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Original poster

Silver Cross Traditional Pram - too old fashioned??

28 replies

BigMomma3 · 28/01/2010 09:43

Am due with No4 in July and my parents want to get me a traditional Silver Cross. Now I have not seen any of these about at all recently and I live in quite a chavvy area so will I get laughed at?? Will people think that I am the baby's nanny (will have to get a grey pinafore and apron )?

Can't do links but web address is below.

www.silvercross.co.uk/our-range/heritage-collection/kensington/

I had one of these (which my parents also got me) for my DD 13 years ago and although it's a pain the butt in put it in the car, it's excellent from a comfort point of view and good for carrying shopping (could get almost a whole weekly shop in the basket!). It looks heavy but I used to walk about 3 miles a day with it (into town and back to lose weight) and it was fine. I was forever getting OAPs stopping me and saying it was lovely to see a proper pram not those plasticy things . I also used it with my twins for a few months before I got a side by side when they got too big for it.

I am thinking of getting one of those Britax lie flat car beds with the chassis as well for when we go out in the car but intend to do a lot of walking again with the Silver Cross. What do you think?

OP posts:
RockbirdandHerSpork · 28/01/2010 09:54

I don't think you'll get laughed at but you'll probably get stopped or stared at a lot, as you know I see one every so often (Surrey, reasonably well to do area but not tres posh) and I really like seeing them.

I think you have to weigh up how practical it would be for you using it every day and how many little old ladies etc you can cope with per shopping trip and decide from there. I think it sounds like you've made your decision anyway tbh. It's a real feelgood thing anyway, people love to see them out and about from what I've seen.

Original poster
BigMomma3 · 28/01/2010 14:38

Thanks Rockbird. Could do without the attention but have little choice on having one with my mum and her views on modern baby transport

OP posts:
MillyMollyMoo · 29/01/2010 11:54

I have one which cost over a grand and is now in the garage getting rusty.
They aren't easy to push, don't fit through a lot of door ways & yes people do look at you like who the he'll does she think she is, not helped by the fact that my baby used to wave lol
I'd spend £500 on a sturdy emmaljunga if you want tradition and practicality, or you could buy mine and I'll get one instead

jeee · 29/01/2010 11:57

I couldn't work out why there were suddenly hundreds (okay, four or five) in our not-terribly-salubrious town. Then we took the DC to the fair and realised that the people working the fair used them - I guess they're good on rough grass and muddy fields?

Fibilou · 29/01/2010 12:44

I've got a traditional Silver Cross (baby to put in it is 5 days late) and I don't care what people think of it. It's beautiful and I thinik modern prams are ugly

momofnearly2 · 29/01/2010 21:42

Absolutley Gorgeous prams.

I bought one of ebay for £140 for when Ds was born. I added new mattress, New reigns, New basket and touched up the paint work. Total cost - £200

Our situation then changed and it was no longer suitable for our lifestyle iygwim.

I sold it on ebay and got £560 for it. I cried like a baby once it had gone.

My friend had one of the old soft bodied one's (not new but newer than the coach built one's) and she often got stopped by people telling her what a gorgeous pram it was.

TeaandCake · 30/01/2010 00:00

Ooh, I couldn't resist this thread title!

Go for it! I have a lovely Silver Cross Marlborough (the same as today's Balmoral) and couldn't give a fig about what anyone else may think about it.

I bought it on eBay, so it was fairly inexpensive and I could also afford a Mountain Buggy for the car. Absolutely the best of all worlds!

It does draw quite a lot of attention though, I can't walk down the street without being stopped to talk about it. When DS1 was a baby I was literally mobbed one day in our local M&S cafe by elderly ladies wanting to give it a little bounce on the handle and tell me about their prams from 50 years ago!

They are just gorgeous and both my DC slept/sleep brilliantly in it. If it makes you go out walking more often then that can only be a good thing, surely?

viena · 31/01/2010 11:41

I love them, i have seen a few where i am, and i cant help starring, only as i think they are beautiful, my parents had one and have pictures of me sittng in it, with reins so i cant get out... I had a carrycot with my mutsy but he lasted in it for 4mths, and i hated it, at least they would last so much longer in there and all snuggled up, and like you said those baskets you cn fit so much mor not like the baskets that we get with this modern prams ...

Flightattendant · 31/01/2010 11:56

I had a big old London Baby Coach when ds1 was small.

It was HUGE and was supposedly suitable for up to a 7yo (with foot extender)

But the wheelbase was unsuitable for any kind of rough or uneven terrain, took it over a steep bridge once and nearly lost ds into a huge pile of nettles, the wheels are very short base for top heavy pram iyswim

Silver cross ones are sometimes much smaller.

I have to admit I hated the attention it got, I loved it in itself and was v comfy for ds (took him round sainsburys in it, all the shopping fitted IN the pram, a few people peered in and wondered if there was an actual baby in there among the crisps and bananas.

I felt like such a tw*t though. And it wouldn't go through doors, gates, anti-cycle fences, etc etc you get the picture.

Nice ornament for the living room and to use as a bouncy cradle though. I would never want to take one out again.

Flightattendant · 31/01/2010 11:58

Plus it will be useless once your child is about 9 months to a year old. Try parking a SC in the understairs bit at baby gym or taking it to a playgroup...it's crap

Flightattendant · 31/01/2010 12:00

And yes OP you will get laughed at!!

I agree with Milly, get an Emmaljunga for sturdy, comfortable (and bloody heavy) quality pram.
They are MUCH more practical.

Then flog it and get a maclaren...(says she with 2 emmaljungas in the cellar IN CASE of baby #3)

Original poster
BigMomma3 · 06/02/2010 21:21

Actually I'm quite looking forward to having one now. I am doing nothing but staring at other people's prams in the street at the moment and have not seen anything that comes close to a Silver Cross! Yes, I did have that problem of parking it when going to baby groups with DD but will suck it up.

I can picture new baby snuggled up in it with one of those lovely white broderie anglaise sun shades on it (baby due in July). Ahhh bliss!

OP posts:
MillyMollyMoo · 06/02/2010 22:35

What if somebody knicks it that was always my worry about using it for mother and baby groups and parking it outside.

CarGirl · 06/02/2010 22:39

I loved mine, it was fab for daytime sleeping and local walking. The old ladies really did get on my nerves though.

mrswarthog · 06/02/2010 22:52

I really wanted one but DH pointed out the impracticalities so we compromised and got the Silver Cross Classic. We used it til DS was past 3 (it changes from a big pram to a big buggy) and am using it now for DD. It has all the fab qualities of the Balmoral & Kensington - the brilliant suspension, excellent height, British build quality & a massive shopping basket plus the ability to fit into a car boot & get through doorways. I get stopped a lot by people asking what it is and where to get it from. Definitely go for it, they're just lovely and your baby & waistline will thank you!

jane2004 · 09/02/2010 23:01

Can the interiors crack easily in these prams, if there not stored pulled right up
and on teh older prams there brakes cant hold so well been told

Jane

hophophippidtyhop · 10/02/2010 15:35

I had a silver cross linear freeway, and though it's not anything like a coach built one, I have to say it's sturdy and well made. I liked that you could change to a pushchair easily and it had plenty of room. Even at 2 1/2 I know my dd would still be comfy in it, but I tend to take a buggy out now.

munchie4kids · 12/02/2010 11:46

GET ONE!!!!! They are beautiful, push like a dream & for us mums who walk rather than use the car a lot - they keep your baby high up out of car fumes etc, baby lays flat, which is good for the spine. Facing the 'pusher' is nice too, never mind if it helps speech development, why wouldn't you want to look at the baby you are pushing?! When summer arrives, you put on a lovely sun canopy with fringe & it is just SO pretty...I could go on & on & on about the benefits of a Silver Cross pram, but don't want to bore you x Hope it all goes well for you & just for the record, I have 4 little people too & out of the MANY prams I have had, this is/was/forever will be, my FAVOURITE!

lovechoc · 12/02/2010 19:19

I have the silver cross linear sleepover pram and haven't had a bit of bother with it. yes they are a bit bulky compared to others, but it's lovely to see them in the traditional style prams when they are so tiny!

If we had the money I'd get one of the coach prams, but sadly the modern style was all we could afford

Flightattendant · 12/02/2010 19:22

Jane, yes in my experience the brakes were shocking. But that was the older pram...if you paid out for a new one they would have to meet EC standards I think, so might actually work

Flightattendant · 12/02/2010 19:23

I agree they are beautiful things btw...just much nicer if you keep them in the house and use as a daytime cot.

They are really so impractical for taking anywhere.

lovechoc · 12/02/2010 19:30

i agree flightattendant, we actually have a small pushchair for the car so we don't take the silver cross anywhere apart from roundabout the area we live in - on foot! I did try putting it in the boot when DS was tiny but was knackered with it every time I went out, it was like mission impossible! Definately not ideal if you use a car regularly. But very good for walking everywhere with.

ilovesprouts · 12/02/2010 19:34

my ds1 had one when he was a baby ,hes now 20 and i still like them

Flightattendant · 12/02/2010 19:34

Oh Lovechoc, I had the sleepover too for a while (ebayed it!) It was a really nice pram.
Much more practical than the older SC prams - at least you can fold it up!

I only sold it as I am a pram addict and had too many others

jane2004 · 14/02/2010 11:11

hi there

you do see these old prams at the fairs dont you ? i suppose they can accomadadate the older child thats why they have them

you never see any 1 using them at all