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Toys
during World War II
and 1950s
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Recollections
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1. |
Frank Ferri
Newhaven, Edinburgh |
Toys from our Youth
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2. |
Allan Dodds
Nottingham,
Nottinghamshire, England |
Clickers
Whackers |
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3. |
Danny Callaghan
Falkirk,
Stirlingshire, Scotland |
Whackers
Gliders |
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4. |
Jim Suddon
Morningside, Edinburgh
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Porter's Toy Shop
Neal's Toy Shop
Beaton's Toy Shop |
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Recollections
1.
Frank Ferri
Newhaven, Edinburgh |
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Thank you to Frank
Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh, who wrote: |
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Toys from our Youth
"Does anyone
remember Clickers? The Paratroopers used them during WW2 in
the field to identify friend or foe. They were, also used to
train dogs.
The kids' version
was shaped like a small green frog. It cost coppers. We
sometimes got them as freebies in comics."
Frank Ferri, Newhaven, Edinburgh: June
3, 2012
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Recollections
2.
Allan Dodds
Nottingham,
Nottinghamshire, England |
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Thank you to Allan
Dodds, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England |
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Clickers
"Frank Ferri is
right in identifying clickers. I had one and it was shaped like a
frog."
Whackers
"Frank mentions
freebies with comics. He will therefore remember 'whackers' which
when swiped through the air gave off an alarming explosive sound.
They were just
made out of paper and card but we got some mileage out of them by
sloping up behind someone and whacking the air behind them."
Allan Dodds, Nottingham,
Nottinghamshire, England: June 20, 2012 |
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Whackers
I
also remember Whackers. I believe that they were given away
with the first or second edition of The Topper comic when it
was launched in 1953.
Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh:
June 20, 2012 |
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Recollections
3.
Danny Callaghan
Falkirk,
Stirlingshire, Scotland |
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Thank you to
Danny Callaghan, Falkirk, Stirlingshire,
Scotland, who wrote: |
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Whackers
"Like Allan Dodds
and yourself, I remember well the Whackers. They were given away
with the Topper and also the Beezer. These comics used to have lots
of different give aways.
Gliders
"There were also gliders.
You pressed the wings etc out of the thin balsa sheet and put
a small lead weight on the nose and then had hours of fun, setting
the position of the wing or tail and making them do loop the loop,
etc.
The exercise I
got running up and down the
Sandy Hill at Broughton Road to
recover them and then re-fly must have
been great for my health. Do not
think they would be allowed now because of the lead weight.
Bahh,
H&S."
Danny Callaghan, Falkirk,
Stirlingshire, Scotland: June 21, 2012 |
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Recollections
4.
Jim Suddon
Morningside, Edinburgh
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Thank
you to Jim Suddon for writing about the Edinburgh toy shops that he
remembers.
Jim
wrote:
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Porter's Toy
Shop
Greenside Place
"The toy shop I most remember was a shop called
Porters in Greenside Place, just two or three shops down from the Playhouse.
Some of the windows were set back and would back onto
Greenside Lane. Greenside Lane was at its
Northern end whilst Leitch's Lemonade Factory lay immediately behind it.
Cycles and Toys
"James Porter had been a
notable motor cyclist in his time and was recognized as such by the older
generation. His shop sold bicycles, autocycles,
motor bikes, etc., but it
had a large window full of toys, dolls, etc."
Cowboy Guns
"In the late-1940s,
part of the shop's display was of cowboy guns.
There was one called The Champ.
It looked magnificent in the window and my pal Jim and I pestered
our families for this to be bought for Christmas.
We looked longingly into the window to ensure that it was
still there, and on Christmas we were both out with
our new toy.
Alas it proved to be the most disappointing toy ever
purchased. It was poorly made and soon was unable to fire the caps we used to
feed into it on a roll. Jim and I still talk
about that experience after all the years."
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Neal's Toy Shop
Sports and Toys
"This was a sports shop in
Antigua Street just across the road from the Playhouse and overlooking London
Road."
Dinky Cars
"This shop also sold Dinky
Cars, but that was only when they were available. The
man who ran the shop, whose name escapes me, could be
persuaded to put one aside when a new order was due.
They had no packaging then and were handed over as they were.
The proprietor of this shop was a Superintendent of
the Police Specials and a Director of the Hearts."
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Beaton's Toy Shop
Sports and Toys
"This shop was on part of the
site that has now become The Omni
entertainment complex in Leith Street. It
was entered by going up a few steps. The window
was quite high off the pavement."
Dolls
"I was never in the shop but it
always had a window full of rows and rows of dolls. There seemed to be all kinds
of dolls, including black dolls.
I often wonder if they ever sold them, or
was this just window dressing. This shop must have closed about 1950."
Window Dressing
Window dressing with unobtainable goods was part of
life then. Often the goods were the property of the proprietor's
family. They were used to entice in customers.
Once they were inside, they might be
persuaded to buy some of the less attractive goods available. 'Export
only' was a phrase one heard often."
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Jim Suddon, Morningside,
Edinburgh: February 20,
2009
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