One regular Saturday morning occurrence for me when I was a small boy was a short trip to visit Fred Lord's Toyshop, just a couple of doors away from our house. In the photograph above, the building to the forefront with the white painted columns is where I lived. Lord's can be seen a couple of doors up where the steps up to the shop entrance jut out onto the pavement. As well as being a toy shop it was also a tobacconists, although that held little interest for a small boy compared with the delights that lay beyond that section. Walking through from the tobacconists section you entered a long, fairly narrow, shop area which had a walkway around a large central display unit. As you walked around along the narrow aisle, both sides were packed with every variety of toy imaginable. It was a child's paradise!
I had two firm favourites when it came to the things that caught my attention in those days, the first being items to extend my toy farmyard and the second new sections to add to my Bayko building set, both of which I loved to play with and both of which occupied much of my time when I was growing up. Little wonder that once I was old enough I went off to spend as much time as possible at Park Farm, and that as an adult I have been involved with many building projects in connection with my own homes, from minor repair work to complete rebuild. Without doubt, the interest was originally aroused in me through my favourite toys.
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On a Saturday morning, about ten years old, I would rush to Lord's, pocket money burning a hole in my pocket or clutched in a tight palm, and ask to look through the selection of Bayko bits and pieces. Depending on how much money you had you could purchase anything from a few bricks, a window, a roof section or a complete set, each of which enabled you to extend and upgrade your set. It was a wonderful toy, not only because it gave endless hours of enjoyment to a child but also because it was educational, although that's something that you only appreciate with hindsight. Of course the time came when the 'killjoys' decided that it was 'dangerous' for children to play with because it involved metal rods being inserted in a base, down which the pieces slide to create your building. Once this decision had been made the toy disappeared from the market, although there are places where the intrepid hunter can still locate sets to buy. just Google in the word 'Bayko', and have a look for yourself.
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I remember the kindly Mr Lord who always seemed to have a pleasant smile and a ready welcome into his emporium. Later, after his retirement, the shop was taken over by Stan Herrington, who I believe had been the manager for a time prior to taking over. Maybe it was simply because I had grown older, but the magic seemed to have gone with Mr Lord. Stan seemed to be more involved with the tobacconist's aspect of the business.
What is the business there today? Is it connected with the new age of computer technology, I wonder?
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