Firstly; it's in Bethnal Green, which is probably as East Endy as you can get and still be in Zone 1. I know it's the East End as there was a bloke talking on his 'phone about how '''e always was a squealer that one, he grassed us all up when they ripped 'im". I'm not making that up. I wrote it down when I heard it. Definitely the East End. (Actually it's in Zone 2 but only just).
Secondly; it's great because it's a really old fashioned museum, basically a big iron framed building full of glass fronted cases full of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love a touch screen, interactive history of the nocturnal habits of the Aye-Aye as much as anyone, but sometimes there's no substitute for a glass case full of old stuff. Visit the mammal gallery at the West Australian Museum in Perth and you'll know what I mean.
Thirdly; for a museum of childhood there wasn't a single child in there. Unlike the anatomy and body snatching exhibition I went to this morning. Not hugely appropriate for a school trip in my opinion but then I'm not a teacher. Perhaps all grade 5 children need to see the mounted, flayed and shellacked remains of a three year old boy.
Fourthly, and most importantly; it's FULL of crap that I either owned, or desperately wanted, as a kid and had forgotten. I could list it all, but instead here are the pictures. Apologies if you are either not old enough or not British enough to remember any it, but I am on both counts so think of it as a window on my psyche.
My mate had one of these. He was spoiled rotten and I thought it was the pinnacle of technology.
I actually had a few "Disney's Black Hole" toys. It was their attempt to cash in on Star Wars and the money to be made from merchandising. It was a terrible movie and was a black hole for Disney's money too. Oh and the toys were really badly made.
I don't remember Weebles being as syndromic looking as this.
Even I'm not old enough to remember the Beatles version of this. Maybe it "amuses the whole family" but not for long I'll warrant.
Now this really was a tech miracle. In fact it miraculously keeps Alan Sugar on national tv to this day. I was more of a spectrum boy but never had one.. Too expensive :-(
I had this. It projects (poorly) frames from the movie on to walls. But only if less than a foot away in complete and utter darkness. One of many Christmas disappointments perpetrated by the Grattan's Catalogue.
Yes! That's the real Muffin The Mule.
I loved these, much sturdier than Lego. They did collect every bit of fluff and filth from the environment though. Never survived the end of the seventies and the sudden obsession with uninfected children's toys.
I had this too. It was much less fun than it looked unless you stuck the fake scars and moustaches onto yourself. I think the glue was child safe but I do have vague memories of nail polish remover being involved somewhere.
Those damn Weebles again. Their unique selling point? They wobbled but didn't fall down. They were simpler times.
Yes, I would have looked like this in 1978. I was a trend setter then too.
Kids today don't have enough board games about crossing the road. I preferred the Green Cross Code Man. He was Darth Vader on his days off. How much cooler could he be?!
Ahh the Seventies, when radical social workers produced pamphlets for children telling them how to riot and demonstrate and what to do if they were busted by the pigs. Happier times.
The ultimate need and the ultimate disappointment, I never got a Raleigh Chopper, the icon of the UK in the 1970's. Probably as I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was way to old to be learning to ride a bike. I did get the icon of the 1980's though; a Raleigh Grifter. It was like riding a bike made out of girders.
Finally, not something I owned or wanted, I just wonder when Mattel will make a Ken that actually looks like he'd be happier with Barbie than living with another Ken?
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