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Funny how some behaviour continues even after a 'change' in circumstances, eh? Back around 1971/'72, I used to wash cars on Saturday mornings in the car park of the pub on the other side of the shops across from my house. This gave me some extra pocket-money with which to indulge my buying habits, such as comics and the occasional toy or model kit. Halfway through June of '72 my family moved to another house in a different area, but because it wasn't too far distant I continued my car washing 'business' in my former neighbourhood as if nothing had changed.
One of my purchases with the proceeds from my labours was the very first Knockout Annual for 1973, bought, it seems from memory, a little earlier than when Annuals usually went on sale in shops, from the newsagent's just along the road from my new house. Another buy was the Matchbox Superfast Flying Bug (No. 11), purchased from the newsagent's in my old neighbourhood (while residing in my new one) just after a car-washing session one sunny Saturday in 1972. I forget which item was obtained first, not that it much matters for the purpose of this story. Annual or car? Just can't recall.
Maybe a week later, in the company of a pal, the late Alan Bowie (no relation to the singer, whose real name was Jones), I bought a second Flying Bug from another newsagent's, in an area where I'd once lived prior to the two mentioned above. AB also bought one, being enamoured by mine and wanting one for himself. Why did I buy another? I have a vague recollection of having blootered my original with continually scudding it across the living room carpet into the skirting boards and compromising its pristine condition. I was always a sucker for things that were brand-spanking new.
Close to 30 years ago now, I bought a replacement Flying Bug (boxed), and recently saw another on eBay. I couldn't help thinking it would be nice to have a spare one - to sort of stand-in for the one my pal had bought 50-odd years ago, on the same day I'd purchased my second Superfast car. So I promptly bought it and it arrived at Castel Crivens last week. I'll keep it out for a while to enjoy looking at it, then I'll store it alongside my other one in a box in the cupboard. First, though, I'll photograph the two of them together (still to do at time of typing) so you Crivvies can cop a gander at them.
Having two of them reminds me of not only an earlier time in my life, but also in my late friend's, who I later fell out with (in 1981) and didn't find out had died in 2013 until September of last year. So he's gone and I have no idea how long it will be until I follow him, but for the meantime, I can look at these two cars and remember a time when we were best buddies with an eternity ahead of us. Always better to recall the happy times, eh? Any of you Crivs own an item which reminds you of old pals who you later lost touch with, and if so, how about sharing it with the rest of us in the comments section?
And just in case you were interested, below is the cover of the Knockout Annual for 1973 (on sale in '72). It's as Christmassy a cover as you could wish for, though I got it around July, possibly August. It was the only Annual the newsagent's had, and I remember it was a sunny day.
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It occurs to me that I have many items that remind me of specific friends, people (and also places), who are indelibly associated with them because they were with me when I first purchased the items in question. It's almost like a diary entry, being able to look at something and recall who was with me when I bought it, and in what shop in which neighbourhood as well. It doesn't happen with every item I own, but it occurs enough times to warm the cockles o' me 'eart.
9 comments:
In London annuals would appear around late August, early September around the time school supplies were bought for the return for the new school year.
Much to my annoyance my mother believed in waiting for the discounts that occurred after Christmas. By then many titles were no longer available.
That's when they usually appeared in Scotland too, T47, but a couple of times in my life, I saw a lone Annual in the shops around July (if memory serves). The first was the Knockout Annual in this post and the second was the Marvel Annual for 1974. Then there was the time I saw an Annual pop up in October or November, that being the Marvel Annual for 1973.
I used to love collecting and playing with Matchbox cars. I gave them up when I was about 11 years old ( I got into Subbuteo so gave them to a neighbour's son) but wish I had held onto a couple of them. I don't recall ever seeing the Flying Bug, then agsin when you stop buying/playing with certain toys you tend not to check them out again. I still don't understand collectors lol and buying 2 of the sane thing, but if it triggers a memory it's a cheap and fun purchase.
Having two of the Flying Bug serves two purposes, I guess, McS. First of all, it reminds me that I had two myself at one time, and it also reminds me that AB also bought one at the same time I purchased my second one. I suppose I might be rationalising things though, as I don't really understand collectors either. (I don't even understand myself - as in me.)
Oh, forgot to say that I also bought the other Bug recently mainly because it's in slightly better condition than its twin.
I didn't realise that annuals went on sale as early as July. I got a lot of my annuals from the Autumn/Winter edition of our Burlington catalogue but I bought some annuals from shops too and they always seemed to be on sale around November and December.
Annuals generally went on sale around August or September, CJ, but occasionally (in my experience) there was a lone Annual (in two instances) which, assuming my memory is correct, was on display earlier. Perhaps a rep had taken advance copies into newsagents as examples of what was available to drum up an order, and the shopkeeper said "I'll have them". Anyone else remember ever seeing an Annual on sale earlier than usual?
Interestingly, a few years back, DCT started making their Annuals available in July (don't know if that's still the case), but WHS still didn't put them out on sale until much later.
I wish I'd hung on to my Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky cars - or at least a few of them. I've been collecting a few of the Corgi reproductions, and tracking down originals of some of the early Hot Wheels and Corgi Rockets that made an impression on me. The latest acquisition is a halfway-decent original Hot Wheels "Hot Heap" which sticks in my mind as being accidentally broken when I took it round to my friend Andrew Morris' house. I was bereft at the time, aged 8 or 9. As you say Kid, re-acquiring toys can link you back to those memories.
Yeah, having an actual tangible item just brings the memories of your original toy into clearer focus, I've found. I've got all the Corgi reissues so far, but I'm thinking of cutting back because not all of them appeal to me. I believe you're allowed to buy the ones you want and reject others, so I'll have to examine that possibility. There are a few good ones coming up this year.
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