Looey's Day at Dirty Jane's

Dirty Jane's antique market in Bowral NSW Australia is one of the nicer antique stores still around, although I notice their overall prices are creeping up recently...

Viewers in Blighty may derive some amusement from these Colonial prices! ( halve A$ prices to get £!)

So here's a quick squizz from down under...

1) Some Tarzan books caught my eye and I thought "Woodsy would like to see those..

2) Plastic Gorillas and Werewolves, including a Petterson/Gimlin pose Bigfoot - too tasty at $35 each!

3) Wyn Toys, Wyn-Toy Products Pty Ltd, 1940-1982.

Australian made metal toy in fair unrestored condition...

4) Stupid prices on vintage die-casts

5) An amusing Australian Air Force livery, pedal style fighter display. Sadly NFS.

6) "£25 for a pair of plastic Noddy and Big Ears egg cups? Tell 'em they're dreaming!"

7) "Hmm, I recognise that name, what's that doing here? Oh right, this stall is PhotoAntiques. 

My Dad displayed his stuff in their upstairs gallery back in the '90s. This is probably a gift to them, which they're now trying to get a return on!"

Looey

Oz Base

Brassed Off!

 I recently found these old brasses of my Mum's in our attic: peacock, slipper and all.

I remember some of them my growing up.

I seem to recall my Mum buying them from one Mr. Singh, a second hand seller on Preston outdoor market in the Sixties.

As if by magic, here's an old print of yours truly admiring the very same brass peacock on its shelf at home circa 1961!

Here are more old shots on the same day. Looks like a party! Do you recognise the drinks?

Not sure what my parents were celebrating.

Happy days! 

Monster Shorts

Here's my Mod Monster holding up some snazzy material for his new underpants, which the Missus will fettle.

It's all part of a new custom project in the pipeline.

My old late mate Pete looks on, considers and takes a drag.

Did you have a Mod Monster?

Assorted Centres

 Some recent spots and acquisitions in antiques centres, auctions and shops:

The Grouch Couch, bought for the Grandkids. It grumps, growls and eats objects! 

Spotted in an auction, I did Watch with Mother and loved all these BBC shows on this Chad Valley projector, but just who is Joe? He I dunno! 

Two old sixties soccer annuals for my bro in law, who sadly has Altzheimers. It's his 80th on Sunday and he likes to browse the pictures of football books. He was captain and manager of his team in Leyland.

It's hard to imagine just how famous George Best was back then. A superstar. They called him the fifth Beatle he was so famous! 

This set I saw on Amazon so reminded me of a fossil hunting kit I had as a nipper. I've never been able to find the one I had. Mine was boxed. This comes in a colourful sack. Did you have a kit like this?

Something a little different and relics from my past, seen in an antiques shop in Balby, these two Mary's or very similar ones graced our home as I was growing up. My Mum was quite a religious lady and the house reflected it. Her purse too, full of relics like Padre Pio's cloth.

Was your Mum or Dad religious? 

More Balby bounty, this cabinet held a UFO Interceptor and the wondrous Tow Truck, both of which I adored back in the boomer years.

Now in Wath, I was amazed by this huge plastic toy doll's home cinema outside a charity shop. It reminded me of Looey's! I imagined Action Man and Sindy watching a movie. But which one?

Back in Balby, not sure where this toy train was from but I loved the artwork.

And these old kits caught my eye too. I love that Frog Lifeboat box art!

These massive toy trains by LGB reminded me of my Big Big Train from the Sixties. What a top toy that was!

Finally, I was interested to see the Clifford logo on ..... Children's packs of cards! 

Till the next trip ...

Mystery Lady Kung Fu

 I saw this lady action figure in a cabinet.

Anyone know who she is?

She's got Kung Fu slippers on.

BBC Radiophonics One Last Time

I was interested to see on the BBC News that the BBC Radiophonics Workshop had a final reunion this winter at their old Maida Vale studio. 

As a youngster I adored the workshop"s fabulous LP records of horror sounds, two of which I still have, but probably the most impactive and famous thing they created was the Dr.Who theme tune.

All Gallafreyan pensioners now, these 1950's pioneers of electronica enjoyed once last blast together in February.

Like my own records from the 1970's, most of the workshop's iconic sounds can now be enjoyed and used by artists and musicians everywhere.

Did/ do you like their work readers! 

https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/bbcstudios/2025/bbc-radiophonic-workshop-

Bandai Skydiver

This is a gorgeous plastic Skydiver by Bandai. I'm not sure I've seen one before, 

but this beauty can be seen in detail on the fabulous ISOSHADO website.

http://www.isoshado.org/6/6_merchandise_archivio/bandai_skydiver.htm

Have you got one or any other Bandai toys?

Operation Lone Star Customs - The Five Toy Swords: 4. Sir Francis Drake

 This is our fourth custom 1960's UK TV toy sword and special thanks must go to Murdersville's John Buss for supplying us with a very rare catalogue image* of it, along with an old TV Times cover:

The Lone Star Sir Francis Drake sword and matchlock.

Lone Star issued the sword on its own, the gun on its own and both together, which is the set we've gone for.

It's unclear if any real examples have survived.

Our constituent toys were via eBay: the sword is a modern basic toy rapier from the Rubberplantation and the pistol is a genuine vintage Lone Star, albeit a Captain Cutlass/ Buccaneers matchlock, but the same design nonetheless

Colours were taken from the catalogue text.

Again, star billing goes to Bill for the card art. Having pulled out all the stops and sprinkled some magic dust I'm sure you'll agree it looks fabulous! Believe me, he didn't have that much to go on! 

So, here goes. Hope you like it.

*

* The catalogue image that John provided is from his new book on Robin Hood and ITC Swashbuckling Collectables, which I have just ordered ( John has written lots of collectables books such as The Saint and The Avengers)