Whilst visiting Doncaster Zoo this week I was reminded in their shop how much rubber toy animals were part of my childhood in the Sixties. There were loads of them in my life!
I remember clearly the thick clammy rubber that they were made of and the incredibly chemical rubbery smell they gave off!
I had really long snakes including a cobra, a crocodile, a fly, a lobster, a crab, a cricket, a centipede, a spider, a fish and my personal favourite, a big frog, which was a solid hunk of green rubber!
I imagine that my parents got them for me at Zoos and Safari Parks [now those were scary!] but I'm pretty sure they were on sale in toy shops like Zodiac too here in Blighty. Did they come in packets or where they loose in display stands?
Were rubber animals part of your life readers? And has anybody still got any?
My brother and I each had a souvenir from a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo in the 70's.They were HUGE rubber Pterodactyls suspended on sticks by a long rubber band.You jiggle the stick,they flap their wings.These things were heavy,solid ,translucent brown rubber with bright green and yellow spray on the topside.Unfortunately,all I have today is memories of these magnificent beasties,although they were kept on a hook in our bedroom for ages.
ReplyDeleteI recall them being sold loose and in bagged and carded sets.
ReplyDeleteGreat memory Brian. And ta Andy. I do miss my rubber frog and that wonderful smell!
ReplyDeleteRubber snakes...black, dark green or brown with sprayed on bands in yellow, pale green or white!
ReplyDeleteAnd they did have a pong of their own!!