Of course Paul and Marjorie Abbatt lived in Bloomsbury! At 49 Tavistock Square. The range of their interests and their devotion to children's education and welfare is inspiring (details on the V and A site here). They were 'absolute idealists and so passionate about their their work that they keep their watches on Summer Time so that they're always in the shop by eight' (1963 profile). This was the shop in Wigmore Street in 1937.

As we all get up early and look in astonishment at our screens, exclaiming like children, 'but how could anyone vote for that man let alone millions and millions of people' (apparently the majority of Trump voters are white men, even that thought is sickening), as we despairingly make ourselves yet another cup of tea and pray for a miracle – another Abbatt delight which would have influenced anyone growing up in the 1950s (anyone lucky enough to be surrounded by Abbatt toys, that is). A few weeks ago we celebrated Terence Conran on the Post. He must have been hugely inspired by the Abbatts. As we all were.

This 1960s posting box is sometimes to be seen in the shop window (minus the little red handle to lift the lid, which has inevitably been lost but some of the wooden bricks have survived). Of course some people looking in the shop window may wonder, what on earth? But to us it makes perfect sense: good design; wood not plastic; a focus on the domestic and children; an emphasis on the Europeanness of Persephone Books; vintage not modern; oh so many reasons.

From 1932-73, Paul and Marjorie Abbatt was the leading British company making and selling a range of toys and play equipment based on theories of child development and play. Teachers and shoppers looking for something brightly coloured, versatile, charming but robust and usually made of wood, knew that their shop at 94, Wimpole Street (designed by Ernö Goldfinger in 1936) or their mail-order catalogues would provide it. Tonight at 6 there is an online lecture on the subject (also a book) by Alan Powers, details here. 

And this is the painting on the cover of the new Biannually – Ford Madox Brown 'The Last of England'. No pun is intended (the picture relates to The New Magdalen by Wilkie Collins) although some Persephone readers might fervently wish they too were watching the white cliffs of Dover fade into the distance and that they were setting off for eg. New Zealand. We can dream. Next week on the Post: the Paul and Marjorie Abbatt exhibition at Margaret Howell.

There is an article about Jane Carlyle's dog in the new Biannually!

The textile on the Random Commentary endpaper was designed by Eva Croft, sister of Laura Knight. Here is Eva, painted by her sister Laura, in 1945 – yet another example of female hidden talent.