Packaging and Shipping Information
We are and authorized 'Club 56' Department 56 retailer. All Dept 56 items are in the original, never opened box and come complete with paperwork. As the largest and oldest (since 1980!) Department 56 retailers in the world, we understand collectors are particular. We take great care in keeping all boxes in pristine condition. Because of our 12 years of online selling experience, you can feel confident knowing your order will arrive safe and is backed by our 100% satisfaction and price match guarantee.
Lea Hurst is an early Victorian gabled house, which is most famous as the childhood home of Florence Nightingale. Although she was named after the city of her birth, Florence spent much of her childhood in the Derbyshire mansion and it was used by The Nightingale's as their summer residence. The oldest stone house in the area, Leahurst is believed to have been built in 1840.
Dickens' Village Series During Dickens' time, and the rein of Queen Victoria, London was the cultural and financial center of the world. The British Empire was expanding, and trade with foreign lands spiked. This new introduction is a testimony to the merchants specializing in goods imported from around the world. This building has been modified to suit the needs of the rug merchant. The large double door on the right is used for deliveries, and the large window allows the latest arrivals to be properly displayed. Featuring an elegant design, a showcased rug hangs beside the window. Step back in time to the cobblestone streets, gas street lamps, and horse-drawn carriages of our 19th century Dickens' Village Series.
Beer is the oldest fermented beverage known and has been made the world over for millennia. For centuries it was not safe to drink water in developed areas and so beer, wine, mead and the like were drunk by all at each meal. This would have been true of the poor and wealthy alike. It is said that Queen Elizabeth l liked ale for breakfast accompanied by eggs and mushrooms with sugar. The poor didn't have sugar but they had alcoholic beverages by the score. In 1830 The Beerhouse Act was installed to regulate all producers. By 1841 there were over 45,000 licensed brewers in the country; some large, some small. Chiswick would have been a neighborhood beer maker serving the public houses nearby. Chiswick is the area of London and home to one of England’s largest and oldest brewery, Fuller’s Griffin Brewery, producing some of the best known and respected brands of Britian.
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By: Steven W. (Evansville, IN) on January, 2010 
