Toys of your youth

[steve292]

We used to steal the batteries from my mates mums vibrator for our Walkman's, safe in the knowledge she was never going to ask us about it.

Evil genius

 

[Cycleops]

Very much a 'Meccano Boy', big Meccano set, Hornby Dublo, lots of Dinky toys, and Supertoys. I sold most of the Dinky toys to fund my first 'proper' bike build in my early teens - Ted Gerrard frame, Campag everything, tubs - the real thing! ......

That means you must have lived around North Finchley? My first proper racer was from Ted, later to become Alan Shorter's shop.
Searched but no info about Ted on the net. The frames I think were bought in
How interesting.

 

[steve292]

Can you imagine if one these were spotted today? Half a dozen armed response units and chopper overhead.

One of my mates had one of these- really good pre charged airgun, one of the first to deviate away from what a traditional sporting gun looked like-

Went rabbiting one day, in the late evening. About 2 hrs later he got back to his car to find the entirity of the Dyfed Powys police armed response unit waiting for him

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

Can you imagine if one these were spotted today? Half a dozen armed response units and chopper overhead.

I had a job as a landscape Gardner. I carried my secateurs in a holster on my hip. I went into a sandwich shop one lunch time. A couple of coppers came in. You can guess the rest. Hands on counter, legs spread wide apart, full pat down, jacket off, boots off etc.
Why are you in this shop SIR?
Same effin reason as you - to buy a sarnie.

 

[BoldonLad]

Talking of adventure playgrounds.....

We didn't have adventure playgrounds as such, but....... we did live not far from a functioning coal mine, complete with waste heaps.

There were several "pit ponds" formed, I suspect, from water pumped out of the mine, plus, rainwater which ran down the spoil heaps and collected in the valleys.

We used to make rafts, from pieces of wood, old oil drums, and, in later years, bits of polystyrene foam, and, "sail" across the ponds. We never risked swimming in the ponds, the water was foul. If you were unfortunate enough to fall in, none of your mates would come near you, because of the smell.

The site of the pit is now a nature reserve, I see very few if any children there, when I walk or cycle through.

Another source of "amusement" was a small factory nearby. They manufactured radios, I think. Whatever it was they made, required a sheet metal base with various size holes punched out. The discarded circles of sheet metal, of various sizes say 1" across, to 6" across, and, with extremely sharp edges, were discarded into bins in the yard. We would climb over the fence, fill our pockets with the discarded circles, then, later, amuse ourselves throwing them at trees etc, where they would invariable embed themselves in the trunk.

The game came to an end after several months, when, an off target throw, resulted in a disk embedded in one of my pals forehead. trip to hospital, several stitches, a good hiding for all concerned, from respective fathers, new amusement had to be found.

 

[youngoldbloke]

That means you must have lived around Norh Finchley? My first proper racer was from Ted, later to become Alan Shorter's shop.
Searched but no info about Ted on the net. The frames I think were bought in
How interesting.

Noooo! The frame was second hand, though as new. 531 through-out, beautiful dark blue. I 'd joined Solihull CC and it was my first 'real' bike. How I wish I still had it! I've read the frames were bought in, possibly built by Holdsworth, and Gerrards operated a mail order business as well as the shop, which might account for the frame being in Birmingham.

-mine wax the 'road model'.

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

They were building the M6 - Britain's first Motorway - a few fields away from us. That was our playground. No barriers, no security guards. No weekend working so we were all over the plant and equipment. A wonderful time.
Couldn't do it now.

 

[Broughtonblue]

Unless ive missed it reading through the thread, how can we get to page 12 without this being mentioned 😳

 

[southcoast]

My first cool bike, a Schwinn Stingray (well, cool for a 10-year old, in the mid-60's) No hand brakes or disc brakes, extra gears, GPS, Helmets, suspension, radio, lights. Not even a water bottle or a cage for one. Just a BIKE! About my only accessory was a baseball card held against the back spokes with a clothes pin (for that great motorcycle sound.) All stingrays had "banana seats" but boy were they sorta uncomfortable! Were these kid's bikes ever on your side of the pond?

View attachment 590581

An old school friend of mine owned one in about 1970 (Liz where are you now ? Lol) . But it was brought over when her parents moved to the UK from the USA. Remember having a go on the bike, seemed strange having to back pedal to brake?
Don‘t think they sold them over here, the big seller was the Raleigh Chopper.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Just went out with Beautiful Daughter for a bike ride and explore: thankfully she decided that exploring in the forest was more interesting than a playground.

We found a path along a stream with a little help from dad on the wider jumps: she was thoroughly excited to get back to a bridge she knew...

Now back, thoroughly muddy with some rotten tree bark that we are drying out on the windowsill as an experiment...

 

[Chris S]

My first cool bike, a Schwinn Stingray (well, cool for a 10-year old, in the mid-60's) No hand brakes or disc brakes, extra gears, GPS, Helmets, suspension, radio, lights. Not even a water bottle or a cage for one. Just a BIKE! About my only accessory was a baseball card held against the back spokes with a clothes pin (for that great motorcycle sound.) All stingrays had "banana seats" but boy were they sorta uncomfortable! Were these kid's bikes ever on your side of the pond?

View attachment 590581

Yes - Raleigh Choppers. They nearly wiped out an entire generation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raleigh_Chopper#Handling_and_safety

 

[Cycleops]

Mine was the cheapie Sports model. Think it just had the Ted Gerrard signature on the down tube. Soon got a pair wheels, Campag LF hubs, Mavic rims and tubs. Stronglight chainset followed and Unica Nitor plastic orange saddle which were all the rage.

 

[Cycleops]

Noooo! The frame was second hand, though as new. 531 through-out, beautiful dark blue. I 'd joined Solihull CC and it was my first 'real' bike. How I wish I still had it! I've read the frames were bought in, possibly built by Holdsworth, and Gerrards operated a mail order business as well as the shop, which might account for the frame being in Birmingham.

View attachment 590592

-mine wax the 'road model'.

Mine was the cheapie Sports model. Think it just had the Ted Gerrard signature on the down tube. Soon got a pair wheels, Campag LF hubs, Mavic rims and tubs. Stronglight chainset followed and Unica Nitor plastic orange saddle which were all the rage.

 

[Hacienda71]

We used to by all sorts of things from the local army and navy stores. Knives, catapults, air guns, ammo, fireworks in Oct/Nov and fishing stuff. Don't think there are many shops catering for the active outdoor youth in these internet times. My lad is more likely to buy a virtual AK 47 on Call of Duty than a catapult or airgun

 

[Cycleops]

I had a job as a landscape Gardner. I carried my secateurs in a holster on my hip. I went into a sandwich shop one lunch time. A couple of coppers came in. You can guess the rest. Hands on counter, legs spread wide apart, full pat down, jacket off, boots off etc.
Why are you in this shop SIR?
Same effin reason as you - to buy a sarnie.

Same thing happened to me. When mobile phones were much larger I carried mine in a holster across my chest. On the Gatwick Airport perimeter road some coppers in a car going the opposite way spotted it. Spun around and pulled me over.