Pocket money toys

Girl's Crystal was mine too. I shared Rockfist Rogan, RAF and Alf Tupper with my brother!

Does anyone out there remember Keil Kraft kits? They were essentially a box of balsa wood and tissue paper from which you could build a flying (or crashing) model aircraft. I used to buy one every couple of weeks or so from a little shop in Hales Street on the opposite side of the road to Matterson Huxley and Watson. Like you, Philip, I learned quite a bit about engineering and aerodynamics from my hobby.

Well I must say I had a 'sweet tooth' so I will not admit what I spent my half a crown on. Dad used to leave it on the mantel shelf every Friday evening and goodness knows where it had gone by Saturday lunchtime!! Radio Fun was one of my favourite comics also Picture Show - all about the film stars and fan clubs from which I sent for so called signed photographs (Pat Rock, Stewart Granger, Margaret Lockwood) just to name a few.

This is like the Corgi ambulance that I bought for the sum of 5/1d. The rear wheels had a contact in middle of the back axle that made the lights flash every time the wheels turned round. In fact the "lights" were a single, central bulb with clear plastic leading to the corners of the roof, that the light transmitted along. This was ruined when I left a battery in it and it leaked My very first record was this one, a 78rpm - it cost me 5/8d! Cant recall where I bought it though Oh yes, the smell of all that "dope" - the framework would be covered in the tissue paper, which then had to be coated with dope, which sealed and tightened the covering, making the model more aero-dynamic and the model-maker more inebriated from the smell! The Topper was also one of my later comics - but my particular favourite was "The Victor!"

I didn't really have pocket money until I went to secondary school but dad always used to buy me the Bunty and the June and Schoolfriend. You got a cut-out doll & clothes on the back of the Bunty which we used to cut out! Hours of fun! When I was older I once got 10/- to go to the fair on Hearsall Common. It seemed to last for ages, got to go on every ride and still had enough to buy some brandy snaps for my stepmum! A bit different now!

We used to get those comics and I think there was one called Judy as well. My sister collected all of the cut out dolls and she used to draw round the clothes and colour them to her own designs. We had some pocket money but weren't allowed to buy sweets every day. We had one bag of mixed sweets that had to last all week, and a comic. We never seemed to need much more than that, apart from little treats like a D.Di on a Sunday afternoon or if we were having a day out.

Hello to both of you, lovely to see you.

I too remember the fair on Hearsall Common! Although I don't ever recall having that much to spend! I always seemed to spend my bus fare so ended up having to walk home In fact, if I remember correctly I would invariably use my bus fare to try and win enough for another ride on something. My favourite was the machine that you inserted your penny in and got a ball-bearing, then by flipping the lever - tried to land the ball inside a winning cup - much harder than it looked - and I always lost!! Guess I was walking again! I recall my sister having those cut-out dolls and clothes - and who wouldn't want to help colouring them in, and yes, I admit it, I used to help as well - when she would let me that is! ... and D-Di ice cream - 6d for a bowlful - yummy

Does anyone remember these? They could be relied on to work for about the same length of time as the first battery took to run down! This is Scalecraft's model of the Coventry-built Saracen armoured car: And this is their E-Type Jaguar: I preferred their boats myself as they were exactly the right size to play with in the bath!

I had half a crown in the early 60's. We lived at Keresley End and I would go down to the set of shops to the toy shop to get a toy each week. I remember thinking all week about getting some 'pencils that paint' - what would they be like? How would they work? I can remember sitting on a wall by the shop, opening them, only to find they were just coloured pencils that you wet the leads to use - so disappointing! I was also taken into Coventry each week with my godmother - who was like an aunty really - and bought a comic and some sweets. She was extremely poor so she really must have given up a lot to do that for me. The shop we went to is still there - on Hales Street. They used to sell the papers and comics from the open windows - which are still there! I can still see them in my mind's eye when I walk past.

"Godiva News"? I always thought it was further along than that? I used to buy my hobby magazines from there. It was really convenient being able to see which new titles had arrived.

I may be wrong - it was 50 years ago! Where do you think it was?

I always assumed it was one of the temporary shops opposite Mattersons and that was the reason the frontage was open but you're probably right and it was where Godiva News is today. I just don't recognise the shop any more.

Anne is right about the position of the newsagents. I went to school with the son of the people that ran the shop, it was either Thorpe or Gibbard, their parents both ran newsagents but I think it was Gibbards, lol, for a better memory. He used to work in the shop on Saturdays, that was half his weekend gone.

Thankyou scrutiny, that's made me happy as I can now feel certain as I walk by it - strangely comforting feeling! Dutchman, thankyou as well. I'd forgotten there were any temporary shops down there - I only remember the ones in Broadgate. It's strange, isn't it? I grew up from the mid fifties and so much was in transit then so I only saw things as always being there - like the market and the Precinct. I love looking at pictures and maps of how it was just before then. Going back to the thread, I'm sure many remember Barnby's toy shop. No 'pocket money toys' there for us, I'm afraid, they were for better off kids! However, one year in the mid 60's Pelham's puppets became the craze amongst us little girls and I was delighted to have one for Christmas! I think it was a gypsy girl. Long gone, but in recent years my late partner gave me Pinnochio and I bought a fairy. He also had a clown, one of the older versions of the puppets. I'll take photos of them to upload at some point.