Lil Hair Clips

Some of my extensive selection of childhood hair clips have survived into adulthood. I've got a soft spot for these. 

I have to confess though that the blue ones were particularly skilled at hurting the scalp without holding the hair!

All of these may or may not still get some hair time (minus the blue ones!)

Pencil Case II

Oh, this is such a familiar design from my childhood. 

Looking at it now, it's obviously a 70s design - the lace-tipped flares answer that question. And I'm not sure why on earth the satellite dish is even there, but I don't think any speculation would be useful. 

This was a very popular, 'wide' pencil case, twice as wide as the standard ones. 

Prior to my discovering my super-duper fancy-schmancy one, this one was popular for its size difference. 

The little mirror was a popular component too!

Singing, Crying Doll

With the help of a 9-volt battery in the doll's back to activate a torso of electronics, this doll had - what at the time were - some definite next gen abilities. 

With the flick of a switch also in the doll's back, she would cry noisily, shrilly and incessantly. The only way to quieten her was to provide her with the specially-designed dummy which paused the crying noise.  

A genuine crying doll who was quietened by her dummy. Truly amazing! And instant favourite with kids. 

But wait. There was more. 

There were also 3 tiny, mini-records that you could put in the doll's back, with different songs on them. 

The mini-records have long since gone AWOL. And I think the dummy has gone missing too. Which is why there are no batteries in the doll's vicinity. 

But the doll otherwise is in great condition, and conjures up some lovely memories. 

A Perfect Lil Bag

Oh I loved this bag when I was younger! A tiny little item which fit into the palm of my hand. It wasn't big enough to even accommodate 4 folded tissues, but I still went through a stage of wanting to carry it everywhere I went. 

And the colours!! Bright rainbow-like colours - including pink - separated by sparkling silver thread! Loved it!

Orna-mental

Not toys at all - but all the more appealing for that. 

Delicate little creatures of glass or wood, brought to life in my imagination. 

They've survived in pretty good condition, all things considered. 

Photo Album

Significant not because of the retro status of photo albums these days, but because of its design - that particular 70s or 80s style of illustration-for-girls that strikes such a familiar chord for me... 

The Doll that was Bigger than Me

This is a doll that is taller than a 3-year-old. 

She used to have her own special dress, but it's gotten a little worse for wear over the years. 

As a kid, I couldn't wait until I grew taller than her. I'm pretty sure I gloated the day it finally happened. The doll didn't seem too fussed about it though. 

In a Previous Life, it was a Hair Bauble

This little plastic flower used to be a hair bauble - a girly, decorative ornament in plastic attached to the elastic band that ties the hair back. 

I had many of these in all sorts of designs over the years - and I've just realised that I managed to lose many over the years too. 

But I saved this one after the elastic broke because I liked it so much. I thought of it as being the colour of pineapple in the sun - albeit translucent. And shaped like a flower too - so pretty!

It now sits as a bracelet on one of my doll's arms. 

Pencil Case

The most beautiful (and elaborate) pencil case I'd ever seen. 

I was used to the single, clip-open style. To have one with such a pretty drawing (I didn't learn about the manga style of drawing unil the 90s), with its cute little extra pocket was awesome. 

To have an extra whole case to open on the obverse side was just special:

What the photos don't show is the little pièce de résistance - a little timer with pink sand. It got detached by a curious member of the next generation. 

Not in bad nick for something from the mid-80s!

British Airways Stewardess

This was probably intended as a collectible rather than a toy, but she took part in my childhood games and was the closest thing I had to a Barbie-type doll (ie, adult-type doll). 

The doll itself is in pretty good condition, although the box has definitely seen better days!

The Colour Kittens Golden Book

I still remember how much I loved and re-read this book. 

The kittens go through many experiments trying to mix paints to make the colour green, and discover other lovely colours along the way. 

I think this is the book where I learnt which colour combos produce which colours. 

Simple and beloved little book!

Indian Sculpture

Less of a sculpture and more of a mold, I grew up with two of these. They would usually face each other serenely across a crowded bookcase shelf. 

I knew better than to play with these, and I admired them tremendously and at a safe distance. 

Beautiful detail. 

Daisy Duck Sharpener

Good ole Daisy Duck! You gotta put her on a pedestal. 

Or, in this case, a pencil sharpener. 

A beloved little piece of stationery this is too. 

Little treasures like these made a big difference in relieving the (sometimes sulky) tedium of going to school.

Boule et Bill albums

The Boule et Bill albums (or "BD" - Bandes Dessines - as the French call them), by Jean Roba and published by Dupuis, are the basis of some of my favourite childhood memories. 

Consisting of gentle, family-friendly-humoured, one-page comics in hardcover collections, they centre on the life and adventures of a boy, Boule, his dog, Bill, and his parents and friends. 

Sweet and gentle and they still please adults and kids. 

See what I mean?? You don't even have to read it to understand it.

There is a lovely tradition of beautifully-produced BDs in France, some in the vein of what now get called graphic novels, some aimed directly at kids (and their parents), and everything in between. Often hard cover and beautifully drawn.

I can't quite think of an English equivalent, but please let me know if I'm wrong!

A Dolly with Stories to Tell

This poor little doll has been through the wars. And it shows!

She was my favourite all-purpose doll. Her original dress is long-gone and I don't even remember what it looked like. 

One of the best things about her was that her limbs weren't connected via joints. Yes, her limbs had limited/no movement, but they also couldn't break or get detached.

She had golden curls once, but this quickly deteriorated into hardened, sandy frizz. 

I think I used to draw on her face - scribbles usually (don't ask me why), and with pens which washed off. Then one night, I grabbed a permanent marker (not realising it was permanent) and graffiti-ed her forehead in a few bold strokes. Poor dolly. That didn't come off for years after. Although you wouldn't know it now to look at her. 

On another occasion as a kid, after having to get some obligatory injection in the rear cheek, I went home and gave the doll her injection in her rear cheek too. The doll still has that little scar...

She's survived pretty well, when I think about it. 

Read it Yourself Books

Ladybird's Read it Yourself books - my earliest memories of learning to read were from these books!! 

I used to say "Read it Yourself" as though it was one word, and before I knew what it even meant. 

The oh-so-heart-quickeningly familiar inside cover:

One of the earliest ones I remember learning to read, with my mother helping me is The Elves and the Shoemaker. 

The Enormous Turnip is another book that brought me great joy. 

The thought of a dog, cat and mouse being called on to help pull the turnip out of the ground always made me laugh. 

It's interesting that the illustrations aren't the standard primary colours and single lines. Somehow, the illustrations used to contribute to the grown-up sensation of what reading was about. 

And it's another clue about my anthropomorphising of animals - see how happy the mouse in the middle of the table is! 

Pink Panther on a Bike

The Pink Panther doesn't just ride any old bike, mind you.

Just one that makes him look effortlessly cool, of course. 

In true Pink Panther style: wordlessly cool. 

Enid Blytons Of Course!!

I absolutely cannot go through my childhood treasures without including Enid Blyton!

Especially her "Mystery" series, or her "Five Find-Outers And Dog" series. 

As you can see in the photo of part of the series, the books were well-read, battered and well-loved: 

They were my favourite series. I know everyone else drifts through a Famous Five or Secret Seven moment in their childhood. But this was my preferred series by far. 

Some of the books are:

The adventures of Fatty, Larry, Daisy, Pip, Bets and Buster the dog. There were disguises, thwarting of the bumbling village policeman Mr Goon, macaroons, holidays, and mysteries to solve. 

One of my favourites was The Mystery of the Invisible Thief. Clever plot that had our detectives stumped. 

Ahhh joy!

Penguin from an Ice Cream

A long time ago, a little girl was on holiday with her family. They sat down to have afternoon tea at a café. 

As children are wont to do (and get away with while on holiday), the girl asked for ice cream. 

You can imagine her delight when the ice cream arrived, with this little penguin perched on top. 

At first thinking it was edible and wondering how she would ever be able to eat such a delight, she was very happy to realise it was made of carefully, niftily crafted sponge. 

She insisted on going back the next day, this time urging her brother to get the same ice cream dish in order to triple their penguin collection. 

At least 2 of the penguins survived into the new millennia (possibly even outliving the café they were from?)

And now, one still remains. 

Fabulands!!!

Oh my God! Fabulands!! 

I LOOOOOVED my Fabulands when I was younger! And I still have a soft spot for them now. 

Produced by Lego (as you can see), Fabulands are like Lego-people but with animal faces. I adored them. I think they were intended as a transition point between the toddler-Duplos and the older-Legos. But it's always surprised me that Fabulands aren't more widely available. I'm guessing it's because they were never as popular. Although why they wouldn't be popular is beyond my comprehension. Have I mentioned that I adored them??

One of my favourites was Robbie Rabbit, whose job was to deliver bread. He had a basket that went on his back and two baguettes. 

My lil collection is now being enjoyed by the next generation, which is why I have none to show in person. 

Another clue about how my tendency to anthropomorphise animals came about...