topic Re: TOYS at Christmas Time in Off-Topic

TOYS at Christmas Time

Dave-O2 — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:01:02 GMT

Hey folks

I'm posting this on behalf of @RunrigForever who has kindly created TOYS at Christmas Time.

I hope you all enjoy 😊 🎅🌲

I remember when me and my younger sister Caroline got similar dolls for Christmas ..... about 10" tall with moveable arms and legs ... & ... short, curly rooted hair ..... my sister's doll she named Linda had dark hair ..... my doll named Rosa had platinum blonde hair ... ... ... quite sometime in my doll's life I asked my mum Olwen, if I could wash Rosa's hair & mum said yes, however mum dried it in front of the 1 bar electric fire and singed it - I really didn't mind.

Each year we would have a compendium of games in a long box. Tiddlywinks was in there with counters in bright colours ... a dice was hexagonal cardboard with a matchstick through the centre. Us daughters would set it up and play happily together on the half moon hearth rug in front of the coal fire in the dining room. In later years when the front room was furnished and called the lounge we would have Christmas in that room, but the Christmas tree was always in the same corner in the dining room.

Each year we would go looking for our presents & one year we found the 'stash' behind the chest of drawers in my mum & dad's bedroom. The furniture was angled at 45 degrees across one corner of their bedroom. No ... we just kept schtum ha ha ha !

My favourite toy was the Spirograph as shown on Blue Peter childrens tv ..... this is still in my posession in the top cupboards in the spare bedroom. With my son Alex, it was Duplo when he was about 9 months old, going through to include Lego Technic as the Christmases went by, all too quick it seems now. When the toy to have was a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle, my mum sourced on from Leeds. No internet & Amazon then ... ... ... Thunderbirds Tracey Island, again mum managed to find one, which again is in a much used condition in its box in the top cupboards in the spare bedroom. The year my lad had Scalectrix, which we all enjoyed, especially my dad Roy, enjoying being with his only grandson.

Above is just a snapshot of what I remember.

The Gift of Christmas, for me, is about being with much loved Family and Friends ..... my family is a small one, however I am in touch with a cousin in the West Midlands, where my mum comes from. Dad is true Yorkshire & always called a spade a shuvvel. I do miss them most in the Festive Season, but they are together now in the sky shining stars in the Heavens above.

Thanks mum & dad xx xx

Thanks again @RunrigForever

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

Enlli — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:31:36 GMT

My Hopalong Cassidy watch.

Seems they are going for over £200 on ebay if they have the original packaging with saddle

Worse though is this its the one in the V&A museum Now I feel old

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

Cleoriff — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 12:21:41 GMT

I really wasn't into dolls or cuddly toys. Apparently, according to my late Mum, Dad and sister, I was a 'tomboy'.

I was out playing with the lads in our street. I was the only girl in a street of boys.

So, my best Christmas was a bike. Not just any bike either it was a Raleigh Triumph in dark green.

The other girls bike which was all the rage was a Pink Witch

Not for me. I didn't wear pink. A pity I can't find a picture of my Green bike but there you go. (I'm that old! 😂)

It certainly was one of the best Christmas presents I had.

When the weather picked up, I used to go cycling with the lads after school.

Re Christmas, it was always special as a child. The decorations would be up, a real coal fire and a wonderful dinner cooked by Mum. She was the best cook in the world.🎄

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

pgn — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 13:31:47 GMT

TCR Total Control Racing, slotless track. The cars had contacts on the underside which connected with metal bars embedded in the track sections, and a third, uncontrolled car would crawl around the track at about 2/3rds speed, to be overtaken by the 2 competing cars as you raced, using a switch on the hand-held controller.

Hours of fun, and some strategic use of pencil eraser to clean the contacts and track, and sandpaper to roughen the rubber on the rear driving wheels, just to get that edge. Headlights illuminated as well. Great to see how fast two cars in opposing directions could go before a smash ...

Knocked sparks off the competing Scalextric slotted racetrack!

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

TallTrees — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 14:04:36 GMT

One really enjoyed Christmas was spending Christmas at my cousins in the country. The whole experience was great and different. Lots of toys and games, chocolates and sweets. Great bonus we all could enjoy each others toys and games too! Everyone loved opening the stocking at the bottom of the bed, this was packed with lovely things and an 🍊

Then after too much shouting and laughing a splendid Christmas lunch with all the trimmings. After lunch

out running around with the dogs and getting mucky with our new Christmas bobble hats and gloves 😀

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

Cleoriff — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 13:38:42 GMT

@Dave-O2

I remember one other present I received from Mum and Dad the same year I had the bike. I was a bit shocked as I had asked for a Bike or a Dansette Record player.

After I was given the bike Mum told me to go into the front room. The Dansette record player was there

With two records. One of Elvis Presley the other Pat Boone (Never a fan of him).

Mind you I think Dad bought it for himself as well. He bought Diana by Paul Anka and played it over and over again. 😂

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

Enlli — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 14:02:32 GMT

Repaired many of them.

Record players were expensive. The autochanger version retailed at 17 1/2 guineas: more than the average weekly wage

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

TallTrees — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:24:34 GMT

A scalextric for Christmas was great fun and there were cars and bikes too.

I loved the Mamod steam car and tractor too.

These were so interesting with the boiler steam driving the vehicle. Fantastic. You could get a factory with belts that would drive other machines.

CAR

TRACTOR

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

Cleoriff — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:00:02 GMT

@Enlli

Mine wasn't an autochanger (I just chose a picture of a dansette of the 50's) 🙂

I did feel quite lucky that year, getting two 'big' presents. Dad worked at Standard Triumph 5 nights a week and Mum worked full time at the G.E.C. so luckily as kids we didn't really want for much. I did learn later though, that my mum wasn't keen on me having the record player as well as the bike and accused Dad of turning me into a spoilt brat!😂

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

TallTrees — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:12:08 GMT

Well spoilt brat used to be a thought in those days. So another big prezzy was a general kind of gift and as it happened well worth it. Great to be able to play your own record. I am absolutely sure you were never a spoilt brat🙄

@Cleoriff

😁

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

Cleoriff — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 19:36:10 GMT

@TallTrees wrote:
Well spoilt brat used to be a thought in those days. So another big prezzy was a general kind of gift and as it happened well worth it. Great to be able to play your own record. I am absolutely sure you were never a spoilt brat🙄
@Cleoriff
😁

No, I wasn't @TallTrees.

Although in fairness to my Mum, who was a Geordie and came from a family of 12 children, she had learnt at a very early age to be extremely careful with money.

As she said 'You never know when your circumstances could change'.

It was her, not Dad, who taught me the value of money.

When I started work as a nursing cadet (age 15) I earned £2 and 13 shillings a month 😂

Mum insisted I paid board and lodgings and took half of it. My dad was appalled. However, I grew up knowing the cost of living and paid 'board' every month until I left home.

Re: TOYS at Christmas Time

TallTrees — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 20:01:18 GMT

I think that does indeed show you the value @Cleoriff

Then when you leave home it doesn't come as a shock when you need to pay for accommodation etc.