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Our childhood toys

Jennyann, Its so funny how things trigger the memorie you mentioning the army phones. My Dad was always in the army and navy stores he had a compass from a ship, we had a distress box kite which I nearly lost in Sutton Park. My brothers flew it on holiday in Bournmouth with extra string it went so far out someone called the coast guard. I was so glad I was to young to be involved. Oh I nearly forgot my first swing was a parachute seat my Dad was so inventive, he fixed it to a frame outside our back door my sister and I loved it! so did our Mom as she could leave us in it safe.
 
Moma P...so many toys were home made years ago and the kites in particular..no fancy kite shops like they have now back then. It was fun to help to make kites and we had plenty of safe space to fly them in Witton Lakes Park. Loved your story about the box kite flying out to sea. It was always a challenge to find enough string to fly the kites.

There was an Army and Navy surplus store in Erdington High Street for years opposite the Parish Church. My first water wings came from there
and were very ugly really but they did the trick. They were light grey and army issue if you could imagine that! The shop was always busy and they sold all sorts of interesting things. Didn't see any parachute material though! That swing sounds like the Jolly Jumper type thing we used to bolt above the door and put the baby in. You could keep an eye on junior and the baby would love jumping around. Great to have had an inventive Dad Moma P.
 
Hornby Trains

Does any-one remember the toy train shop, i think they sold mostly Hornby trains and lots of balsa wood so maybe model airplanes too, if i remember correctly it was on the corner of Cherry Street
 
I remember the "can-stilts". We found the dried baby milk cans the best for them - cocoa tins best for the telephones and old paint tins for Will's fire cans (the residue of paint in the bottom improved the flammability).

Would you believe my grandsons have been bought the modern equivalent of the stilt-cans, factory made in plastic, together with traditional stilts made in aluminium? Seen as they enjoy these better than PS2, I can only imagine how much more fun they would get from the proper home made ones.
 
I remember the baby food can stilts Cromwell. They were the best because the cans were much larger. Oisin, I can't imagine the plastic versions of these lasting very long unless they are made of very tough plastic.

Kids had to be more inventive years ago and it seems that most of them were constantly looking around the area for materials to make these toys. Do you remember looking for pieces of wood to attach to a roller skate so that you could go down a paved hill at lightening speeds. Pram wheels were at a premium but I never remember anyone stealing a set and leaving the pram wheeless.
 
jennyann,

My grandsons even have bought plastic sledges that don't fall to bits when they're going down a 1in2 incline at 60 m.p.h. :Aah: - what's the fun in them then? ???

Yes, wheels were at a premium. I can remember stripping down a perfectly good Pedigree or Swallow for the wheels, but always with the owners permission. You could get them from people who's kids were walking and had electric fires so didn't need transport for the coke or coal any more.

The wheels never gave a problem but despite all my experience and experimentation, I could never devise a reliable steering system for any of my mokes, which probably accounts for the state I'm in today. :(
 
My brothers trolly

Oisin my brother's (who are probably reading this) had a trolly called Sputnick it was burgundy in colour with a white Sputnick painted at the front. I of course was only allowed on it supervised by one of them, because as they said "I was a girl and couldn't steer it". They wouldn't get away with that comment now!!!!!!!!!!
 
:angel: Well actually it's baby food tins or Milo tins we use at Preschool, as there ain't many other kind of tins around any more, it's all plastic jars and bottles now.
 
My favourite toys - (Dad was a silver spinner by trade) -One day he brought home a humming top which he had made - no colours on it - I loved that thing - the other gift I liked which so much fun was a cap gun -LOL yes - though I am a girl and even had dolls - I played with the boys forts soldiers marbles and Jacks and trading cigarette cards -

I decided at a very young age I was not going to be left out of anything ha! ha!
 
Beryl, I had a cow girl outfit I can still see it. Black skirt with a yellow fringe and a black waist coat to match. I loved to play cowboys and cowgirls although I always seemed to be killed!??? Do you think the boys were telling me something:)
 
Mom P The boys were trying to tell you something - But you didn't listen did you? - You were still competition- Maybe you needed my cap gun to give you more power - We would have had a great time beating up the boys.........
 
Yes Moma P or is it Wendy - I think we would have made a great team - I always found the boys a challenge because they thought they knew everything - when really they didn't - and they still don't LOL
 
Hey chaps, will ya just listen to these wimmin? :rolleyes: I have a sneaking suspicion that Beryl's after their red-headed leader's crown. Be interestin' to see how the coup unfolds. :D
 
Tom Boys

Hey girls we sound like three of a kind!!!!!!!!!!!!! I' loved playing with the boys (now stop them there thoughts) I mean playing cricket, kick the can and run, tracking and I could climb trees with the best of em! Wasn't too keen on footie though I was a swimmer.
Was anyone a member of the Summer Lane Settlement? Had some great fun times there too camping out at Kinver Edge and Tembury Wells, the I flew up from the Brownies and became a Girl Guide at 263rd group John st West if my memory serves me correct! Went camping with the GG at Snitterfield, loved every minute of it!
My Dad was very clever with his hands he made me a three wheeler bike a huge dolls house, a dolls cradle complete with al the fancy lace trimmings (thanks Mom), a bright red scooter with big white rubber wheels, Lord knows where he got those from I'm talking mid 50's, but my all time favourite was my rocking horse it was huge black and grey with a silver mane and tail and a big red saddle. I must have stood well over 4 foot I guess to buy it today would cost around £2,000. How I loved that horse the adventures I conjured up on it were nobodys business lol It was on a kind ofswing frame that went back and forth not like some which were on a coiled frame that just went up and down, you really felt like you could gallop on this one! such wonderful memories!:D
 
Eric, our gulley was a largish piece of land behind our house at Hidson Road,
(Stockland Green area) off Woolmore Road. The developers of the houses, which were built in 1935, sold the lots at a certain size for at least 16 houses going down Hidson Road on the East side. The left over land belonged to the City I believe. It was a great place for a den which the local boys in the late l940's built. We used to hold huge bonfires on Guy Fawkes Day in the gulley.

My brother and I still own our house at Hidson Road and last time I was there I noticed that part of the gulley has been claimed by home owners on Hidson Road to extend their gardens. I suppose they must have bought the extra land from the City. So the gulley is much smaller these days. You can still cut through it from Hidson Road to Ransom Road and then round the corner on to Marsh Hill. Both ends have lockable gates now so you have to be a tenant of one of the houses on Hidson Road or Woolmore Road whose houses also backed on to the gulley.
 
Kick the Can

Used to play kick the can with my brother he kicked the can so hard thet it hit a polcieman's hat and the hat come off he marched my brother to see my Father and said that he was going to prosecute him. My father calmed the policemand down gave him a cup of tea and veggie's from his allotment, and he also gave him a bucket of horse manure for his rhubard.
 
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