In the Sixties we went back to Primary School in early January with our favourite toys we'd got at Christmas.
I remember taking in my tinplate Army Jeep and my Mod Monster [Pants fall down]. I'd have been about 8.
The Jeep whizzed around the classroom underneath everyone's wooden chairs. It had the best bump'n'go action ever!
The Mod Monster naturally was a big hit too and as Frankie Stein blushed we all howled with laughter.
Alas I don't recall what anyone else brought in.
Is this a tradition you had at School readers?
[pics: vectis]
I do remember that. I took my Gemini spaceship in one year.
ReplyDeleteWas that the plastic one with two astronauts Kev? I forget the make.
DeleteYep, Clifford made it.
DeleteI remember taking in my J. Rosenthal TB2 one day, but it wasn't at Christmas. It sat down the front of the class for everyone to admire - but it was MINE! A boy called Billy Montgomery brought in his action figure one day, but it wasn't a real Action Man, being one of those cheap, 2nd-rate imitations. No one was impressed. I'm sure someone brought in their Major Matt Mason toys once as well.
ReplyDeleteSo cool Kid that, a JR21 TB2. Too cool for Skool! ha ha. Di you have the Land Rover or the Mole in the pod? I love the memory of the 2nd rate Action Man. I had some from Zodiac Toys to keep my Palitoy guys company. The coolest figure had to Tommy Gunn, but he wasn't a knockoff, more a contender!
DeleteMine had the jeep, Woodsy. Regarding Tommy Gunn, there's a post over on my blog about him, which I'm sure you'll find interesting: http:kidr77.blogspot.com/2012/08/tommy-or-joe-fight-fight-fight.html
DeleteSuper that Kid, just read it. Thinking about it I had a lot of cheap Action Men along with the real thing but they can't have been Tommy Gunn. There must have been other cheapo Action Men around in the Sixties. Tommy Gunn was a proper toy!
DeleteOh, there were loads of imitations. I got one in Largs in 1971, which had an Action Man face, but without the scar. It had almost all the points of articulation as AM, except the waist merely turned, it couldn't bend. Then there were the extra-cheap versions on sale in Woolworth's and Safeway's. They were more like dolls than 'action figures' and had severely limited movement indeed.
DeleteToy Day is up there with every xmas I never got a Johnny Seven and accidentally dropping a crater critter into the open grate of a coal fire! Bad memories! I took my very first SWORD Task Force 1 proudly along to infants and played with it on the wooden floor, revving it up and carefully chasing it along so I didnt break the nose on the skirting.Then after an especially vigourous rev, the drive wheel came off, rolled across the floor and dropped through a knot hole under the floorboards! Tragedy!
ReplyDeleteWhat with your Crater Critter King falling into a fire grate and a Probe Force 1 wheel dropping down a hole you have to be the unluckiest kid on Toy day Bill! A disaster zone. If you had had a Johnny seven I reckon all the bullets would have gone down your teacher's blouse and the missiles in the Headmaster's cane cupboard! And if I ever have a blog devoted to friction drive toys I will have to call it Vigourous Rev! ha ha
Deletewell I clearly didnt learn, because a couple of years later, in the same school, I got the Joe 90 Target set with black and white dart pistol. Taking that to school, I shot my mate with one of the 3 darts, missed and sent it down the grating into the boiler room! I can still recall the caretaker glaring up at me from a pile of dead leaves and rubbish as I waited in the playground for him to find it! Needless to say, he didn't! Most Careless Agent!
ReplyDeleteThe Caretaker no doubt was missing that very dart from his own otherwise mint set, which he had squirreled away on his toy shelf! I now know that your corporate nemesis is clearly called G.R.A.T.E!
ReplyDeleteI still can't believe my Primary School teacher was called Miss. Standing. She was as well, always standing! I wonder of her first name was Under! ha ha. Funny how we recall certain teacher's names. I had another one at Secondary School called Mr. Strange! Almost a comic character!
ReplyDeleteyes Woodsy, it still grates on my nerves when I think about it. I understand now why my dad confiscated all the little blue figures from my Corgi Aston Martin, so I did't get James Bond to eject them into oblivion!
ReplyDeleteWe all feel a little ejected at some point in our lives. What happened to James?
ReplyDeletethe aston martins gone, but the blue passengers turned up in a cupboard years later! still got them safe!
ReplyDeleteAll James needs is that Aston Martin Bill. Maybe you could win one in a game of poker with Le Chiffre!
ReplyDelete