Only the Braves

Being in Germany again has reminded me of the country's love of American Indians. Here they are called Indianer and are quite literally everywhere: on TV in old films, little cartoon characters in the Newspapers, in childrens' books galore and in the national subconscious.

My 91 year old Father in Law still waxes about Karl May and old Schatterhand and he read them 80 odd years ago. The other day I found him watching an old movie about Winnetou.

I have spent many years around Germans and lived here for five years in the Eighties and I still can't explain this love for American Indians. Cowboys too but Indians seem to be tops.

It's strange. There's little sign of Marvel or DC super heroes here at all. Certainly not at car boots or in charity shops. I haven't been into a normal toy shop here this time yet like Smyths ( yep, Smyths are here) so I can't say how much space is devoted to super heroes there. I have seen many traditional toy shops selling wooden toys like trains and dolls houses.

There's a degree of sanitisation I feel when it comes to childhood here. A demilitarization. No guns. No army. No playing war.

But why then cowboys and Indians? Surely they were as violent as anyone? Somehow the arrows have been blunted and the braves have become cuddly. 

Coming from my post-war-drenched childhood with both my parents having fought in WWII and my bedroom choc full of Action Men with Chief Cherokee looking on it's easy to spot this non-violent kids' culture here. But the Indian thing has me stumped.

Obviously given Germany's past then pacifism was the only way to go after WWII. I can see that. It's reflected in the way kids are brought up here. The evolution of 'safe' kids' characters like Indians - and pirates - is part of that post-war pacifism maybe.

Obviously I'm generalizing and my observations could be completely wrong. What do I know.

Do you think our Sixties and Seventies childhoods were too war-oriented with our toy guns, playing war and Action Men/ GI Joe figures?

GLOW IN THE DARK PLANETS

Hi

Here is the set of Glow in the Dark Planets that I picked up recently. 

The Sun, plus eight planets - as usual these days Pluto is ignored. All are slightly domed, and have moulded surface detail. 

Helpfully, each has the name of the planet on the back. If you buy two sets they can be clipped together to create a mobile to hang from the ceiling, although they would still be rather flat. 

The plastic bag contains the connectors. They do glow in the dark, but this photographs poorly, so I will likely paint most of them, once I check the correct colours. 

Photographed with the Corgi Juniors Superman car, against a sheet of self-adhesive schoolbook covering.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Winter's Pick

In Holland today. Freezing arctic weather but it's always great fun to see what there is in other countries' second hand shops. We found two big ones in Winterswijk near the German border.

Heres one of them as we approached the toy bit.

We didn't in the end find much in Winterswijk but we had a good wander round despite awful sleety winds.

Our finds:

A Narda beach buggy (anyone know Narda?), a Lesney Foden tipper, a Superfast fire chief Galaxie and a plastic Mercedes Politie car. Also some sealed paper dolls from 1993, a 1975 Pink Panther puzzle and a strange THINGS from MB 1986. The monster inside is a little like Godzilla.

There was a type of boxed Porsche slot car set as well but I passed it up.

All in all we had a great day off in Holland complete with delicious fries, creamy mayo and a long frikadeln.

My Husky's Called Spitz

 We're staying with friends in Germany and I've been checking out their Grandson's toy cars. 

There's a nice Mercedes Matchbox trailer, different tractors, a Husky pick up with odd red plastic structures and  Norev pick up (where's Norev from?). 

Maybe the most interesting is the tin (in German blech) ambulance car. Did you have anything like that?

The game Spitz Pass Auf is what in the UK is called Mousie Mousie.

TARHEEL FIRE ENGINE BOX

Tarheel toys collectors may be interested to see this, the box of the tinplate fire engine on Worthpoint.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/super-vintage-orig-box-tarheel-toys-406795492

Wooden It Be Nice

 

A bit of fun from our elderly relative's kitchen. I couldn't resist giving these three 'jungs' above something decent to read!

But these three wooden 'frauleins' were beyond my help. One even had a large screw sticking out of her knee!

Do you have ornamental figures scattered round your home?

Yellow Belly Custard

Me and the Missus are currently caring for an elderly relative in his nineties.

The older you get the more you seem to live in the past. I think it's happening to me too.

Songs from my childhood keep whispering in my lug 'ole. Some complete and some mere shadows of what they must have been.

Being a sprinkler of sand in kids' eyes to get them off to sleep, the sandman I saw reminded me of a bedtime lullaby my Mum used to sing to me sixty years ago. I can recall the wistful melody but only the first two lines.

'Go to sleep my baby. Close your pretty eyes.'

Anyone recognise it? 

Another song I recall is whole and intact. A bit rank and very childish, do you remember: 

'Yellow belly custard, green snot pie, all mixed up in a dead dog's eye. Slap it on a butty nice and thick. Wash it down with a cold cup of sick!'

Do you recall any childhood tunes?

HOW AND WHY?

 

How I loved these books and the How and Why Book of Prehistoric Mammals was a favourite. Just look at that cover to get a blast from the sabre-toothed past!

Did you have this book?