# Your best ever xmas present as a kid



## ruff-driver (Dec 15, 2015)

Looking back out of everything i ever got my favourite was a battered old 50cc dirt bike,

Probably 3rd or 4th hand, hardly a straight panel on it and chunks missing old over but sheesh i did some miles through the local woods on that and spent all my pocket money on petrol 
and when i wasn't riding i was cleaning it :whoo:

Over to you.


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## Pin-seeker (Dec 15, 2015)

Mongoose BMX


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## virtuocity (Dec 15, 2015)

8MB of RAM (doubling the RAM on my Packard Bell, huge PC), meaning that I could play Championship Manager.  Lost a year to that game.


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## Deleted member 16999 (Dec 15, 2015)

Space suit and helmet, never forgot it&#128515;


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## williamalex1 (Dec 15, 2015)

At age 14 my first guitar, an acoustic with a pick up and a small amplifier.
 That lead me to over 40 years playing semi pro, and so many great times. Best Christmas pressie ever .
 Merry xmas everyone:thup:


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## adam6177 (Dec 15, 2015)

I once got a he-man set. So sword and chest plate etc.....that day was awesome. Also my first mountain bike... A Santana emelle.... 18 SIS gears, bright yellow. Loved it.


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## the smiling assassin (Dec 15, 2015)

Lego


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## fripnchips (Dec 15, 2015)

Signed united football from the 99 treble winning side. Still my prize possession to this day .


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## Hobbit (Dec 15, 2015)

A Jonnhy seven gun. It fired rockets, bullets, grenades, had a bayonet and a detachable pistol... there were 7 different armaments but I can only remember 5. Circa 1964


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## Tashyboy (Dec 15, 2015)

I wanted a chopper as a kid. My younger brother got a silver ltd edition chopper with rear drum brakes. I was gutted.
following year I wanted an adventure kit with binoculars, camera etc. Me younger brother got it.


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## ger147 (Dec 15, 2015)

6ft snooker table.


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## Norrin Radd (Dec 15, 2015)

last year was a good year for me but alas im not a kid anymore so that dosent count ,soo when i was 14 i had a brand spanking shiny new bike .it was a three speed strurmey archer geared raleigh.,bright red and with a saddle bag for the tool kit.
i think it took about three weeks before it had half guard mud guards and cow horn handle bars. 
 that bike saw me through my paper round years.


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## ADB (Dec 15, 2015)

ZX Spectrum with Horace the Spider and Jet Pack


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## williamalex1 (Dec 15, 2015)

ger147 said:



			6ft snooker table.
		
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Ah! so that's where the 147 comes from. :lol: I  thought you were actually 47 and a Ger i :smirk:


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## Liverbirdie (Dec 15, 2015)

pauldj42 said:



			Space suit and helmet, never forgot it&#62979;
		
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Always thought you were a space cadet.:ears:

Toss up between the Atari and the BMX, Christmas.

Can anyone advise if "tin can alley", was as good as it looked on the telly.


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## richart (Dec 15, 2015)

Scalextric.


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## Liverbirdie (Dec 15, 2015)

richart said:



			Scalextric.
		
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Did yours have Ford model T-4's on it?

Beep, beep!


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## richart (Dec 15, 2015)

Liverbirdie said:



			Did yours have Ford model T-4's on it?

Beep, beep!

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I did have a vintage Bentley. Well it would be vintage now.


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## ger147 (Dec 15, 2015)

williamalex1 said:



			Ah! so that's where the 147 comes from. :lol: I  thought you were actually 47 and a Ger i :smirk:
		
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Yeah - Ger for my name and 147 for my highest break. Fortunately I've never had a 147 at golf, yet.

Nowhere near 47, still just a slip of a lad


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## Liverpoolphil (Dec 15, 2015)

Raleigh Grifter
Commodore 64
Or the Year I got loads of Stars Wars figures including the Millenium Falcon


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## Crow (Dec 15, 2015)

Scalextric for me too, figure of eight track, brilliant.


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 15, 2015)

Tri-ang Hornby Intercity Express Train Set


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## One Planer (Dec 15, 2015)

Sega Mega Drive with Sonic the Hedgehog.


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## Piece (Dec 15, 2015)

Scalextric Mini Cooper rally cars


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 15, 2015)

SwingsitlikeHogan said:



			Tri-ang Hornby Intercity Express Train Set
		
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Though as I forgot that that was shared with my brother - it would have to be Waddingtons _Campaign_ Board Game


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## JustOne (Dec 15, 2015)

Pretty sad but I can't remember any apart from a stamp album when I was about 8 :angry:

As a 'family' we once got Monopoly and another time we got a ZX Spectrum which caused a mahoooosive arguement and ruined the day completely.


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## Smiffy (Dec 16, 2015)

Must have been the mid 60's when I got all of the Thunderbirds. 
Massive they were. Really huge.
Had Thunderbird 1, 2 and 3. 
Thunderbird 2 had a removable pod with a door that opened, and inside were Thunderbird 4 and the Mole. 
They were my favourite toys and I spent hours and hours playing with them.


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## KenL (Dec 16, 2015)

A top quality skateboard aged 12.


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## Beezerk (Dec 16, 2015)

Evel Knieval stunt bike http://www.otithelis.com/toys/stunt-cycle.php I also had the jet bike where you put stuff in the back for sparks to appear from the exhaust.
After that, Commodore Vic 20.


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## Tashyboy (Dec 16, 2015)

Smiffy said:



			Must have been the mid 60's when I got all of the Thunderbirds. 
Massive they were. Really huge.
Had Thunderbird 1, 2 and 3. 
Thunderbird 2 had a removable pod with a door that opened, and inside were Thunderbird 4 and the Mole. 
They were my favourite toys and I spent hours and hours playing with them.
		
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I can remember them, they were fantastic.


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## dewsweeper (Dec 16, 2015)

Gee I am old!
Lot of this stuff  I was buying for my own 2 boys.
Anyone remember Bayko Building Sets? Meccano for the less skilful.
Dewsweeper


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 16, 2015)

dewsweeper said:



			Gee I am old!
Lot of this stuff  I was buying for my own 2 boys.
Anyone remember Bayko Building Sets? Meccano for the less skilful.
Dewsweeper
		
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My cousin had a Bayko building set (he was a baby of the early 1950s so a bit older than me) - and I used to enjoy building houses using the little metal rods and bricks - very clever system.  But I have to disagree about Meccano being simpler.  The year after my brother and I got the train set we got Meccano Set 6 - and I built some pretty mega bridges, cranes and splendid steam locomotives and ships.  Used to build big long bridges for my train set.  Brilliant.


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## Rooter (Dec 16, 2015)

One Planer said:



			Sega Mega Drive with Sonic the Hedgehog.
		
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Same!! Must have been circa 1992 ish?

EDIT: Actually probably earlier!


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## Pathetic Shark (Dec 16, 2015)

Subbuteo Cricket ... that led to Subbuteo Football and many years of fun.
And then a few years ago, Mrs Shark bought me a set as a reminder.


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## Pathetic Shark (Dec 16, 2015)

If we include adult presents, I had a girlfriend who met me at the station on Xmas Eve and when we got back to her place, she only had a Xmas bow at a strategic place under her raincoat ....


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## Dan2501 (Dec 16, 2015)

Sony Playstation. I'd played on the Mega Drive before that and loved it, and was a big fan of the Championship Manager series on PC, but the Sony Playstation was my first proper console. Spent so much time on Xmas Day getting beat by my Dad at International Superstar Soccer Pro. Great times.


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 16, 2015)

Subbuteo

Started with the basic pack and added it with pocket money. Ended up with about 40 teams, all the terracing anda stand, fllodlights, electric scoreboard etc (it even had the anti-riot fencing prevalent in grounds of the 1980's. Use to do cup comps with proper draws (including waiting for the 3rd round of the FA cup before the big clubs came in). A few mates and I had our own league and cup comps home and away. Played with it for years and years.


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 16, 2015)

HomerJSimpson said:



			Subbuteo

Started with the basic pack and added it with pocket money. Ended up with about 40 teams, all the terracing anda stand, fllodlights, electric scoreboard etc (it even had the anti-riot fencing prevalent in grounds of the 1980's. Use to do cup comps with proper draws (including waiting for the 3rd round of the FA cup before the big clubs came in). A few mates and I had our own league and cup comps home and away. Played with it for years and years.
		
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Yup - can go with that also - we got Subbuteo Continental Club edition one Christmas in the early 70s.   Though through time we got more teams, kickers, throwers, and pitch-side fencing that was it - we didn't go the whole hog like you did.  We and our pals played it for years.


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## arnieboy (Dec 16, 2015)

My late dad was a cabinet maker by trade and when I was about five he told me to go upstairs to my parents bedroom to find my present. He had painstakingly made by hand a fort with all the lookout posts and kitted it out with dozens of cowboys and indians. Over fifty years later I still remember that Christmas Day with great fondness


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 16, 2015)

arnieboy said:



			My late dad was a cabinet maker by trade and when I was about five he told me to go upstairs to my parents bedroom to find my present. He had painstakingly made by hand a fort with all the lookout posts and kitted it out with dozens of cowboys and indians. Over fifty years later I still remember that Christmas Day with great fondness
		
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Blimey - you've just reminded me of the fort that MY late dad - also a cabinetmaker - made me for one Christmas about 50yrs ago - I would have been a little older - maybe 6. It was great and yes - I can now remember the thrill.   With me it was an outpost fort for my 7th Cavalry  The next year he made my little brother a garage with lift to roof top car showroom.  Thank you so much for reminding me.


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## arnieboy (Dec 16, 2015)

A great reminder of simpler times
 He also made my sister a fantastic dolls house with lighting, wallpaper, curtains etc.


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 16, 2015)

arnieboy said:



			A great reminder of simpler times
 He also made my sister a fantastic dolls house with lighting, wallpaper, curtains etc.
		
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yup - and again I forgot Dad made my sister a dolls house - just as you describe.  Simpler times indeed.  But back in the early to mid-60s we had very little money to 'spare' and so my Dad made stuff.  We two were just fortunate wee lads who had dads who were cabinetmakers.


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## arnieboy (Dec 16, 2015)

Unfortunately I did not inherit his skills!


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## SteveJay (Dec 16, 2015)

Many classics to choose from but clear leader for me is also subbuteo. Think it was 1970....I was 6. Played it constantly throughout my childhood and teens. Went on to get cricket, which I loved, and rugby (not so addictive). 

One of of my earliest memories was playing it on that first Xmas morning, was a club edition, and I knelt on a player (one of the key risks of playing it on carpet).  Dad had to get the glue out!

i also repurchased some about 10 years ago and still have it. There is still quite a following of "old subbuteo ", with a good forum. I even entered a tournament a few years ago organised by the forum and believe it or not many Italian players flew over to play as its massive in Italy. Also worth looking on e bay if anyone has some lurking in the loft. Rare teams go for hundreds now and even basic ones are probably worth Â£10. Table football is also popular but that uses different players which slide but don't swerve like traditional subbuteo players. 

I had leagues, cups and matches against friends......definitely played it more than any other game as a kid.


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 16, 2015)

arnieboy said:



			Unfortunately I did not inherit his skills!
		
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Me neither - though I have most of his tools and can remember a lot of the little tricks and techniques he used for small things!  Surrounded as I am by his furniture - missed always and especially this Christmas with my mum so very poorly.  But so very grateful for what he gave us when he and mum had really not a lot to give at Christmas but the fruits of his skills and their love


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## StevieT (Dec 16, 2015)

Amiga 500, without a doubt!

I then got the 512k RAM upgrade (to make it a whopping 1MB in total) for my birthday in July.

Those were the days!!!!


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## dewsweeper (Dec 16, 2015)

SwingsitlikeHogan said:



			My cousin had a Bayko buildiit I was nog set (he was a baby of the early 1950s so a bit older than me) - and I used to enjoy building houses using the little metal rods and bricks - very clever system.  But I have to disagree about Meccano being simpler.  The year after my brother and I got the train set we got Meccano Set 6 - and I built some pretty mega bridges, cranes and splendid steam locomotives and ships.  Used to build big long bridges for my train set.  Brilliant.
		
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I misled you in my post .
I meant Bayko was the easier one to use.
My elder brother was the Meccano whiz, would not let me near his set, I was not tidy enough and not to be trusted!
Dewsweeper


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## IanG (Dec 16, 2015)

Meccano was/is awesome - made lego look like a toy.


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## Scott W (Dec 16, 2015)

Memorable ones...

TCR - total control raceway

Atari

Racing bike


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## AmandaJR (Dec 16, 2015)

There have been loads but the one that always stands out is Katy Copycat which was a doll - things I usually scorned. BUT she sat at a desk opposite and as you drew and wrote so did she - seemed magic at the time. I remember asking for her but being sure I wouldn't be so lucky as she was expensive - 5 of us with just my Dad caring for us. Woke Christmas morning and there she was in the corner of my bedroom - not wrapped but sitting there all set up to play with. Never ever forgot that moment. My Dad was simply awesome.


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## sev112 (Dec 16, 2015)

SwingsitlikeHogan said:



			Me neither - though I have most of his tools and can remember a lot of the little tricks and techniques he used for small things!  Surrounded as I am by his furniture - missed always and especially this Christmas with my mum so very poorly.  But so very grateful for what he gave us when he and mum had really not a lot to give at Christmas but the fruits of his skills and their love
		
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Me too, my dad, an upholsterer (who also made all sorts of our furniture) made me a fort, with turrets, a drawbridge, a moat.  Used for cowboys and normal soldiers.  That's still in the loft at "home"


My daughter and my brother's first son both have fabulous rocking horses that he made for them, all hand carved, hand painted, all the leather work hand tooled.  Beatiful.  He took a load of photos at various stages while he was making them and they are hidden under the saddles.  My daughter is 12 now so a bit big for it, but it still has pride of place in her playroom/homework room.


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## Liverbirdie (Dec 16, 2015)

arnieboy said:



			My late dad was a cabinet maker by trade and when I was about five he told me to go upstairs to my parents bedroom to find my present. He had painstakingly made by hand a fort with all the lookout posts and kitted it out with dozens of cowboys and indians. Over fifty years later I still remember that Christmas Day with great fondness
		
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I used to love playing soldiers, although I had mixed sets.

Crusaders, Indians and Allies vs Jerries, Cowboys and Les grand armee.:thup:

I used to love going to Woolworths where they would have the leaded soldiers - expensive stuff though.


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## wrighty1874 (Dec 17, 2015)

Not my most expensive gift by a long shot, the most enjoyable and most used was Subbuteo.Also got the 5 a side version.Great game.


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## Break90 (Dec 17, 2015)

Spirograph
Etch-a-sketch
Commodore 64 with Daley Thompson Decathlon

Happy days


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 17, 2015)

dewsweeper said:



			I misled you in my post .
I meant Bayko was the easier one to use.
My elder brother was the Meccano whiz, would not let me near his set, I was not tidy enough and not to be trusted!
Dewsweeper
		
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Ah yes - Meccano a different level of complexity from Bayko - but bayko still a neat little concept and fun. Well I enjoyed my elder cousin's set.  I was fastidious about putting all the Meccano parts back in their exact correct positions in the box.


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## Deleted member 16999 (Dec 17, 2015)

Liverbirdie said:



			I used to love playing soldiers, although I had mixed sets.

Crusaders, Indians and Allies vs Jerries, Cowboys and Les grand armee.:thup:

I used to love going to Woolworths where they would have the leaded soldiers - expensive stuff though.
		
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Sounds more like you were getting yourself ready to audition for The Village People:ears:


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## Liverbirdie (Dec 17, 2015)

pauldj42 said:



			Sounds more like you were getting yourself ready to audition for The Village People:ears:
		
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As the lads in the NW will attest to, I already have the bikers hat.:thup:

I think I looked something like this:-


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## Hobbit (Dec 17, 2015)

Liverbirdie said:



			As the lads in the NW will attest to, I already have the bikers hat.:thup:

I think I looked something like this:-






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About 25 yrs ago!


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## Liverbirdie (Dec 17, 2015)

Hobbit said:



			About 25 yrs ago!
		
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I think I'd need 25 operations also, Bri.:whoo:


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## Deleted member 16999 (Dec 17, 2015)

Liverbirdie said:



			As the lads in the NW will attest to, I already have the bikers hat.:thup:

I think I looked something like this:-






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Not that one mate, Stu said you're more Cowboy&#128515;


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 17, 2015)

Never really got Subbuteo rugby. Enjoyed the cricket though and used my stands from the football to make it look like a test ground


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## Smiffy (Dec 18, 2015)

Liverbirdie said:



			I used to love playing soldiers, although I had mixed sets.
		
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I used to save up my pocket money to buy boxes like this.
Had hundreds of the bloody things scattered all over the house, my Mum used to love it when she trod on one in her bare feet....


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## Imurg (Dec 18, 2015)

I'm a bit like JO on this,I'm struggling to remember anything that really stands out....Scalextric is probably the one I remember most but its all a bit hazy...:mmm:


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## Smiffy (Dec 18, 2015)

Imurg said:



			I'm a bit like JO on this,I'm struggling to remember anything that really stands out....Scalextric is probably the one I remember most but its all a bit hazy...:mmm:
		
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I never had a "proper" Scalextric, all mine were battery operated cheapie versions.
And I so wanted a "Johnny7" gun but my old mum couldn't afford one for me. I think they were 27/6d in her club book.


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## bobmac (Dec 18, 2015)

You had presents?
You were lucky.
We used to live in a shoe box.................


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## Norrin Radd (Dec 18, 2015)

bobmac said:



			You had presents?
You were lucky.
We used to live in a shoe box.................
		
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luxury ,we used to live in lake


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## DCB (Dec 18, 2015)

Smiffy said:



			Must have been the mid 60's when I got all of the Thunderbirds. 
Massive they were. Really huge.
Had Thunderbird 1, 2 and 3. 
Thunderbird 2 had a removable pod with a door that opened, and inside were Thunderbird 4 and the Mole. 
They were my favourite toys and I spent hours and hours playing with them.
		
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I had Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 3, Thunderbird 2 was probably too expensive for Santa 

35 years later I can remember building a large Thunderbird 2 kit for my nephews Christmas, I was almost tempted to keep it for myself. Amazing how one series has had such a long lifecycle for the toys it produced.


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## DCB (Dec 18, 2015)

Seeing mention of the Johhny7 gun, only the rich kids got one of those, it was too expensive for many of us.


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## Sponge1980 (Dec 18, 2015)

One year, in their wisdom, my parents decided to get me and my little brother a set of boxing gloves each. As you can imagine they were well used.


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## JohnnyDee (Dec 18, 2015)

Mine was always The Scalextic 4 Lane Set I got when I was about 8 or 9.

It did nearly kill me once though when, as you do at that age, I wondered what it would be like if I was to *lick both rails of one of the lanes in the same way as you did when licking the two terminals of an old PP3 battery to check its charge level. The answer was a disappointing zilch... until I decided to press the throttle gun at the same time.

Suffice to say that although it wasn't quite 10,000 volts it did nevertheless register quite significantly 

What a 24 carat plonker I was as a kid.

* Don't try this at home by the way.


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## Pathetic Shark (Dec 18, 2015)

DCB said:



			I had Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 3, Thunderbird 2 was probably too expensive for Santa 

35 years later I can remember building a large Thunderbird 2 kit for my nephews Christmas, I was almost tempted to keep it for myself. Amazing how one series has had such a long lifecycle for the toys it produced.
		
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I bought myself the box set of the series a few weeks ago. Watched about 13-14 of them now - all superb - bring back memories of childhood and they are still watchable now some 50 years on.  Gerry Anderson was an absolute legend.


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## davidy233 (Dec 18, 2015)

DCB said:



			Seeing mention of the Johhny7 gun, only the rich kids got one of those, it was too expensive for many of us.
		
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Yep that was the case with me, far to pricey - That's the only thing I can remember asking for - my mum used to ask us each year what we wanted but I don't think we ever got the asked for item - still enjoyed what we got though


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## Norrin Radd (Dec 18, 2015)

best present when i was a kid ,,it just grew on me ,,,lol,hours of fun


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