I haven't seen an old toy in a pub that I wanted but I have a related story,
When in college I met by chance in a pub a school friend of mine that I hadn't seen for a few years. We shared the same birthday, though a year apart.
In catching up on what we were doing now I mentioned that I had started collecting old toys, specifically the ones I had once had as a child, as well as models of the Austin FX3 taxi that I was driving when an art student.
In talking old toys I mentioned that the one I had really wanted the most, but never had, was the Tri-ang Minic Watney's Barrel Delivery Lorry. A vehicle that I had seen making deliveries when a child.
A while latter for my 21st birthday he gave me the pictured model. It is somewhat worn but he had seen it in a Watney's pub, on a shelf behind the counter and bought it for me from the landlord.
Now it sits under a plastic case so as not to be further weathered, nearby are my conversions to create 'what if' contemporary toys,
Brimtoy,
Crescent,
and the old Airfix kit, still available from Dapol.
It's interesting that if any toy belonged in a pub it would be a beer delivery vehicle.
Here in the US Budweiser Beer used to give some bars and restaurants three foot long models of their Horse Drawn Beer Wagon which in real life was used as a promotional vehicle.
I might have been interested in owning one if I cared for Budweiser, but I don't.
Maybe Paul in NZ can research the plastic kit once sold of it if he does a piece on horse drawn vehicle kits?
Terranova47
USA
That is one gorgeous vehicle. Old trucks are a great genre, I’m very fond of them myself. SFZ
ReplyDeleteI used to see Tetleys barrels on a horse and cart in Leeds when I worked in the city in the noughties. Always good to see. I so remember Watneys Pale Ale and Red Barrel in the house when I was a kid! Great post Terran!
ReplyDeleteThat is a great old toy, with a great story behind it. So, it seems horse-drawn delivery vehicles will be my next subject. I will get on to it.
ReplyDeleteI did not think of this until later, but a Watney's barrel truck appears in the Benny Hill film Who Done It ? (1956). A murder comedy, this ends in a great car chase scene, with a Watney's truck more than holding its own against all comers on a racing track.
ReplyDeleteThe truck has a roof sign that says Watney's Ales on the front, and Reid's Stout on the back.
This is a great film, and well worth watching.
I adored Benny Hill as a kid, his TV show a must-see every week. Seeing your comment reminds me how far back he goes Paul, already in films in 1956. Wow! Its not a film I know. I imagine there were similar trucks and horses and carts in Norman Wisdom films as well somewhere but I'm guessing.
DeleteWhat? No red barrels?
ReplyDelete