Royal Doulton | Brambley Hedge — Summer | Trio | Jill Barklem | 1983

Midsummer's Day. The preparations were started at once.

The Summer book in Jill Barklem's Brambley Hedge series centres on one of the most celebrated events in the hedge — the Midsummer wedding of Poppy Eyebright and Dusty Dogwood. First published in 1980 and translated to Royal Doulton bone china in 1983, the Summer issue is consistently the most sought-after of the four seasonal trios among collectors, the wedding narrative carrying a particular resonance that has sustained demand across four decades. The copyright date of 1983 confirms this as a first production issue, distinguishable from later reissues by backstamp detail. The colour vocabulary of Summer shifts entirely from the lemon and primrose of Spring — here the palette is pink wild roses, trailing honeysuckle in blush and yellow, ripening bramble berries, and soft sage green, against a pale mint ground on the cup foot and rim.

The trio comprises a teacup, saucer, and side plate in Royal Doulton bone china with the characteristic Brambley Hedge scalloped cartouche rim. The principal scene on the cup exterior and side plate centre shows Poppy Eyebright and Dusty Dogwood outside the arched wooden door of a hedgerow home, surrounded by tumbling honeysuckle and wild rose. A wasp and ripening blackberries appear in the border alongside trailing pink dog rose branches. The cup interior carries a small central posy of pink wild roses tied with a white ribbon — a wedding bouquet in miniature. Jill Barklem's facsimile signature appears on the illustrated scene. The backstamp carries the full story quote in green script within a dog rose wreath, with the Brambley Hedge bird's nest device and the Royal Doulton crowned cypher above.

The trio is in excellent condition. No chips, cracks, or crazing to any piece.

Key Details

• Maker: Royal Doulton, Made in England
• Series: Brambley Hedge Gift Collection
• Season: Summer
• Illustrator: Jill Barklem
• Copyright date: 1983 (first issue)
• Scene: Wedding of Poppy Eyebright and Dusty Dogwood at Midsummer
• Backstamp text: "The Afternoon Tea Plate from the Brambley Hedge Gift Collection"
• Story quote: "Midsummer's Day was picked for the wedding between Poppy Eyebright and Dusty Dogwood, and preparations were started at once"
• Shape: Scalloped cartouche rim
• Pieces: One trio — teacup, saucer, side plate
• Material: Bone china
• Period: 1983, first production issue
• Decoration: Polychrome transfer — wedding scene with pink dog rose and honeysuckle border on pale mint ground; wild rose posy to cup interior
• Condition: Excellent — no chips, cracks, or crazing
• Buyer profile: Brambley Hedge collector; buyer of Royal Doulton gift ware; wedding gift buyer; collector of illustrated children's book-related ceramics

© Jill Barklem 1983. Poppy and Dusty. Midsummer. The hedge at its finest.