SA16)

The first new addition for Sindy’s kitchen a double folding leaf table and two kitchen chairs. Wonderfully authentic, this furniture had a blue plastic table top which matched the back rest and seat of the chair which co-ordinated well with the cream plastic table and chair frames. It came with two place settings of a white plastic plate & plate cover, cup & saucer, and silver plastic knife, fork & spoon. The was also a “plated” coffee set which comprised a coffee pot, milk jug and sugar bowl made of silver painted plastic. This item did not come with any extra clothing.

Bell Chime Piano (Ref 12SA17)

A white plastic stylised baby grand piano which had a chime which really worked and played music when the plastic arrow pointer was moved across the keyboard. The piano had black & white ‘keys’ and a ‘fretwork’ music stand decorated in gold. The piano was operated by one battery which was fitted in the body of the piano. There was a piano stool (Sindy’s dressing table stool re-purposed) and a music book called “Sindy’s book of favourite songs” (shown below).

The piano came with an extra dress which 1967 ‘Cocktail Time’ Ref 12S77).

The songs in the music book were:

  • Oh, Dear! What Can the Matter Be?

  • Jack and Jill

  • Pop! Goes the Weasel

  • The Mulberry Bush

  • Sing A Song of Sixpence

  • Boys and Girls Come Out to Play

Sink Unit (Ref 12SA18)

Like the 1968 Bath, Sindy’s sink really worked. The sink unit was made of blue plastic with two yellow drawers and cupboard doors at the front and a towel rail at the side. On the top of the unit was a sink and drainer stylised to look as though it was made of stainless steel (the latest in ‘must have’ kitchen design).

There was a blue plastic plate rack to go on the drainer and also included was a set of white plastic plates, cups & saucers, and silver plastic knives, forks & spoons. This set also can be found with a red plastic plate rack and we would be very interested to learn if any other items of crockery, cutlery, and pots & pans collectors have found with this item.

By way of extra clothes this set included the 1967 ‘Cordon Bleu’ apron and oven gloves (Ref 12S20).

The sink had a tap and a plug and you could fill the sink with water which would run into a tank hidden in the cupboard. By pushing the towel rail on the side up and down, you could pump the water back through the tap to fill the sink. See right for a photo of the pump which was concealed in the cupboard on the right hand side under the sink. In the left hand side of the cupboard was a shelf.