Barnby's toyshop

This would appear to support your recall of its location, Kaga

Midland Red, thanks,

That`s very strange! I remember buying Dinky toys from a shop about there, at that time, and always thought it was Barnbys. However, I recently found an old Dinky catalogue and it had Harveys on the front and I`m pretty sure it said Corporation Street.

What I remember about Barnby's was that the main part of the shop was upstairs. The ground floor entrance contained a massive teddy bear, larger than life, about 7 feet tall as I recall. I was never into teddy bears, or anything make believe, even as a bairn. (How sad, missing out on your childhood, I hear some say.) But I did have one for several years, only because it was given to me as a present by parents/relatives. It had a mechanical music box inside (can't remember the tune it played), and a large metal key was inserted into its back to wind it up. What I do remember is that it was unreliable from the word go. I remember, as a toddler, being taken to Brum on the bus, by my aunt and grandmother, to a big toyshop where they returned the defective item. The staff took it out the back, then came back and said it was fixed. Back in Cov, it didn't last long, so this time my father, an engineer, took out the music box and fiddled with the inside, and got it working again. I was fascinated by what he was doing and wanted to know how the thing worked. I also remember that the bear's eyes were two pieces of coloured glass which were easily pulled out, exposing long metal rods, like an opened out paper clip, with sharp points, ideal for a little kid to stab or blind himself with! The good old days, when every toy had a "made in England" sticker or similar, no CE marking, no EU, and no 'elf 'n safety.

I have very fond memories of Barnby's, although I only remember the Smithford Way shop. There wasn't much to detain a young lad on the ground floor, and I do seem to recall there was also a basement sales floor for larger items. The real deal was on the first floor, a magical world for us. There were train sets, in which my friends and I only had a passing interest, and construction kits of all sorts. The advert posted by Heathite mentioned electrically operated boats. I'm sure there was a big water tank in the middle of the first floor at one time where such boats could be demonstrated. They also had a huge selection of boxed board games there. It was model cars for us, specifically Corgi which were far superior to the cruder Dinky cars. My best friend and I would get the bus into town with our pocket money, go straight to Barnby's and spend ages selecting our latest acquisition. I'm sure the very patient staff must have loved us asking to see several before deciding where to invest our five shillings! There were glass cases with the latest cars stood on their boxes, and the rest of stock piled on shelves behind the counter. There was also a display of larger remote control cars which would be for birthdays or Christmas, I had a Ford Consul, I recall. In the run-up to Christmas there were always wrapped parcels stored on high shelves for collection. Barnby's was not the only toy shop in the city centre, and someone has mentioned Harvey's which was at the top end of The Burges. But they were more into sports and camping gear although they did stock some toys. Another was the Model Shop in Hales Street, where Shambles Arcade was later located. They were another shop to have a working train set in the window which you could operate with a push button, free as I recall. They were always the best place to go for Scalextric and were the only ones who could get the set I wanted in about 1966. Certain shops specialised in specific items, for instance we all knew that the best selection of Subbuteo equipment was to be had at Aubrey Hill in the City Arcade.

Yes, I remember it more as a sports shop; the first time I went there was to purchase my first snooker cue (after I left school). The Harvey family lived on the Kenilworth Road, about 300 yards before Gibbet Hill Rd. They also owned a large wholesale business (called Harveys!) which was housed in a derelict looking, war-damaged building in Cox St. The bus station now occupies its former site. Harvey Jnr. was in our class at school. He was keen on golf, as was his father, who would regularly drive up to and use the practice ground of the Hearsall Golf Course, which was opposite where I lived. Harvey Jnr. claimed his family also owned both branches of Riddy's Surplus Stores. I'm not sure.

From our "Favourite shop" thread:

The shop which later became the Shambles was the one with the train in the window. If you dropped a penny in the slot in the door frame, the train did a couple of circuits.

Slim, yes I remember the big Teddy Bear, one time they put a top hat on him, a white scarf, and a cane under his arm, can't remember what for but I believe it could have been Fred Astaire week.

Were Harveys ever located in the temporary shops in Broadgate in the 1950s?

Slim, I saw the teddy bear before the war, did it survive the bombing? There was a shop or store that had a doll of 'Sunny Jim' in the window before or during the war. Sunny Jim had an upright tail out the back of his head, a weird doll, think it had something to with Scot's porridge oats? I believe Harveys did continue but have no idea where.

The teddy bear I speak of was in Smithford Way in the 60s. Not sure if the was the same one. Harveys was in Cross Cheaping in the 60s and 70s.

Thanks OL. A pony tail makes sense but I always thought it curled upwards.

This is from a 1903 advert Kaga, is this more like the one you remember?