Traditional British Toys

Jalima your teddy looks a bit like Sooty! There's a thought, a Sooty glove puppet, very British and in fact Yorkshire, now't as nice as Sooty.

I'm surprised as well Jalima. I mentioned early ear that my sister still has her golly, knitted by our gran, he's safely in a cupboard, rather than on display.
We were innocent. The first black peoples I saw were American GIs at the airforce base we lived close to in 1957,-8. We wondered why we never saw black and white GIs together. It was probably in my teens when I learned about segregation.

They're not acceptable these days and I am surprised that anyone is still selling them.
If I still had mine then he would not be on display but would still be much loved, such was our innocence in those days.
We went to the William Wilberforce museum recently - oddly enough not that far from Whitby.

Iam64 I feel the same as you

Sorry folks but if gollywogs aren't offensive to black peoples, especially those who relatives were slaves, I give up.
We were fortunate to spend half a day at the new museum of African Americans in Washington DC some months ago. The experience of visiting this wonderful museum along with African Americans we could hear explaining calmly to the children in their group that this was the experience of great grandma was something I won't forget,
My ancestors worked in the dark satanic mills. In Manchester, life expectancy was around 30 in the Manchester d 19th century. Life was tough, disease rampant but they weren't slaves.
I don't want to bring this jolly discussion down. The persistent references to gollywogs and black sambos as acceptable toys these days is something i feel unable to ignore.

Oh, and I bought one of those large furry push along dogs for my younger grandson because a) he loves dogs and b) I'd always wanted one but never owned one.The one I bought was a Labrador although the one's I coveted from my childhood were (fox) terriers. I also had a wooden farm set for Christmas one year as the children never wanted one but I was sure they'd play with one if they had one (which they did). Little granddaughter loves her dad's old Fisher Price binoculars.

I went with my friend this week to take her two small grandchildren to a play group. The toy that seemed to fascinate the little ones (babies at the crawling stage) was a spinning top, although they are different now to the ones I am used to seeing.

Although Brio isn't traditionally British Thomas the Tank definitely is. Both my grandson and now my granddaughter love Thomas. I've just bought some wooden track with a motorised Thomas and a Bertie the Bus along with a storybook of Thomas and Bertie's race, and we act it out (often bringing in other characters eg her Duplo Mickey Mouse). My grandson only had the motorised Thomas when he was starting to tire of his push along ones. I also used to buy, via a book search shop, Ladybird Thomas theTank books. They're a perfect size for youngsters. I only used to let them keep the books when I'd got a duplicate but, thus far the books have never been damaged. On the subject of those Sambo money box things, I was in a charity shop once and one was brought in; I asked to buy it but they said it 'hadn't been priced'; I reckon someone from the shop had it. I know they're not 'correct' now, but I just love anything from the past.

Juney64, we were in Sutton-on-Sea, near Mablethorpe, a couple of years ago, and there was a little shop with it`s window full of gollywogs, all different sizes, I was just sorry that I didn`t have anyone to buy one for. I loved mine as a child.

Well Jalima again a good point. I guess if they're ooking for toys from their own childhood the FP phone is perfect so I'll order that. This model will no doubt be an antique in 20/30 years lol.

felice Fuzzy Felts!!! Again, had forgotten about them. My son adored his FF's. (as an aside felice and travelsafer please mind your language. It's only June!).

Lovely site Tizliz. I was about to order the wee 'pull-along' dog but they're out of stock . Shame - it would have been perfect.

www.nokonwood.co.uk/toys

Taken me ages to remember this company. Used them a lot when gc were younger

Thomas the Tank Engine is always popular with boys and can be added too over the years for birthdays and for C*******s!!!!

I am buying Fuzzy Felt for DGS this C,,,,,,mas, just google it and the company comes up. I am getting the anniversary edition.

The FP phone may not look like today's phones but my DGD have enjoyed it (and the 5 year old still likes it, it occasionally has an outing).

Fisher Price* - oops

Swanny I've just read what you said about the Fisher Prive phone so that answers that.

Iam64 I don't think you can buy golliwogs any more (might be wrong). Having said that, mine was my favourite toy when I was young ?

Today I went to the Early Learning Centre. I thought I remembered them having the Brio train set annodomini but no luck. I got quite excited when I saw an abacus Rosesarered but the recommended age was 3+ so I passed. I'm still on the Brio train though!
I did, however, manage to get a hammer bench thing HildaW so thanks for that.
Chewbacca — xylophone duly ordered!
Twiceasnice I thought about the Fisher Price pull along telephone but then wondered if my little GS would know what that was. Then I thought ... would it matter if he didn't? Still musing on that one. He already has stacking cups and the like so they're ok in that department. I did buy him one of those little 'lift out animal shapes' wooden puzzles though - that was a great idea so thanks.
Jalima — a bit of both. They're visiting for GS's BD and I'm going again in August so the toy arrival will be split in some way. I think they're (very sensibly) going to introduce them over time. You brought up a great point re traditional toys from which era. I'm more leaning towards my own children's childhood. My DS and DIL inferred that they'd like stuff from their own childhood memories.
Ana — I agree... it does seem a lot for any child's first birthday, especially since he wont remember any of it. I'm toying ('scuse the pun) with the idea of sending one a month. I'm also a bit astonished that normally sensible old me is in this position ha ha. Maybe it's because I have 3 sons in their 40's and this is my only GC. Maybe it's because his naughty parents are encouraging (humouring?) me. The one constant is... it's a lot of fun.
I do think I'll pass on the samba toy Callgirl1. I did google them and was surprised to see that they're still being manufactured. My children are particularly PC when it comes to these things though so I won't take the chance.
I'm off to google Brio train sets. Please keep any other ideas coming though. I'm finding this wander down memory lane really enjoyable.
Oh yes... need the trolley with coloured wooden bricks too! ?

Both teddies and wooden blocks are not only traditionally British, but perhapy European.
What is a really traditional toy and is at least not to be found in Germany is snakes and ladders.
Ludo under another name is very popular and monopoly.
We have to agree on whether to play Ludo with English or German rules, we are a very European family...

As for a one year old. I find all babies play with the same things and actually later he'll want to play with other children and play with their things. Little boys love cars and he will soon be old enough for one to sit in and then there is this wooden bike without pedals which toddlers love and enables them to walk as fast as their parents.

I'm sure you didn't mean to be racist and I apologise if it seemed that was my point. I posted also about my sister's much loved gollywog. At the same time my gran was knitting that toy, she was probably watching the Black and White Minstrel Show, something else we don't see as acceptable now.

Iam64, my suggestion wasn`t in any way meant to be racist. I had one of those money boxes, and so did my eldest daughter, and we were very fond of them, and no way are we racist, precisely the opposite in fact.

I didn't like the Sambo money boxes because I think it gave the little ones the wrong message about putting things in their mouths. They do enough of that anyway!

The push along trolley/walking aid with coloured bricks was a big favourite of DGS. An unexpectedly popular item was a Doctor's Bag with plastic stethoscope, ear thermometer and tongue spatula etc that was bought in a hurry to explain what was going to happen at the surgery the next morning!

DGS didn't take to the pull-along telephone at all - he just didn't recognise it as a phone. Mum and Dad (and me) had mobiles and even the landline was a hands-free thing - nothing like the toy phones.

This is what my teddy should look like the style doesn't seem to have changed in over 60 years, unfortunately mine is now called Fred Bare

There is a lovely teddybear shop in Eton, I think it's called Asquith's.

I could have spent a fortune in there

Make the most of buying these traditional toys now, in a few years their house will be full of bright coloured plastic!
By the way, these traditional toys are not necessarily British.
I bought a lovely spinning top in France a few years ago. Don't think Brio is British (might be wrong) and Fisher price is American isn't it.
Not that it matters.
If I was trying to think of a traditional British toy it would probably be a London bus, or a Beefeater teddy.

A friend used to collect those Robertson's golly badges and wear them, wonder if she still has them