Dora Collingwood was the eldest daughter of W. G. Collingwood. She married Ernest Altounyan in 1915. Their children became models for the Walker children; Taqui, Susan (Susie), Roger, Titty (Mavis) and Brigit. The oldest girl, Taqui, became John in order to have another boy in the stories. Arthur had proposed to both Dora and her sister Barbara (TLE p48), although in his autobiography he only mentions proposing to Barbara.