Other people's toys

My brother and I were lucky enough to own a Lego set before they were even on sale in this country, our Grandad had brought it back from a business trip to Germany. Lego was one of our favourite toys, another being offcuts of wood, hammers and nails (DF was a carpenter) and we spent many happy hours in the shed making things. Elf and Safety would have a fit. I still have the desk my DF made for me when I was 5, it will be 59 this year.
As for the Lego we still have masses of it in the house for the GC's and I still love it, but then I suppose I would as I was lucky enough to work for the Company.

I had a trike with a boot as well! It was made by Triang I think, and was a beautiful burgundy colour. I used to put nests of grass in the boot for the various worms I collected. I also loved my dolls' house which must have been very modern....it had tiny light bulbs in it with a battery mounted on the back. My other favourite was my granny's button tin which was an old National Dried Milk tin, it was my treasure tin of jewels. I still have it, some of the buttons must be 100 years old.

Oh I used to love those. You can still buy them; I saw something similar in Waterstones a few months ago. I tok a photo of all of my dolls sat together but when my parents died I couldn't find that photo anywhere .

I always wanted one of the 24" tall "walking" dolls that were advertised every Sunday in the News of the World, but I was nearly 10 before I got a walking doll, not as big as those though, but was mightily disappointed to find that it didn`t go walking off on it`s own, had to be held by me, felt a bit cheated. I spent hours and hours, right up to the age of 14 (we didn`t grow up so fast in those days), playing with cardboard dolls and their paper clothes, I had several of them, boys and girls, absolutely loved them.

I had Betta Bilda too, it was hopeless! The bricks didn't stick to one another, so after I built something it only took a slight nudge and the whole lot collapsed. Dad chucked it out and bought me some Lego instead.

The only toy I still have is the Meccano.

I'm sure they do, Jess
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Starling Hmmmmm, yes, it's a tad worrying! I'm old enough to know better...

Oh dear I hope you don't become addicted like I was for a short while !

Starling Thank you for the useful info re miniature garden stuff, I wouldn't have remembered the manufacturer's name was 'Britain'. I've just seen the items you mentioned on Ebay so hope to give my 'little' brother some for his birthday. I think he will be well pleased!

some of these posts are so sad, my toys were not always given to me, I had a lovely doll once with a pretty dress cicra 1960 it was in a box and I loved it, however I was told it was for 'best' and it was put in its box and kept on a high shelf, I was allowed to look at it and had to put it back. I grew to hate this doll. Other toys I was allowed to play with and I loved my dolls gave them names and played with them, I would have loved a Barbie or Cindy but was told they were too expensive but by then I was getting older and did not really miss them. I made sure my DD had all the Barrbies etc I could buy and I never put her toys away.

JoyBloggs there's some Britain's miniature garden stuff on Ebay currently! Also just discovered they have Betta Bilda on there too...... (I think Betta Bilda must have been a rival to Bayko)..... I am resisting the idea of buying some!

One of the reasons why I kept all of my childrens toys was that my children loved going to visit my MIL as she had a few toys that had been their dads; Bayko was one of them. They never wanted to visit my mum because there was nothing to play with. I'm going to take the Bayko to my daughters next week and see how the boys react to it; I bet they'll love it. Wish I had a bigger set, though; doubt if it even makes a complete house .

Tegan I would soooooo love to come and play with your Bayko, what a kind invitation, but sadly I am at least 100 miles away - so I think I shall have to decline... But thank you anyway!

Starling I had forgotten all about the miniature garden stuff and you have just reminded me. My brother had loads of it and I really loved it and often played with it. He has a big birthday soon so I may have a look if there's any on Ebay - that would surprise him!

I suppose it must have been the early 50s when my Dad brought back from America a pair of roller skates with ball bearings. The wheels were green and they had red leather toe caps. You can imagine how proud I was.

JoyBloggs and Tegan A few years ago I discovered sets of Britain's model garden were available on Ebay and had a short craze of buying up all the bits I had had as a child. (As they were in sets have ended up with more than I had originally). It's lovely - a plastic miniature garden where you can plant the flowers and design the layout - there's the lawn, the crazy paving paths, the flowerbeds, the little flower pots. I was very pleased to have it back again.

DS and DG did think I had gone mad......

Lego! I loved my children's Lego. Also a beautiful musical instrument that my grandmother bought for my little sisters when they went to stay with her. I was farmed off to the other grandma who seemed to think that all I should do was have my haircut, go shopping because she didn't like the clothes my mother bought me, and sit in front of the fire and read all day, often aloud to her. I was so jealous, my sisters always had a wonderful time and that cage of beautiful little tinkly bells of all different sizes that you struck with little hammers epitomised all that I felt I was missing out on, as my mother was often ill.

I've got some Bayko; the sort of toy that gives elfandsafety nightmares. Whereabouts do you live, Joy; you could come and play with mine if you're nearby [I'm East Midlands ]. Sometimes we just long to see the toys from our youth, don't we. I bought my grandson a sit on/push along cuddly dog because I'd always wanted one when I was a child. And I bought the children a toy farm to give to me as a Christmas present as they didn't want one but I did. There had been a photo of all of my dolls that somehow disappeared when my mum died [the other photos were still there]. Will never know what happened to it but how I'd love to see it again. She probably threw it away when I left home at 17 [something that had made her very sad].

I've always been very interested in houses/domestic architecture and, when I was a child, our family used to visit friends on a Sunday where there was a boy about my age. I remember the two of us visiting a nearby site where a housing estate was being built. We must have been about 9 years old. Shock horror, we were able to creep in to a half-finished house (no H and S, no hard hats, of course) and climb the stairs and see just how it was built. My idea of heaven! The only problem was that he chivalrously held my hand, but he had warts on his hand and I really didn't like that, but it was worth it for the fun we had. But, best of all, he had a set of Bayko and so we could then build our own little plastic house! I have always longed for a set of my own and must admit that I'm thinking of buying a lovely set available on Ebay at the moment... Is this really what 60-something-year-old ladies should be hankering for? It's my birthday soon so maybe I could give it to myself for a present

During the war there weren't many new toys available. We had either handed-down toys or home-made. My mum was good at dressing dolls that were inherited from cousins. The only construction toys were at granny's house round the corner - traditional wooden bricks of varying sizes. As far as I remember there were dogs' toothmarks in them.

I had a mix of things - a toy ironing board and a chemistry set - Betta Builda (white bricks, green roof tiles, red windows and door frames, loved that) - doll's pram and doll's pushchair - a scooter.
One aunt gave me a hairbrush set every Christmas (think it was meant to be a hint - still have messy hair.)

I always wanted a Meccano construction set however my parents didn't consider it appropriate for a girl and I received a twin dolls pram instead. Didn't have a brother so never got my hands on any construction toys until GS came along and I now play with their Lego. But have always hankered for some Meccano.

ninathenana what sort of toys were you thinking of?!

We also had a big, sturdy sledge which my uncle had made for my older cousins. At a pinch all three of us could sit on it which made it go even faster. It was indestructible unlike the flimsy plastic ones on sale here every winter.

Yes; it was the boot that I was most envious of, and I've been wondering for the past day or so what I would have put in mine! But then again I was quite happy riding my pretend horses everywhere [I drew a series of horses in a book and had to decide which one I would ride each day].