My Parents' Knights

 Googling for Knights I found some I recall ( Etsy, eBay) including this Hong Kong-made plastic statuette. This could very well have been the one I had as a kid in the Sixties, nestling on a shelf with my monsters and rockets. 

He's just missing his sword or spear.

My folks had this handsome iridescent firedog next to the fireplace too. It weighed a ton!

And we deffo had one of these plastic and brass wall plaques. I adored the scene, the standard bearer at the front with the line of the marquees receding I to the distance. I never really knew what the object was at the front - a sword scabbard? - and often wondered what the ring was for. 

This plaque rings another bell too, plastic and brass ( image from Etsy, not my nails!)

And this fine heraldic plaque graced our living room. What a kitsch beauty it was! 

Did your parents have knights?

Ivanhoe's Castle

 Me and the Missus visited Conisbrough Castle on the outskirts of Doncaster today.

It's a massively impressive stone fortress for sure with a huge pentagonal keep rearing up from the hill.

This ancient fastness was the setting for Ivanhoe, the knightly romance by Sir Walter Scott.

When I was nipper my parents had an old copy of Ivanhoe published by Dent. I remember it had tissue-thin pages and already smelled musty, tucked in as it was in a bookcase with Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt, Jack Higgins, Alistair McLean, Readers Digests and a French Linguaphone course, rather like this snap I saw on Etsy. 

I think I had a children's version myself, part of the Bancroft series. Trouble is I only really recall Coral Island and the Black Arrow. This is Ivanhoe. Is it one you had?

Or maybe this one?

The lettering on the above really does ring a bell, especially the slanted O.

Whichever the Ivanhoe, like most boys, I loved knights in armour. 

I recall a plastic chromed knight statuette I had and maybe one on horseback, so seeing this similar modern rendition in the castle shop stirred up many happy memories.

They also stocked plastic helmets, swords, spears, wooden cross and longbows, rubber maces and my personal favourite, a large plastic battle axe. 

I was soooo tempted!

Did you read Ivanhoe? Did you have any toy armour and swords?

What's the oldest building near you? Any castles or forts?

AQUACAR AT THE BEACH

 These are some photos I took during the early days of the blog, back in 2012, and have subsequently appeared several times on here since them.

I took them by the Pier on Southport beach ,  getting some very odd looks from passers by.

A toy Aquacar painted red did appear briefly in Thunderbirds, a fleeting glimpse can be seen in the episode , The Mighty Atom.

Our very own Kevin Davis did do some photos of his own red Aquacar some time back, in a suitable Thunderbirdish background.

Come on down, Kev, let's see 'em again!

By the power of email, Kevin has answered the call, and, as requested here's a trio of photos of his red Aquacar.

Mumfie? Who?

 I came across this old paperback from the mid-Seventies.

Here Comes Mumfie?

On TV?

It's a complete mystery to me. Never heard of it, never saw it!

Are you aware of Mumfie readers?

Will O's Mumfie update!

Hi Woodsy, Back in the 1990's Hornby did a range of Mumfie toys. Licenced by Britt Alcroft who also held the Thomas the tank engine licence. 

 Will O

UK

Image: Will's shop deadstock