JOHNNY HEAVEN?

 I'm torn about military toys these days but as a kid in the Sixties I was as gung-ho as the next young sapper. 

My inner-child is still drawn towards any toys that remind me of those glory days doing battle with my friends with our plastic bazookas, mortars, grenades and Johnny Sevens. We were war-like baby boomers and that's the way it was.

I still have a Johnny Seven like I had back in 1965 or 6.

Its the most expensive vintage toy I've ever bought as a collector. It was in the dying moments of an NEC memorabilia fair circa year 2000 and having seen it earlier in the day I found myself back in front of the seller, a kindly young Yorkshire chap from Snape I think, asking that classic punter's question: what's your best price mate?

£300 later I walked off with a minty boxed One Man Army! I mean, just look at the old TV ad and you'll see why!

Did you have a Johnny Seven or any army toys?

So when I saw the Dorset Tank Museum Shop's online plastic arsenal I couldn't help enjoy a frisson of that old guilty pleasure recalling past bubblegum skirmishes in the back garden, where we just counted to ten if we were shot.

The Tank Museum offers cost a lot lot less and here's the best of the bunch. What do you think?

I had a mortar like this back then. Oh what fun we had.

This Bazooka looks terrific I have to say. In '67 we would have stormed the sandpit bunker to get it! There's been lots of bazookas over the years, many using ping pong balls, including a rare Dr. Who version we've covered before on MC. Did you have one of those?

The symbol of a Sixties childhood, the plastic GI helmet.

and maybe the best till last, this toy missile gun recalls my Johnny Seven's green massive anti-tank shell. With plastic ammo like that our frenemy opposition, hiding behind their deck chair barricades, would have surrendered before they could say Sekiden.

See anything you like in that Tank Museum shop?

Are you torn about military toys nowadays? Would you buy them for your kids/ grandkids for Christmas?