WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR TOYS FROM AS A KID?

When I was a kid in the UK of the Sixties several shops were THE business when it came to getting my toys. All of them were toy shops in Preston were I lived and all were in the town centre:

In order of importance they were:

1. Thomas Mears - fab independent toy shop and the number one for many

2. Zodiac Toys - brill chain of superb toy stores

3. British Home Stores [BHS]/ Woolworths - classic department stores

Sadly every one of these shops has since closed, the last one, BHS, shutting its doors nationally this summer.

But not everyone went into the town. My Mum worked in the town centre so my parents were often 'up town', but there were of course countless corner shops around the city selling toys.

These corner shops probably stocked more toys than all the big stores put together and their racks were bursting with carded pocket money gems.

So where did you get your toys readers? Big stores, corner shops, newsagents or somewhere else? Maybe catalogues?

ANDERSON TOY CABINET

Here's a cool Anderson toy collection I saw on Planet Die Cast. It belongs to one Sierra 1. There's some interesting debate about the meaning of the Rosenthal monogram too.

http://www.planetdiecast.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=141&id=83474&Itemid=0

SPACESHIP MODEL FROM TV'S UFO EPISODE 'CONFLICT'

Hi,

I recently picked up a Saturn V kit for a model project that I want to do. However, the third stage will not be needed.

I thought I'd build it up and replicate the scene from the UFO episode 'Conflict' where an alien device lies in wait behind Apollo 8's third stage before locking onto SHADO Lunar modules and causing them to crash on re-entry.

Take care,

Kevin D

*

The ship as seen in the TV series [courtesy of You Tube]:

CHILDHOOD'S BOOK END

This is the cover of my Pan edition of Childhood's End as mentioned in tonight's radio SWORDcast.

Have you read it readers?

NEW SWORDCAST ON AIR NOW!

CLICK HERE!

Let us know what you think!

LIKE TALKING ABOUT VINTAGE TOYS AND SCI-FI?

8PM UK TIME

Click Here

KEVIN'S NEW CORGI THUNDERBIRDS 1 AND 3 TOYS

Hi,

Just picked up the new Corgi die cast TB1 and 3. To be honest, I only got them to keep my Corgi Anderson collection complete. 

These are not very good, they are not much bigger than the Matchbox ones and nowhere near as good a profile (1 is better than 3). 

Pretty unimpressive I fear.

Take care,

Kevin

STRANGER THINGS ON NETFLIX

I've just finished watching Childhood's End on TV, which I really enjoyed. Did anyone else see this mini-series based on Arthur C. Clarke's epic story?

I've also heard many great things about a recent series on Netflix called Stranger Things, so I've joined the channel for a free month to check it out.

Have you seen Stranger Things readers? What did you think?