Welcome to the new version of Our Sindy Museum. Our old website was established on 6th September 2010 and it lasted quite well for 13 years. But following a website host takeover, no money was spent on upgrades and over that time the functionality was removed or downgraded. Frustratingly, website design and tools had moved on, but we hadn’t. New pages were difficult to add and changes were problematic.
We didn’t always get the messages that had been sent to us (very embarassing). The colours, the photo resolution and the navigation were all cut back. We could not have a guestbook anymore because there were no spam filters. All in all, the museum became a sad shade of what it was.
Last year we decided it was time for a refresh. We had seen the adverts where you could transfer your website to a new provider for free, and we thought we would take advantage of that. But it turned out that our website software was so old and bespoke, that it could not easily be ported. It was suggested that we use a specialist firm to do that, but they couldn’t do it either. So in the end we took the plunge and found a firm here in the UK and we started from scratch. This meant we had to add every entry and photo manually.
So here we are on Sindy’s 60th Birthday with version 2.0. 13 years after we opened the first Museum. We have taken the opportunity to rewrite some pages and to add more detail and photos that we couldn’t easily do before. In particular, you will see that 1963 to 1966 have been rewritten and Made in England and Made in Hong Kong comparisons added. Now this might be a bit controversial as you may not entirely agree with what we have written, but hopefully if you have a different viewpoint or you know something else, please do get in touch, and let’s add to the knowledge wherever possible please.
Some entries didn’t need much updating, it was just a case of bringing them forward. But as a result you might find that we have referred to a photo that was originally in one postion, but is now in a different place. We’ve tried to find them all, but with all the pages we had to write it is very likely we have missed some. Do let us know if you spot one.
Hopefully the new museum with all its new ways of navigating will be much easier for you to find things. It might take a little bit of getting used to to begin with, but we found that we adapted quickly. Putting photographs in a position nearer to the text to which they are related has been a big plus for us, and we hope for you.
We would like to thank Elan Marketing in Great Bentley, Essex who listened to our problem, designed how the new website would look after learning about our wishlist, and held our hands as we worked on the rewrite. We could not have asked for a better partner.
Continuing thanks to Pedigree Toys and Brands Ltd for permitting us to use the original Sindy logo.
Huge thanks to you all who have stood by us and contributed your own knowledge, photos and opinions to the museum over the years.
Lastly, thank you Sindy for the joy you brought to so many children over the years, and continue to do so today. Happy 60th Birthday!
