IT WAS A CASE OF DRAGGING DOWN A BLUEBIRD BOX WITH COMBAT MAN FROM THE ATTIC!

 I've been rummaging in the attic and dragged out a few bits.

This is a nice 1983 Buebird Toys plastic carry case. I remember buying it at Thorpe Arch car boot sale a couple of years ago, full of MASK figures and toys [since sold on].

Very dirty but since cleaned up, the case is a sort of large lunch box. It must have been for storing Bluebird toys at the time. I've read that it was part of a Masters of the Universe competition prize as well but 1983 and its toys passed me by I'm afraid, as I was trudging round the mountains of Snowdonia most of that year just prior to becoming a Dad!

Is this case something you remember?

This is a large talking Thunderbird 2 from 1999. It could be Vivid Imaginations. It says Carlton on it. I got it for Junior last year in a charity shop but he's sort of moved away from Thunderbirds onto Pokemon and Nintendo Switch.

I added a home-made roller to the pod so it would roll and made sure all the talking and sound effects worked, as well as the spring-loaded legs. Not sure what went inside the pod. Its a big TB2, around 18 inches long. Its best features besides the pod are the opening cockpit and the descending grapple hook. Is this one you had readers?

This one was put away for a future sale, a gorgeous child-size plastic toy hoover from Zodiac Toys, which I bought on Doncaster second hand market a few years back.

I fixed the battery unit and once working it roared like a hoover, filled the bag with air and the front lit up just like the proper big one we had when I was a nipper!

Its great to see a Zodiac Toys price tag again. It was one of my favourite toy shops in Preston in the 1960's and early 1970's. That red ZODIAC lettering is so memorable!

Do you recall Zodiac Toys readers?

The last toy I dusted off was this Combat Man military Train Set, which I bagged a few years back at a boot sale, whilst on holiday.

It was the box art that drew me in first, very reminiscent of Action Man or Airfix toy soldier boxes.

Maybe Combat Man was a brand?

I had to replace two train wheels and an axle with home-made ones so it could run and also gave it a new cellophane box lining.

It looks great chugging round its circular track, the Special Forces livery flashing by.

I've just noticed the loco has a front light too!

Have you anything like this readers, a military train?