Yorkshire Wolds: Making miniatures helped paralysed woman recover

After a serious crash left a Yorkshire woman fighting for her life, a doctor told her that finding a hobby to focus on would be the key to her recovery.

Paralysed with a broken back and two missing fingers, Pauline Millard remembered the dolls house she had packed away in her loft, and her curiosity for miniature objects reignited.

She said she had always been fascinated with the idea of crafting tiny pieces of art, but had never taken it further than buying the supplies.

However, faced with a future without a job and the ability to move freely, Pauline started to experiment with making everyday items, some no bigger than the size of a fingernail.

Today, her unassuming shop in the Yorkshire Wolds is home to thousands of handmade miniatures and attracts customers from all over the world, who are enchanted by her craft.

Pauline's life was turned upside down after the accident in 2010, which happened on the A64 on her way to work.

"I set off to look after an elderly gentleman at around nine in the morning, when a driver behind me - drunk and full of drugs- fell asleep and knocked me to the side of the road," she recalls.

"My car rolled down all the fields and I ended up in Hull Royal [Infirmary] for four months- I had a hell of a road to recovery."

Her life-changing injuries meant that Pauline could not go back to work caring for others, but a doctor's advice made sure she found her purpose.

"The doctor said 'do not go home and crawl up on the couch because you will not survive, you need to be active'," Pauline told BBC Radio York.

"I thought about it and I liked the dolls house in the loft, so I set to and started making miniatures."

Pauline admitted her first "rubbish" attempt was destined for the bin, but her next go at crafting a tiny haberdashery counter with fabrics was successful.

From then on, she tackled intricate designs by scaling them down on a computer to get the proportions perfect, before modelling them with clay.

Boxes of soap and cornflakes were among her first creations and could be held between her fingertips.

Now, her inventory consists of 9mm jars of Marmite, thimble-sized fruit and vegetables, and tiny tins to stock a miniature pantry.

After her skills developed, Pauline started to sell her creations and Weaverthorpe Dolls House Miniatures was born.

The 150ft (46m) shop, which has grown from a workspace a fraction of the size, attracts customers from all over the world, which means Pauline is constantly busy.

"I make everything in miniature, if you can request something, I'll give it a go and make it," she says triumphantly.

"My business is very busy and there is a big demand- a lot of people have come into it now from Covid."

She estimates that she makes 2,500 miniatures every month, as she can model each one in only minutes.

But her craft is more than just a successful business venture to Pauline, it is the reason she was able to recover.

She said: "This hobby is very therapeutic and it helps me with my mental health, it has been the best thing that could have happened to me.

"I don't know what I would have done if I didn't choose the miniature business, this has been my life."

Her shop in Weaverthorpe, which is lined with 35 glass cabinets containing miniature pubs, churches, cottages and art studios, is believed to be the only one of its scale in North Yorkshire.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].