A Brush with the Past

In the late 80's I was what was then called a house husband. I did it for a year, looking after our 3 year old daughter in Germany, whilst the Missus brought home the schinken.

I can't say I found it easy at all especially in another country but me and the kid got on with it. 

We did creative arty stuff on the kitchen table, potted up seeds, grew flowers and played things like Barbie and Ken climbing up chairs on ropes with small karabinas, an attempt to relive my Action Man glory days!

I was young back then. Still in my twenties. I hadn't discovered toy collecting yet. Too soon I suppose. When I got time off with the help of two Oma's, to occupy my still curious mind I discovered two things, English poetry (yes that!) and painting watercolours. I'm kultured me like!

The poetry thing was largely to do with being away from Blighty I think now. I read all I could, buying books from back home and raiding the German library's poetry section. Poets of the Fifties and Sixties became my thing - Larkin, Gunn, Lowell, Ginsberg - but above all I fell in love with Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath.

The watercolouring was done on the kitchen table too. Huge splashes of mad colours flecked with realistic birds more often than not - I was still a keen birder too back then. I did Snipe, Crested Lark, terns and Nutcracker to name a few. 

I know one of my Snipe paintings used to hang in the administrator's office of the British Ornithologist's Union. Don't be impressed. The administrator was my nephew! I sent him it! 

I know most of the pictures I did from my 'bird period" (ha ha) are rolled up with a laccy band and gathering dust in the attic. Nearly 40 years. That's a lot of dust!

So I was amazed to see one of them hung in our friend's house where we are staying at the moment in Germany. 

It's of a poppy (no bird this time) and is even framed! I know it's mine from back then coz I signed and dated it. I gave it our friend as a gift in 1988 so I made extra effort not to splash paint everywhere and produce a decent poppy for her.

Weird being transported back like that by an object you made in the past. Alas, my paints all dried up in the early Nineties and I haven't touched a single brush since then.

Have you been surprised by your old stuff popping up readers?

Dinky Toys TV Space Blogger on Vectis' Scouting for Toys TV Show

I received this as an update today, Dinky TV Toys Space and Specials blog owner is on the new Vectis Scouting for Toys TV show in the Gerry Anderson bit. Way to go!

https://wp.me/p5HSNg-1jD

FLEETWOOD RACK

These are so cool. Do you like them?

I have the Fleetwood Ghost Rider motobike toy on card.

http://www.plaidstallions.com/racktoys/fleetwood.html

Vroom in the Boot

Hi,
Here is my corgi MGBgt with its case.

Vroom!

Kevin

Supercar Double?

Is the guy to the right reminiscent of a puppet in Supercar? Can you tell I'm bored!

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.