TONY K'S MARX TWISTABLE CAMBERWICK GREEN FIGURES

Hiya Woodsy

Great to see Gordon Murray's wonderful work get a mention on the blog!

So many of us have lasting memories of his productions.

Please find attached pics of a complete set of 1967 Marx Twistable Camberwick Green figures. 

Originally they would've been sold individually, in clear plastic bags stapled with header cards. 

The figures turn up on eBay, but are difficult to find in good condition.

Apart from the occasional broken wire, they're often missing accessories, 

such as chimney brush, fishing rod, etc.

It's taken a couple of years of upgrading to piece together this particular set.

Rivals, Cowen de Groot also produced their own versions of these characters,

as well a six figure boxed set called 'Camberwick Green Village Folk'. 

All the best

Tony K :)

Andy B's Camberwick Green Origin Idea

Hi Woodsy,

Following your post about Camberwick Green etc. I do wonder if they were inspired by S.G. Hulme Beaman's Toytown, (Larry the Lamb etc.) which was on the radio from the 1920s, and was later a TV series. 

I enclose a picture from an old Toytown book. Hulme Beaman wrote and illustrated the original stories.

All the best, 

Andy B.

Kev's Doctor Mopp's Toy Car from Camberwick Green

Hi,

Just saw the post on Camberwick Green toy vehicles. I've got the toy vintage car that they used as Doctor Mopp's car. It is the one I had as a child that has somehow survived. 

Here it is in the background with my Windy Miller scratchbuild.

Kevin

Camberwick Green Tipper Truck

I loved Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley when I was knee high.

Gordon Murray's fabulous puppet trilogy.

Trouble is I can't remember which is which. Its a bit like Sago, Tapioca and Semolina for me!

As a reminder here's the iconic clown turning end credits of Camberwick Green on You Tube:

I don't think I had any toys. Maybe a Windy Miller soap.

Being a huge fan of plastic TV vehicles as well I was thrilled to see this superb Camberwick Green Farmer bell Tipper truck on Ebay. It was made by Marx. I saved the photos for my archive.

I'm pretty sure I never had a toy like this although I did have a truck full of plastoc milk bottles, which I've yet to visualise properly.

This Marx truck looks great though.

Did you have any toys or merchandising from Camberwick Green, Trumpton or Chigley?

Did you like the shows?

I wonder if Gerry Anderson ever met Gordon Murray?

Lewis's Red World Stories Website of Fantasy Art and Props

Hi Woodsy

Maybe check out our website at www.redworldstories.com

Lewis

Australia

MOVIE DINOSAURS AT THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

Seeing Andy's Victorian dinosaur reminded me of this cool sail-back monster in the old 50's movie Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

I've read that the actual lizard was a rhinocerus iguana as seen below. It had its sail glued on, poor sod.

There are other dinosaurs in the film, notably this red beast at the film's volcanic finale. I remember it making a startling trumpet like sound. How did they do that? A tuba?

The beast itself was actually a Tegu lizard like this but painted red.

Ultimately the red beast perishes under the lava of the Atlantean eruption at the film's close [I do hope the lizard didn't actually perish].

IMdB informs us that the lava in this scene was most likely oatmeal.

It suggests that it was used in the Time Machine's movie eruption as well.

I've no idea how they turned oatmeal into lava other than perhaps colouring it red. Do you?

For more information about the cinematography and matte effects in both Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Time Machine then check out the amazingly comprehensive Matte Shot blog. Just click on the films' names above.

Which movie dinosaurs do you like?

PYRO DINOSAURS

I was pleased to see one of my old Pyro prehistoric monster model kits on You Tube, the Triceratops.

I had loads of these kits as a kid - anklyosaurus, dimetrodon, T. Rex et al - in the Sixties and particularly loved the box art when I was a lad. I don't recall actually making the models though! Here's a shot of the series from my old Ebay photo archive. Seeing them conjures up Christmas 1967 all over again!

As for what's inside, here's a film from 3 years ago courtesy of the Ghost of Zeon.

Did you have Pyro dinosaurs like me or maybe Airfix or Revell or perhaps even the great Aurora prehistoric scenes?

VICTORIAN DINOSAURS

Hi Woodsy,

I mentioned the Victorian dinosaur models at Crystal Palace - not quite space monsters, but the way they thought they looked in the 19th century, they're pretty close!

Andy B