hello peeps.

[temperence7 0]

remember?

Chocolate smokers outfit/plastic pop-up moneybox/kaleidoscope/Roy Roger's cap gun/tin car with 'made in China' stamped on the underside/John Bull printing outfit/box of plastic soldiers/and one year Santa dropped off an extra special present in the form of a Meccano set, and boy was this welcome, it saw me all through Christmas and even way into the new year.

give them such delights nowadays and you would be branded a miser, infact I did once buy my grandson a similar item as to the Meccano and I don't think he ever opened the box.

no, what's needed nowadays are the X.boxes and Playstations, with plenty of gratuitously violent video games the like's of Assasin's creed, Zombi apocalypse, and the ever popular Grand theft auto, to name but a few, and where will it end, I personally think they won't be happy till the advent of the Sony720 (Tesco/c2020/£499.99) with it's ultimate virtual reality, whereby the player will be able to witness what it's actually like to endure open heart surgery, or being shot through the head courtesy of a snipers bullet.

and of course, we'll all have to go out and buy one.

and they wonder why the world's going mad!

[firbeck 859]

Merry Xmas and welcome to the asylum.

I'm sure that some people would regard the junior smokers outfit as more dangerous than kick ass all murdering Grand Theft Auto!! Me, I thought they were great, liqourice pipes and chocolate fags wrapped in rice paper, as the Goons once said, 'You got a good run for your money'. Trouble is, 50 years on and I'm still trying to kick the habit.

Then of course toy soldiers, a double whammy, in my day they were made of lead, so presumably our generation is brain damaged as well as brought up to enjoy the art of warfare, great, I used to get the latest Dinky Army vehicle as well, still got every single one. My favourite was the Dinky Corporal Missile and launcher, I still have that in it's box, you couldn't lose with that one, when my mates were round after Xmas having a battle round the living room with our latest army toys, out came this superb all firing battlefield tactical nuclear weapon and I won everytime.

The days of innocence, eh.

[Ashley 288]

wonder what we'd be playing now had things not moved on? would it instead of cowboys and indians have been the coalition and taliban? that said we had moved on as it was us v the germans as kids,(1950's) I personally think the lack of rough and tumble games, "gang" fights when about 8 years old has led to violence in later life with teenagers now "playing" to establish a pecking order, only now with knives guns etc

[temperence7 0]

Merry Xmas and welcome to the asylum.

<snip>

I used to get the latest Dinky Army vehicle as well, still got every single one.

Dinky toys? you must have been one of the mega rich fraternity to get some of those, all my brother and I ever got were the Lesney matchbox variety courtesy of the Woolworths megastore. but we didn't moan, we were used to such austerity in those days. infact it wasn't till we were given a clockwork trainset they we realised there was such technical innovation out there to be gleaned. this revelation however then saw us demanding such items as Tonka and Mobo till ultimately reaching the pinnacle of us both aquiring brand new Tri-ang scooters.

but my real lust was to own a chemical set, which for some reason or other mum and dad was always against, I put it down to the era in which we lived, the cold war was at it's height and all talk was Russia and America blowing each other into smithereens, poor old dad what with listening to all the negativity he probably thought I was going to concoct some kind of thermo 1nuclear device and blow the household to kingdom come.

which quite naturally I would have done, or at least I would have tried!

Merry Xmas to all.

[firbeck 859]

Dinky toys? you must have been one of the mega rich fraternity to get some of those,

No way, my dad, bless him, was very frugle, I think that every penny was counted in our house towards buying Xmas presents for us, I recall that they were part of a Christmas club and that pennies were saved, I wonder what Argos would have made of that.

[Trafalger 1]

This has brought back some memories. We always had a 'blow football set', pea shooters used to blow a plastic football across the table. Lounge table always covered in a liberal dose of saliva by tea time.

[Beefsteak 305]

We too weren't well off but I had a Triang Scooter (In maroon) and a Chemistry set. I had great fun with the methylated spirit 'bunsen burner' especially when I discovered that you could dip your finger in the liquid , set fire to it and as long as you weren't too long about it , you had a finger on fire to 'amaze ' your friends !!!.....LOL (Just about the only thing I found that I could do with it!!

[temperence7 0]

It seemed we were all skint around that era, it's only when the seventies arrived that things started to change, plenty of work, affordable mortgages, and a totally laid back outlook to life, even Harold said at the time we had never had it so good.. and then...and then..

along comes that Thatcher monstrosity and her band of henchmen, and that my friends was the start of the rot which this country could never recover from and never will, but I digress, I should perhaps now raise the tone a little seeing as It's Christmas, so a Merry Yuletide to all, and if that fat man in that red suit makes a mess when he comes down the chimney - sue him!

and make sure your security cameras are aimed onto the front lawn tonight as those pesky reindeer have absolutely no respect when it comes to making their deposits.

peace.