My favourite toy when I was little

A beloved Koala Bear called Woo - I still have him, very motheaten looking - later a doll called Angela. Once I was able to read books were my favourite. When we lived in Canada my Grandmother sent me a book from England called 'Deep Sea Mokey' a story about a donkey who goes to live under the sea. I adored the book and sadly during all our travels it was lost. Two years ago via Amazon, I managed to track it down from an antique book shop. It cost me £15 and is in excellent condition and as beautiful as I remember it.
As we travelled all over the world my brother and I never had the larger toy. We didn't have things like dolls' houses,prams or bikes - too big and expensive to ship overseas.

I had a black walkie talkie doll called Topsy (how original!) and a white doll with a soft body that felt like real skin, and I loved them both.

My mum and dad made me a beautiful 'treasure cot' (??), it had drapes and frills made from pale blue organza, it was really pretty.

They didn't have much money, but lots of love.

It was always my dolls with me. My little black one was called Susie. Had a new doll every Christmas until I was thirteen (tressy type ones by then).

Yes Ella. My mum made lovely clothes for my Christmas dolls. No sewing machine either. All by hand.

I don't remember any of my own toys particularly but I played all the time with my brothers' train set. When I wanted some time on my own I would go off and play my recorder for ages but was never very good. I read a lot and my favourite was Jonnie ..................... Zoo book. Can anyone remember his surname, he was very well known?

My favourite toy was my kaleidoscope which my ingenious dad made from pieces of glass bound together with electicians' tape. It had cut up Roses chocolate wrappers in it to make the patterns and I have never seem a kaleidoscope pattern that matched the ones in my lovely toy.

Oh Hunt how clever! I had a kaleidoscope too, they were fascinating.

How much love went into those home made toys

My favourite toy was a box of Mini-brix - I still have them upstairs somewhere. They were brown rubber Lego-like bricks - this would be in the 50s, of course. I then moved on to another building set which was plastic and the bricks slid on rods to make the building, but I can't remember what they were called.

It was Bayko, GillieB My litle brother had that. You could get all kinds of bits for it - curved bricks for bay windows and so on, which made Christmas and birthdays a lot simpler.

DH had something earlier than that in the forties. you fixed the bricks together with real mortar or something that seemed very like it. It took ages to make anything and when you were tired of looking at that building you had to soak the bricks to dissolve the "mortar" and make something else, but he loved it. Maybe that was the start of his interest in DIY.

Just remembered it was Jonnie Morris's Zoo Book.

Gillie did you go on to become an engineer?

All those whose favourite was a doll or a teddy presumably went on to become Mums but did any of the other favourite toys have any influence on later careers?

shysal I sometimes used to pass the doll's hospital in Manchester when I was a child and I didn't so much envy the girl's who had lovely dolls, but sort of envied the dolls who were loved so much that someone would pay for them to be mended.

Was it Jonnie Morris Movedalot?

I still have my teddy which was passed on to me from my eldest sister as I was a war-baby and such toys were virtually unobtainable. He is at least 80 years old and still wears the red needlecord coat my Mum made for him, even though he looks very elderly and decrepit now. He knew all my childhood secrets and shared my tears many times.

Crossed posts Gaga, yes it was.

Did you know there is a dance form called Gaga? It stems from Israel and has made its way to the US so will probably come here. DS has done a class and says it is brilliant for all types and abilities.

No I've not heard of the dance. I chose my name because my dear old Mum used to say "I'm going gaga" when she forgot things - increasingly often as she got old. Then of course there's Lady Gaga, though she is no relation (!) and Queen's Radio Gaga. I'll watch out for the dance - if I remember.

gagagran I made my Teddy Bear a kilt and a cloak. I can't remember what Tartan it was though. I think he was bought for me about Xmas 1949. He had a straw stuffed head and body and a good growl until he got bathed.

He eventually became very thread bare and his basic "skin" disintegrated.
He lost an eye when I was about 6 and as I was very upset I remember my Grandma going through her button box and finding two lovely blue buttons which she sewed on for his eyes.

He was very much loved though and taken to bed with me every night which probably hastened his end.

To my everlasting shame I threw him away about 2 years ago.

I understand of course grannyeggs, but were you upset at Mum though for not going back for your doll.

"GillieB", glad to find another Minibrix fan. I still have mine somewhere, and have recently downloaded a Virtual Minibrix online; haven't tried it yet.

"Elegran", the bricks and mortar toy was BrickPlayer; my cousin had it.

One of my earliest favourite books was Cecil the Camel. All I can remember is that he joined the Royal Navy and was decorated by Queen Victoria.

Oops. Should have put the names of other posters between asterisks, not inverted commas. Still learning.

Elegran - thanks for that information. I was just reading the thread to my DH and mentioned it and he straightaway said "Bayko"! I should have just asked him obviously.
Movedalot - no, I didn't, I was a teacher of shorthand and typing. I was the oldest of two girls and I think my Ddad wanted a boy, also where I lived when I was a child was mostly boys, just me and one other girl. I was a proper tomboy.
Grumppa - that's really interesting about the virtual minibrix. I will have a look.

My Nana and Grandad bought me a walkie takie doll when I was about seven - and she came in a box which proved she was all brand new. My mum was very angry with them for spending so much on me. Being little I thought it meant Mum thought I wasn't worth it, not that they couldn't afford it. I still have that doll and my DGDs now play with her. Her name is Jane. She's very pale faced now and creaks a bit but I still love her.

I still have my teddy, but loved sindy , patch and paul

susie I always wanted a Sindy but never got one--It took me years to get that out of my system and when I was an Adult really wanted to buy myself a Sindy but of course never did, I had sons and now have a grandson--when and if I have a grandaughter she is getting every Sindy doll on the market and I will of coaurse help her to play with them ha ha

Movedalot I had my hand up there going 'Miss, Miss' - Morris! He used to do a television programme didn't he - Zoo Quest or something?

GillieB how great to find another female Bayco fan! I loved that, all 30s houses with green windows, red roofs and white fences. I bought some in a car boot sale hoping to recreate the excitement of childhood but it didn't work