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Poetry
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Toy Shop
By Talisker
23 November 2006
Inspired by the magical Jenners store in Edinburgh. 

Dates circa 1975 in terms of the toys

Behold a wonderland!

Aladdin’s cave could not surpass,
Nor Thutankhamen’s riches buy,
The countless marvels here amassed,
To charm my childish eyes!
A hundred whirring racing cars,
On sparking tracks in figure eights,
Toy drum kits, trumpets and guitars,
A thousand pairs of roller skates,
More teddies than I’ve ever seen,
And dolls that laugh and pee and cry,
Play dough, lego, plasticene,
Planes and rockets fill the sky,
Action man and etch-a-sketch,
Jig saws, craft kits, spyrograph,
Twister games to make you stretch,
Submarines for in the bath!
Bikes and go-carts by the score,
Space hoppers and skipping ropes,
Pogo-sticks, skateboards and more,
Boxing gloves for rope-a-dopes,
A million jigsaws big and small,
Compendiums of cardboard games,
Colouring books for one and all,
Guns for little Jesse James,
Cowboys, Indians, astronauts,
Fancy dress for every kiddie,
Building bricks for little tots,
Enough to make a Santa giddy!

Merry Christmas One And All!

Oli (22/11/06)

Reviews
Excellent
Written by Josie (2785 comments posted) 23rd November 2006
Really enjoyed this Oli. Do they still sell toy guns? The space hoppers have done the rounds and must be back again but for grandparents this time. I'm off to get one! ha ha.

Written by Garrulous (108 comments posted) 23rd November 2006
I also enjoyed this - I wasn't alive in '75 but I think some of those toys you reference have a timeless and universal appeal. 
At least they did before Sega, Nintendo et al came along and spoiled everything. 
 
Gar.

Written by ellipinnock (1753 comments posted) 23rd November 2006
I remember the first time my mother allowed my brother (not the one with Down's) to pack his hand luggage for the plane unaided and he put in his plastic knife and toy gun (the ones with the cork that pops out of the end)...unsurprisingly we got stopped several times on the way through the airport...it was a long time before she let him pack anything again :) 
 
E

Written by Witzl (1585 comments posted) 23rd November 2006
Great poem. Ah, those were the days.  
 
I watch anemic, obese, pasty-looking children playing endlessly with their game-boys or sitting for hours in front of computer screens (among the latter my own kids -- copying me, they are savvy enough to point out), and I mourn what we've lost. A sure sign I'm old.

Written by Bottleblondesurfer (3362 comments posted) 23rd November 2006
Ho-ho-ho little boy, that's a big list for poor old Santa. 
What a wonderful wish-list for dreamy old romanatics; when there was a bit of real magic to Christmas, or perhaps like Witzl I'm just getting old 
A nice nostaglic wallow (and a good poem) 
cheers 
J

Written by Phil (6730 comments posted) 23rd November 2006
Yep, nostalgia in buckets, but god it brought it all back. Even though I've got kids, neither really go in for much of this kind of stuff. Oldest - eighteen- past all that now (or so he thinks) youngest - ten - is into sport and outdoor things in a big way. 
 
Do they still do Etch - a - sketch? 
 
You can probably tell I enjoyed this. 
 
All the best, 
 
Phil. 
 

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