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Our childhood toys

  • Thread starter Thread starter angeleyes
  • Start date Start date
Smudger said:
Does anyone remember making a Kazoo out of a comb & a piece of paper? Or folding a privet leaf between your thumbs & making a weird sound. Oh we were so sophisticated back then!
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I remember Kazoo bands. Playing a tune with the comb's prongs. A rubber band. Beer Bottle tops drilled and tied with strings to a pole. I am told this is a real instrument called a systrum. Systres in French. Les tringles de systres taintent. from Carmen. Some kids could make pock pock sounds up and down the scale with their hands and their mouths. Nan's dad broke wind to God Save the Queen much to her mum's disgust, every morning.
 
Nico said:
I remember Kazoo bands. Playing a tune with the comb's prongs. A rubber band. Beer Bottle tops drilled and tied with strings to a pole. I am told this is a real instrument called a systrum. Systres in French. Les tringles de systres taintent. from Carmen. Some kids could make pock pock sounds up and down the scale with their hands and their mouths. Nan's dad broke wind to God Save the Queen much to her mum's disgust, every morning.
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brilliant:laughing::laughing::laughing:i hope he was standing
 
Nico said:
I remember Kazoo bands. Playing a tune with the comb's prongs. A rubber band. Beer Bottle tops drilled and tied with strings to a pole. I am told this is a real instrument called a systrum. Systres in French. Les tringles de systres taintent. from Carmen. Some kids could make pock pock sounds up and down the scale with their hands and their mouths. Nan's dad broke wind to God Save the Queen much to her mum's disgust, every morning.
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I knew a Welsh kid, way back, who told us that his Gran could play the national anthem on her anal sphinctre. He got quite indignant when we laughed !
 
How about a French arrow a straight narrow stick maybe 18" long put a double split in the end and make flights out of a old fag packet, then a piece of string with a knot in the end to send it into flight, wrap the string around the stick at the flight end hook it over the knot then keeping the string taught hold the other end in one hand along with the string and throw the arrow overhand in to the air.
 
We use to hang out at the 41 bus terminase in Longbridge Lane wait for the bus and go get the tickets out of the waste can at the back of the bus were you steeped off (old style platform) if I recall we needed 3 tickets joined, from those we made real long ticket chains kinda like old fashioned Christmas decorations, while waiting for the bus we would throw our arrows.
 
Had 3 killer toys growing up red pedal car from the Austins, I did post a pic in my first car thread, had a sailing yacht but it was big took 3 of us to get it Bornville yachting pond 2 to carry the yacht and one to carry the mast and sails, then I had a snow sledge for 3or 4 kids 6 feet long no screws or nails all bound together with some sort of thick twine, I had to wax the twine a couple of times a year to stop it from rotting used beeswax.
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
How about a French arrow a straight narrow stick maybe 18" long put a double split in the end and make flights out of a old fag packet, then a piece of string with a knot in the end to send it into flight, wrap the string around the stick at the flight end hook it over the knot then keeping the string taught hold the other end in one hand along with the string and throw the arrow overhand in to the air.
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I've told people about this very thing and got funny looks.
We used to make them too, but I can't recall what we called them.
Of course, I had to go and get a Parental Ban. I thought it was a great idea to fix a dart head on the end of the cane.(and it was !).
 
When I was 7 in1946 for Xmas my mom & dad ought me a Concetina.My bedroom as in the attic.I put my hands in the straps each side and proceeded to open and shut the concertina making a terrible sound.I decided to go and show my parents what Father Xmas had bought me.I got to the top of the stairs missed my footing and fell down the stairs still clutching the Concertina.Never did learn to play it,but learned to play the Accordian late
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
Had 3 killer toys growing up red pedal car from the Austins, I did post a pic in my first car thread, had a sailing yacht but it was big took 3 of us to get it Bornville yachting pond 2 to carry the yacht and one to carry the mast and sails, then I had a snow sledge for 3or 4 kids 6 feet long no screws or nails all bound together with some sort of thick twine, I had to wax the twine a couple of times a year to stop it from rotting used beeswax.
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I remember those big sledges just after the war.
They were called Nansen Sleds and were held together with some sort of rawhide.
Probably government surplus, I can imagine troops like the Marines woild use them.
 
Used to have one of them on Lady Bradfords Estate at Castle Bromwich down the hill in the snow and jump of before it went into the River Rea with us on it.Good Times.Kids of today don't know the fun we had.
 
maypolebaz said:
I remember those big sledges just after the war.
They were called Nansen Sleds and were held together with some sort of rawhide.
Probably government surplus, I can imagine troops like the Marines woild use them.
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Well done sir I think your are right I know when I received as a Christmas gift it was not new (see my next post)
 
So a post from Maypolebaz reminded me of another cool toy, my pop bought a ex RAF one man life raft bright orange it came with all the gear to survive at sea, it had a cover over the top that could be blow up with a built in hood so the only part exposed was the face, my pop cut that off so I had this cool dinghy that we took on holidays to cornwall, we went to the beach in Cornwall not far from Padstow, Trevone it had a natural pool when the tide went out so many good times there, So that must explain where my sled came from a ex Army/Navy store I recall one in the city centre but not where
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
How about a French arrow a straight narrow stick maybe 18" long put a double split in the end and make flights out of a old fag packet, then a piece of string with a knot in the end to send it into flight, wrap the string around the stick at the flight end hook it over the knot then keeping the string taught hold the other end in one hand along with the string and throw the arrow overhand in to the air.
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Didn't know they were called French Arrows. We just used to call them darts.
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
We use to hang out at the 41 bus terminase in Longbridge Lane wait for the bus and go get the tickets out of the waste can at the back of the bus were you steeped off (old style platform) if I recall we needed 3 tickets joined, from those we made real long ticket chains kinda like old fashioned Christmas decorations, while waiting for the bus we would throw our arrows.
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You could make up chains with double tickets but it was easier with triple tickets. They were quite common when our fare to school was 1-1/2d. I discovered that those yellow tickets were better than litmus paper and I set out to extract the dye and eventually collected a yellow powder but as there was so little I never tried to see if it could be disolved in water. We used to derive a certain pleasure in getting a double 'moose' ticket, so-called by us because the word 'moose' was printed on the bit of gummed paper that joined two ticket rolls together. (Maybe 'Moose' was the ticket printer?)
 
We packed up using the French dart when we found out that you could buy a real Bow & Arrow from Lillywhite& Frowed in Corporation St quite cheaply
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
How about the whistle that had a slide you pulled up and down to change the notes, just something else I did to drive me mum up the wall
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The Swanee or Slide Whistle. My first and only one was bought by my great-uncle during a visit to Bingley Hall during an event that was like Ideal Home for children, toys, toys toys!
 
Dad came home with a yellow sponge hen he got in town. It was sitting on a white 'nest' which was full of powder chalk I think it was. A string hung down the middle underneath and you pulled it up and down and the hen shreiked and cackled. It disappeared one day!
 
I have some toys that belonged to the childrens' home my great great aunt and uncle ran in Cheltenham. I think one of the games would be the forerunner of Kerplunk. Called Spellicans. Tiny flat garden and household tools made from bone with points etched on them in red roman numerals, if you could flick one out without moving the others you didn't get the number added to your score. They are in their small original box with a sliding top and one of the boys at the home has written a dry remark on the rules sheet.

I also have my mum's toy miniature money in a green flock box that has gone baldy it has enamel playing cards on the lid.

Other games of my aunts I have are Merrelles and it incomplete in that There was a green board with gold coloured piece place markers which I lost, black and beige pieces which are Maltezer size balls with a flat disc bottom. I have the original box for them and the rules.
There is another which look like gaming chips made of polished wood with coloured leather tops. With a small measuring stick to go with them called a Swoggle. Aunty said you whacked them on a board a bit like flat bowls?
A card game called Bezique and some tiny wooden and bone dominoes.
I gave away some French domino cards I wish I had kept but I would not part with the others.
Can somebody tell me what the name of the unknown game might be? unable to attach as files too big
 

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Spargone said:
Perhaps the Museum of Childhood can help?
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I think that's a place in my head!!. Seriously thank you. I will look it up. I have managed to put some on the scanner, literally.
The Merrelles are lying down on their sides.
I called the last one Swoggle, the name of the measuring stick thing. They look like flat bowls. Maybe it's carpet bowls?
 

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The Museum of Childhood is in Bethnal Green, East London. It's actually part of the V&A
I love going in there, they have a great collection of toys from all ages, a real nostalgia trip.
There is a scooter exactly the same as one I had in the late 50's :)
 
Nice pictures!
If I was guessing I would sat 'table' bowls rather than 'carpet', but there are many web pictures showing small balls with 'table bowls' set, though flat pieces seem more sensible, like a 'shove ha'penny', as on a table one wants restricted movements. Your 'swoggle' looks to be just right for shoving the pieces and measuring the distances between them. I'm sure one could play it that way.
Here is a Canadian making something similar, 'table curling'!

And a game like yours!
 
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It's got to be the Raleigh Chopper, I can still feel that feeling of shock when my dad opened the door and behind it was the most amazing bright red Raleigh chopper bike. That moment started my love for bicycles, which I love tinkering with and repairing hence the nine bikes in my garage at the moment :)
 
Does anyone remember those miniature gardens you could buy?

Came in a box with little plastic plants, flowers and a piece of plastic with holes in it textured to look like earth. There was a plastic spade with a metal rod in the end that you used to push the plants into the holes to make a flowerbed.
 
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