CHRISTMAS TOYS

I was thinking back to some of the Christmas presents my parents gave me as a child.

They didn’t have much money but worked hard for what they had. No such thing as credit cards, apart from the occasional luxury in Kays’ catalogue, paid for on what they called ‘The never, never’.

Mum was a school dinner lady and Dad was a Postman working long hours overtime to make ends meet.

We lived in a council house in Widnes and loved being together, especially at Christmas when we could look forward to some unusual and imaginative toys.

This really was like magic.. Place the robot on the mirror on the left and point to a question. Then pop it on the right hand mirror for it to swing round and point to the correct answer. All done with magnets and mirrors of course.

With this I could build a crystal radio and listen to pirate Radio Caroline North broadcasting from a ship anchored off the Isle Of Man. Or build a Morse Code kit that sent coded messages with a flashing light. Dad showed me how to use Morse Code having used it while serving in World War II.

This was actually powered by real steam heated with a firebox underneath burning methylated spirits. Only to be used under parental supervision!

Lots of metal plates connected with nuts and bolts. My Dad managed to build a toy double decker bus out of it.

Me wearing one of mum’s knitted jumpers, with cousin Jan showing off my Triang circus van in our Prefab home in the late 50s.