Senora O'Blene and I were mulling over what Christmas presents we were given during our childhood the other day.
I started the 'mull' with a description of a No 4 Meccano set, which was in fact a gift from a business friend of the family, and received a few days before the big day. Senora O'Blene has heard this story around eighty-five times - every year, and always counters with her collection of toy farm animals and people like farmers, milkmaids etc.
It's a recall of much joy, when we realise that all these gifts were in fact 'educational', or perhaps interactive, whereby a child-like imagination was set free, and anything could be made from these items, like a whole village, or that strange strung-up model in Meccano, a 'Telfer Span'!
But this year, I heard something else in the discussion about the various characters on the farms my dear wife made. She admitted that 'She never had a Grace', which was a reference to Grace Archer, from that epic programme which depicted the awful fire in the stables, and the poor girl never got out!
Now there's a revelation! Of course, nobody in their right mind would have such a tragic figure in any game, and I still believe the conspiracy theory that the Beeb did that on purpose, to get the headlines away from the new ITV channel, which was starting that night!
And they didn't even play the closing music at the end either!
9 comments:
Being of a certain age I'm expected to be an Archers enthusiast: not so. Whenever I hear it I don't see an angst-ridden corner of the rural Midlands: I see a group of elderly thespians propped up around a table and microphone reading their lines. They're wearing cardies and slippers and sipping tea between cues . . .
In the passing, a belated Happy Christmas to the Scrobs.
As I remember it, the great thing about Meccano was the clockwork motor which could be used to make something crash into the sideboard under its own power. I wonder where all that old Meccano went though? There must have been tons of it bought as Christmas presents. Sad to think of it rusting away somewhere...
...hang on, that means it was degradable unlike the mountains of Chinese plastic we see now.
Mrs O'Blene gave up listening several years ago, TheJ, as the storyline bcame too 'woke', and ridiculous!
She still has the book on them though...
You're spot on, Mr H! It was called 'The Magic Motor'! A daught gave me a whole lot of Meccano for my 60th birthday, and it included one of these little chaps! After a squirt of WD40, it worked perfectly too!
I just cannot remember where all my old kits went, incuding all the gears etc I had, sadly!
Lego has really taken over, but it's never going to be as inventive as a good old Meccano set, which still has that individual smell!
My childhood Xmas presents were mostly educational which usually kept me quiet for the rest of the year. I remember getting a full set of encyclopaedias called "The Books of Knowledge" which has served me well over the ensuing years. Unfortunately Meccano was never in my stocking.
Your presents gave you much more as a child, than a new Iphone or a games console, GG!
If you ever get down South, you can play with my Meccano any time you like!
Sorry, forgot to thank you for your good wishes, TheJ!
Tomorrow is going to be a big day!
Happy New Year 🎉 to you and your lovely lady, Scrobs xxx
Hiyaaaaaaah Pips!
Lovely to hear from you again, and I wish you all a Happy New Year too!
You know my email address if you ever want to get in touch again!
XXX
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