ABOUT LEITH TOY HOSPITAL
Leith Toy Hospital grew out of Picture to Puppet, a custom puppet and toy making business started in 2012. Leith Toy Hospital officially opened in 2017, and has been growing in popularity ever since. Leith Toy Hospital and Picture to Puppet are based in a cosy workshop at 64 Constitution Street. Our soft toy repairs range from dog-mauled favourites to antique teddy bears. We also restore dolls in various states of ill health ranging from cracked porcelain to broken eyes.
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE TEDDY HOSPITAL?
You can either bring your toy in to the toy hospital or send him/ her special delivery in the post. When your toy is admitted, they will be tucked into one of our little beds and looked after by our dolly nurse Millie. We will chat through some different repair options with you and make a treatment plan for your toy. We will give them a careful operation (under anaesthetic of course) and let you know when they are ready. When teddy is ready to go home from the toy hospital, we will tie a fresh ribbon around their neck fill out a return to work note stating what they need to do make a full recovery! They will have plenty of other toys for company – no-one is lonely at Leith Toy Hospital!
The Leith Toy Hospital Repair Team
Mari Jones - director
Mari Jones is the founder and director of Leith Toy Hospital. She works on custom builds and also repairs the knitted toys. She also runs Picture to Puppet, our sister company which makes custom puppets and soft toys to order.
Karlyn Finlayson - Ward Sister
Karlyn is our main contact with the outside world. She handles the check-ins and check-outs and keeps the wards in order.
Emma Forrest - Senior Teddy Surgeon
Emma Forrest is head of the soft toy department. She has a wealth of experience restoring antique soft toys. Originally a textile historian, she’s hopelessly devoted to her patients and treats each one dignity and respect.
Katy Powell - Senior Doll Surgeon
Katy Powell is head of the doll department. She works with all types of plastics, porcelein, bisque, and composites to give her patients a new lease of life.
Charlotte Abbott - Mechanical & Electrical
Polymath Charlotte Abbott is our mechanical and electrical technician. She repairs all our mechanical and electrical toys, and provides us with much needed IT support! She also helps out with the dolls hospital department.
Ruth Marin - Teddy Doctor
After training as a human nurse, Ruth Marin has transferred her expertise to becoming a teddy nurse! She says it’s similar but the teddies complain less.
Kiaz Trepte - dolly costumier & dolly hair stylist
After a 40 year career of working in haute couture (for humans), Kiaz Trepte now makes classy made to measure outfits for the toys, as well as being our resident dolly hair stylist and recreating lost toys.
Juan Lebron - Leather Specialist
Juan Lebron is our leather speacialist. He fixes all the leather, sheepskin and real fur teddies.
Aimee Whyte - Teddy Doctor
Aimee is one of our teddy doctors. She treats all of her patients in the teddy hospital with lots of TLC and also manages our social media. She trained as a costume maker and loves making tiny cute costumes for the teddies.
Angela Zawitaj - Doll Doctor
Angela Zawitaj is a doll restorer – she repairs all types of dollies. A former animator, she’s great at sculpting custom doll parts and is also a 3D printing whizz!
Leith Toy Hospital is based at 64 Constitution Street, and our working hours are Monday-Saturday, 10-6.
Contact Leith Toy Hospital to ask about repairs.
See examples of some miraculous recoveries!
Find out more about our sister company Picture to Puppet here!