Mum’s memories of starring in 1980s Cadbury advert aged three as she prepares to sell chocolate memorabilia

Emma Tighe, from Bournville, starred in an a Cadbury advert aged three in the 1980s
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A mum who starred in a 1980s Cadbury advert when she was aged three is selling her huge collection of chocolate memorabilia worth thousands of pounds.

Emma Tighe, aged 45, from Bournville, spent decades adding to her Cadbury goodies which she crammed into her home. Her treasure trove of 369 items includes vintage shop signs, retro chocolate tins, kids colouring books, playing cards and limited edition egg cups.

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She is now auctioning her whopping collection which is set to fetch between £2,000 and £4,000. The most expensive item going under the hammer is a rare enamel ‘Cadbury’s’ shop signs from the 1920s which is worth up to £1,000.

Cadbury controversially dropped the ‘s’ from its name in 2003 as part of a new marketing strategy, making memorabilia with the ‘s’ even more valuable. A rare set of the 1930s Coco Club animal figures, and is one of Emma’s most prized items, is also set to sell for hundreds of pounds.

Emma’s fascination with chocolate started after she starred in an advert in 1981. She appeared in the Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Father’s Day campaign which saw her face plastered on billboards and posters across the UK.

Emma, who grew up a stone’s throw from the Cadbury factory spent years adding to her sweetie collection. The mum-of-one said: “I grew up in Bournville where I smelt chocolate 24 hours a day until they put the covers on the chimneys.

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“Our schools main sponsor was Cadbury, so I have grown up with it around me. I would visit car boot sales with my mum to look for new pieces to add to my collection.

Emma Tighe starred in a Cadbury advert aged threeEmma Tighe starred in a Cadbury advert aged three
Emma Tighe starred in a Cadbury advert aged three

“As a child, Cadbury was part of me and from that my collection just grew and grew. When I was three my mum signed me up for a child modelling agency and soon after that I got picked to appear in the Cadbury campaign. When I was 12 I’d spend my weekends rummaging through car boot sales with my mum for old chocolate tins and browsing charity shops.”

A huge collection of Cadbury memorabilia amassed by former child model Emma Tighe who starred in a Dairy Milk advert is up for auctionA huge collection of Cadbury memorabilia amassed by former child model Emma Tighe who starred in a Dairy Milk advert is up for auction
A huge collection of Cadbury memorabilia amassed by former child model Emma Tighe who starred in a Dairy Milk advert is up for auction

US-giant Kraft Foods bought Cadbury in 2010 for around £11.9billion. The chocolate maker is now owned by Mondelez International (originally Kraft).

Emma, who now lives in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, and runs an antique shop in the town, is selling her collection next Wednesday (February 1). She added: “Cadbury’s isn’t even British anymore either so I can’t see a reason to keep it all now either. I can no longer have room to display it all and cleaning the collection would take up whole days.

Emma Tighe starring an a Cadbury ad aged three in the 1980sEmma Tighe starring an a Cadbury ad aged three in the 1980s
Emma Tighe starring an a Cadbury ad aged three in the 1980s
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“I am heartbroken to see my collection go. I used to keep it in my kitchen and have the enamel signs hung up on a brick wall in my garden. I am keeping my favourite green and white Cadbury’s shops sign from the 1900s as it was gifted by a friend. I vowed I would never sell this piece and I need to keep one item to remember my collection by.

A huge collection of Cadbury memorabilia amassed by former child model Emma Tighe who starred in a Dairy Milk advert is up for auctionA huge collection of Cadbury memorabilia amassed by former child model Emma Tighe who starred in a Dairy Milk advert is up for auction
A huge collection of Cadbury memorabilia amassed by former child model Emma Tighe who starred in a Dairy Milk advert is up for auction

“I will go to the auction, and I will probably shed a few tears but it needs to be sold. I am hopefully going to get my kitchen refurbished with the money and I want to turn it into a Victorian styled Downton Abbey kitchen.”

The Cadbury collection is being sold by Nock Deighton Auctioneers in Bridgnorth in Shropshire.

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