When I think back over my long life (and hopefully it'll be even longer), there are two things that occur to me: the first is just how quickly it's passed, and the second is how much I associate certain things with specific times and places of my childhood. Taking GERRY ANDERSON TV shows as an example, SUPERCAR and FIREBALL XL5 I associate with one particular house, STINGRAY with the house after that, and THUNDERBIRDS, CAPTAIN SCARLET, and JOE 90 with yet another. I only have to look at a Supercar or Stingray toy (or picture) and I'm once more in whatever house I lived in at the time I first experienced them.
Is there anything that you particularly associate with places you've lived in as a kid, or does your childhood seem set in some dimly-remembered, geographically non-specific magical fantasy land, not in the actual places or homes you grew up in? Join in the fun!
I'm probably not the best person to answer this since I only lived in one home growing up, but any time I see the back green there (my parents still live there), it takes me back to one sunny day around 1979/80 when my friend who lived in the next close showed me a die-cast Starship Enterprise which, at the flick of a finger, astounded me by firing small plastic missiles out of the front.
ReplyDeleteWell, you're the only person so far to answer this, DS, so that makes you the best in my book. I never had that Dinky Star Trek toy, but I got the version that Corgi released a few years ago, and that's a really nice item. Doesn't fire missiles though, 'cos it's more of a collectors' piece than a toy.
ReplyDeleteHard to tell which is more off-model in that photo - the painting on the box, or the toy itself?
ReplyDeleteWell, I suppose the painting's deficiencies in regard to accuracy can perhaps be attributed to extreme foreshortening, BS, so I'd say the toy itself is the worst offender for being 'off-model'. However, I don't recall being perturbed one bit by it at the time - if my four-year old self even noticed.
ReplyDeleteSo true, my beloved GI Joe Firefly figure with my house on Foster ave.
ReplyDeleteThe strange thing is, TD, that Supercar and Fireball were repeated on TV for years (and at least three houses) afterwards, so you'd think I'd associate them with subsequent domiciles too, which I do to an extent, but my primary association is with whatever house I was in when I first encountered them.
ReplyDeleteWe lived in one house through my childhood and teens...aah but will always remember Four Feather Falls. Supercar .. And Fireball XL5 as the best.. Come back Tex Tucker .
ReplyDeleteMike Mercury ..and Steve Zodiac.
I'm not sure if I ever saw Four Feather Falls - probably did, but just can't recall. Supercar and Fireball though - now them I remember! Steve Zodiac later married Elsie Tanner. True.
ReplyDeleteI always think back to our family home when I was about 5-7 years old (near Cambuslang) when I see Action Man in his ski-patrol outfit - I remember getting that for Christmas one year and thinking it was the coolest thing ever especially as my mum had a sheepskin fireside rug that I used in my imagination as a snow covered area for him to have adventures in.
ReplyDeleteThe answers so far, PM, confirm that I was right in my assumption that most people are the same as me when it comes to association of childhood objects, though some people I know remember having certain toys, but they don't automatically associate them with any particular place. They have to stop and work out where they were living at the time once I supply a date when the toy first came out, or going by what age they think they were. Have you ever thought about replacing that ski-patrol Action Man, or do you still have him?
ReplyDeleteI probably fall more into the area of linking an old toy, comic event to a house only if prompted, in general my response to seeing an old toy etc is just "oh I used to have that" then if given the date I'm shocked to find out I had it 50 plus years ago followed by me going " arghh! how old am I ?" the odd exceptions being that action man outfit and a couple of other toys and comics where for some reason I think of the house I used to be in . I haven't kept any old toys Kid, I'm not a big collector of them and am more than happy just to see a picture but occasionally i think it would be nice to pick up a few items from the past.
ReplyDeleteI remember you once saying that you were tempted to buy some old Matchbox cars, but didn't. The Action Man seems like a great place to start though, so straight onto eBay with you. Be warned though - it's habit forming. Maybe one day we'll see 'The Paul McScotty Museum of Childhood Toys and Comics', eh?
ReplyDeleteYeah there are a couple of things I would pick up if I saw them at the right price, like a couple of MATCHBOX cars in original boxes and a wind up robot (the latter can cost a small fortune and Im not paying £20 plus for a MATCHBOX car) and maybe a few of those Timpo toy knights which I used to love as a kid, but haven't seen around. Toywise I only have a Superman bendy doll (about 6 inches - had one as a kid) based on the 60s look and a wind up robot replica, apart from that I have a couple of small Hulks (I like the Hulk) think that's my lot oh and about 2,000 plus comics. But think that is pretty much me sorted apart from a few comics I am still after = at present I am just looking to pay off my mortgage and pack in my work in next 2-3 years, your blog gives me my fix of nostalgia
ReplyDeleteNice to know my blog serves a useful purpose to others than just me, PM. What was the wind-up robot - was it the Tomy one I showed a few posts back? I'm still hoping for a Lottery win (not that I even buy a ticket most weeks - only occasionally) so that I can but several toys which usually go for silly money. There are about three that I've still to see anywhere, but I hope to track them down one day. It only took me about 40 years to find a Marx Yogi Bear on a scooter toy.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your blog (and some others) to revisit the past . No my wee replica robot is one of those tin ones ("spark and walks" but they don't spark, they just walk) If the link to Ebay below works its the "MS 430" one - similar but not the same as one I had as a kid in the 60s (that one was about 12 inches tall and metallic blue). im pretty sure one day you will post a toy I totally forgot about and that will rekindle my interest (like the Timpo Knights I think you may have shown here a few years ago)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ebay.ie/sch/Toys-Games/220/i.html?_sop=3&_nkw=space+robot+ms+403
Looks very fifties-ish, but nice. I remember the Timpo Knights, but I don't think I've done a post on them. I did show my Timpo Captain Scarlet though (I think), and I must do a post on the Knights one day - as well as acquire some. (Soldiers and cowboys as well.) Maybe I should start up another blog just about toys? Nah, I hardly even have time to do this one anymore. Certainly not as much as I used to.
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