Dairy Milk poster child to sell lifetime's collection of Cadbury antiques
A former child star who became the poster girl for Cadbury's Dairy Milk is selling a lifetime's worth of the chocolatier's memorabilia in Shropshire.
The impressive antique collection has been amassed by Emma Louise Tighe who lived in Bournville as a child, the famous home of the chocolate brand.
Emma started her career aged three through an agency in Birmingham, and is now selling off her memorabilia at Nock Deighton in Bridgnorth on Wednesday.
Her first day at Cadbury would make many people green with envy, as the producer said that she could choose as much chocolate as she liked to take home.
Emma quickly said that she had three brothers and a sister and was told by the producer to help herself. She confesses she still feels a little guilty after all these years, as she was actually an only child.
Aged 12, Emma started to visit local shops and her interest in collecting Cadbury’s memorabilia started. Her first purchase was a tin with an image of a delivery truck, and asked which of the many items she regarded as her favourite, after much reflection, said it was a 1923 box depicting a wedding scene.
The collection was housed in her kitchen and she, plus her husband, have spent many years scouring the internet, auction houses, flea markets and car boot sales for any Cadbury-related items.
Emma recalled her times of travelling across the country to collect a single article to add to her collection. Pieces were also sourced from Europe and around the world, which added the challenge of finding and arranging collection services in different countries.
Whilst taking her GCSE in Business Studies, Emma had only one company in mind to whom she wanted to make her presentation – Cadbury.
The influence of this company being strongly felt by Bourneville residents. Today, Emma runs her own antiques business, Vintage Dolly, a cornucopia of quality and vintage items, based in Kidderminster.
So why decide to sell everything now? After all these years of dedication in creating such a large and diverse range of items, from enamelled signs to tin boxes and chocolate-shaped sets of tea pots and mugs?
"Well, the kitchen was full", Emma said, and she now feels it is time for her memories to be passed on to others.
In sorting out the vast selection of auction items this week, the deep feelings now draw some tears, but although there have been lingering looks, Emma would not admit to a small tear when saying goodbye to memories of her childhood.
Looking to the future, Emma says her Sadler tea pots and ever-growing collection of Beatrix Potter books have started her scouring the sales and travelling with renewed enthusiasm.
Auctioneers, Nock Deighton Agricultural LLP, said: "We are delighted that Emma chose us as a specialist auction house. We have given the items considerable display space so that the viewing public can see all the articles up for auction.
"For those who have seen them already the auction entries have evoked childhood memories, with comments such as “I remember that one”, “my Grandma had that tin” and a host of fond memories has already been evoked."
The auction is being held at Nock Deighton Agricultural LLP’s auction rooms, Bridgnorth, WV16 4QR, on Wednesday at 10am. It can be attended in person or online via EasyliveAuction.com.
There will be two days of viewing at the auction rooms being held on Monday and Tuesday January from between 9am until 3pm, to enable potential buyers to see all the items on offer and to make note of the lot numbers.
