echo beach Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Some of the first toys I can remember receiving at Christmas (apart from the essential Teddy Bear, which in my case was light blue in colour) were a model castle and a model paddle steamer. Both were hand made out of wood by a friend of my parents. I also had a model zoo with most of the animals. Next came a Bayko set ( an architectural construction kit & a predecessor to Lego) and a Meccano set. Eventually I was given a small Hornby Dublo train set. Along the way I also remember Mr Potato Head and Rupert & Eagle annuals. On the edible side came liquorice smokers' sets, selection boxes and small tins of Quality Street. Apart from the usual games like Snakes & Ladders, Ludo and Lotto I also played a card game called Lexicon. Some of the above things are now gone but others remain, even in our present technological age. Anyone remember any of these things? Or perhaps you can recall your own first Christmas memories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lostrider Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Next came a Bayko set ( an architectural construction kit & a predecessor to Lego) and a Meccano set. I think had one of those, did it have real bricks and you had to mix up a cement mortar substance. The whole thing was assembled on wire posts. My Meccano was a No 6. I also had a tractor that would always keep going when it hit an obstacle. The front wheel would turn around and drive it in another direction. It was called "Tricky Tommy". But what I really wanted and never got was a "Johnny Seven" gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leipzig Posted December 21, 2009 Share Posted December 21, 2009 Dan Dare Radio Station, but frustratingly the wired walkie-talkies didn't work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wath Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I still have most of my Bayko set, sadly not in its box. It had plastic bricks in small panels that slotted onto wire rods to make buildings. When the base was set up with the wire rods - about 6ins long and the thickness of dry spaghetti - it would have been lethal to fall onto, certainly would not be allowed now! We had a small artificial christmas tree in the 50s which appeared to be made from green bottle brushes, with a selection of varied ornaments that came out every year. I remember a blue plastic moon with a face. We also had clip on candle holders that held small twisty candles a bit bigger than birthday cake candles, and were lit only a couple of times over Christmas. One aunt always sent us a small fancy tin of toffees every year. I thought the toffees were a bit boring, but liked the picture tins. My dad used to go to (I think) the British Legion club and he would bring us back a present from the children's Christmas party - I always got a jigsaw. For some reason we were not allowed to go to the party, maybe it was too far to walk, I don't know. One memorable year one of us got a scooter and my smaller sister scooted in the living room, fell over, and badly gashed her knee. She had to be taken to the local doctor's to get a stitch in it, the doctor was having his Christmas dinner and was not impressed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nosy nellie Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Some of the toys we recieved over the years were,A Post Office Set, Meccano, Film Annuals, Compendium Of Games, Enid Blyton Annuals. Typewriter with a dial in the middle which you had to turn to dial the letter then press a button to print it. Paint Box. Stencil set. The big Three Wheeler Bykes. Air Fix Models. We also had a tree with branches that looked like floo brushes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUZZIOWL Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 I remember me and my brother getting a "davos" sledge ( and fighting over who would sit on the front !!) a " triang " bike from redgates down the moor ( 1957 ) also, remember " Black bob annuals ,selection boxes , and a 5/- postal order from my uncle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echo beach Posted December 23, 2009 Author Share Posted December 23, 2009 Wath, you're certainly bringing back the memories now. We also had an artificial Christmas tree with real candles on it that fitted into metal clip-on holders. They were coloured and spiral shaped and larger than birthday candles but smaller than normal household ones. All the bauble tree decorations were made from hand painted blown glass so if you dropped them on anything hard that was it. Remember the paper chain garlands that people used to make and hang and the paper bells and balls that used to fold flat for storage? Nosy nellie, my first bike was a 3 wheeler Gresham Flyer. It was red and had a boot on the back. One day whilst riding down Midhill Road to the Coop I couldn't stop in time and hit a wall outside the shop. My pride was hurt but my friend who was riding on the back somersaulted over the wall involuntarily. No serious injuries, just scraped knees and a scratched bike! The brakes on those things weren't very good, but then again they were only made for one child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdtiman Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Dan Dare Radio Station, but frustratingly the wired walkie-talkies didn't work! I to had one of these but i must have had a good one because my walkie talkies worked. Spent many a hour talking rubbish i expect. Happy days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docmel Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Clockwork Train set Building set that came with panels and girders - was it called Architext? Dan Dare radio Set - another one! Johhny Seven Gun - took years of pestering to get that! Scooter with blow up tyres and brake Pedal Car with headlights Spinning Top with coloured discs that made patterns when it turned Kaledescope - played for hours with that Meccano - how many cranes can you make for goodness sake!! Hornby Dublo Train set - three rail track so giving my age away Beano, Dandy, Rupert Bear Annuals - and when old enough (much to Dad's delight) the Eagle Annual Always some clockwork toy - like a roller coaster or cars/spaceship thingies that ran on a track - onen that I do clearly remember was 'Traffic Control' - four cars that wound up and ran on a metal town of roads and junctions - neat thing was that you could start and stop the cars at the junctions by pressing various buttons - A couple of years ago I came across this again on ebay and bought it - still have it and get it out for a 'play' now and again (sad I know) - will probably give it to my new grand daughter when she is old enough. MArx Space Ship - weird gyroscope thing that did all sorts of wonderful things (saw one on Ebay not long ago and bidding was up in the £100's!!) Drum - my guess not bought by Mum and Dad but well meaning (or sadistic) friend or relative - I distinctly recall Dad shouting at me to put the bl**y thing down after I had marched up and down for hours round the room pretending I was the best milatary drummer in the world. Magic Robot that you could 'ask' a question and it would answer it - (finally worked out the 'secret') Wooden Fort and Soldiers (I think this was my Dad's from when he was a nipper) Helicopter thingy that worked by turning a handle on a little box - this was linked to the helicopter by a cable which made the rotors spin and take off Water Powered rockets - filled a rocket with water and attached it to a bicycle pump type thingy and pumped air into the rocket - pulled a trigger and up it went, soaking you in the process - looking back now I realise how bloody dangerous it was - if you were stood over it when that went off you could have easlily lost an eye. ....and the following year I got.......only kidding!!...the above was what springs to mind from a whole series of Christmases that are now blending into one image - no longer can separate the years. ....but I do remember when I started to get Airfix kits - but Dad 'showing' me how to put them together!! - took me some time to realise they were his toys really ..always an orange in the pillow case, together with a bag of 'gold' coins (chocolate) and a selection box. Looking at that list it does seem a lot, and there is stuff I know I cannot remember, but my excuse was that I was an only child for the first eight years of my life, but had loads of relatives who bought me pressies - my early memories was our living room was always packed with lots of loud people over Christmas - I used to take myself off with a fovourite toy and hide under the dining table - especially when one of the aunts came round demanding kisses!! .....and despite all of that "stuff" - I can clearly remember one year going for a walk with my favourite Aunty - and collecting some Pine Cones - she taught me how to carefully paint them with silver paint and give them to Mum as a pressie - and how moved Mum was...tears welling up even now as she only passed away this year....she hung those pine cones on her tree right up to last christmas...long after all the stuff I had bought her had long since hit the rubbish bins - together with a carboard Santa which hung on the wall and as far as I know was on her wall when she was a girl back in the 30's - we all need Christmas memories like that ....oh ..don't forget the box of dates!! - come on tell me...who the hell really eats them??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyrad29 Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 anyone remember "Big Trak" i think it was called. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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