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<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v4.1.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:49:54 GMT--><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><title>TV Cream Toy Catalogue</title><subtitle>Toy List</subtitle><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/</id><link rel="alternate" type="application/xhtml+xml" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/"/><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/atom.xml"/><updated>2008-03-14T18:32:32Z</updated><generator uri="http://www.squarespace.com/" version="Squarespace Site Server v4.1.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)">Squarespace</generator><entry><title>Peter Powell Stunter Kite</title><category>Family fun</category><category>Outdoor toys</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/peter-powell-stunter-kite.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/peter-powell-stunter-kite.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2008-03-12T13:54:21Z</published><updated>2008-03-12T13:54:21Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[It’s almost inconceivable to think that it took until the latter half of the twentieth century for someone to improve upon the design of the basic single-line Chinese kite.  It’s almost as inconceivable to think that the only change anyone could think of was to stick another line on it, so that it could be controlled with two hands instead of just the one.
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe</title><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2008-03-12T12:49:06Z</published><updated>2008-03-12T12:49:06Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[There’s an almost infinite number of reasons why we should hate He-Man And His Assorted Toy-Flogging Swashbuckling Masters Of The Cartoon Universe.  For a start, he’d have been wedgied into the middle of next week if he’d turned up at our school disco with that pudding-bowl haircut, “Power Of Grayskull” or no.
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Junk Yard</title><category>Family fun</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/junk-yard.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/junk-yard.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2008-03-11T15:28:01Z</published><updated>2008-03-11T15:28:01Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[In order to understand the appeal of this game, it’s probably worth a brief refresher course on the history of junk yards as they have appeared in popular culture (also including tips, scrap metal merchants, etc.).  The quintessential junk yard was, of course, that which was home to Dr Who’s police (public call) box back in the very first episode of the series.
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Barbie</title><category>Collections</category><category>Creative toys</category><category>Dolls</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/barbie.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/barbie.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2008-03-03T17:50:39Z</published><updated>2008-03-03T17:50:39Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[Where to start? Barbie had been knocking around since the arse-end of the &#8216;Fifties in one perma-tanned form or other, but we&#8217;re most interested in the so-called &#8220;aspirational&#8221; late &#8216;Eighties when manufacturer Mattel realised they could sell the dolls as collectors items as well as mere playthings.
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Bontempi Organ</title><category>Musical instruments</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/bontempi-organ.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/bontempi-organ.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2007-04-03T15:09:50Z</published><updated>2007-04-03T15:09:50Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[Every parent of the Cream era sincerely believed that their kid had it in them to become the next Yehudi Menuhin, Herb Alpert or Jose Feliciano (although the generally foreign disposition of such virtuosos implies that their next protege is unlikely to hail from Daventry).
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Fisher-Price Activity Centre</title><category>Pre-school toys</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/fisher-price-activity-centre.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/fisher-price-activity-centre.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2006-07-14T13:28:21Z</published><updated>2006-07-14T13:28:21Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[Now, of course we weren’t covetous of these chunky, cheery toys – good God, we barely knew they existed! But who was it, do you think, that looked down on the cross-legged kids busy with the 23-piece toolkit, shape-sorter or play family garage and thought “Hmm&#8230; this lot are a bit lazy, all told – they could do with starting work a bit younger”? Whoever it was, we’ll bet our state pension they’re the same people now campaigning to raise the retirement age. Giving it to us at both ends? Tthanks.
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Meccano</title><category>Creative toys</category><category>Educational toys</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/meccano.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/meccano.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2006-07-14T05:10:54Z</published><updated>2006-07-14T05:10:54Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[It’s a small wonder that Meccano isn’t massively popular with today’s generation of excessively pierced kids. What better way of expressing your “individuality” than to bolt primary-coloured flanged trunnions and angle girders to your face? We’ve seen no-less elaborate metalwork in student union refectories the length and breadth of Britain. Plus, with Meccano there’s the added advantage of being able to create a scale model of Big Ben when you get bored.
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Scalextric</title><category>Family fun</category><category>Cars</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/scalextric.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/scalextric.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2006-07-14T03:32:05Z</published><updated>2006-07-14T03:32:05Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[Here – in reverse order - are our top three spurious claims made about this, the self-proclaimed “most complete model motor racing system in the world”.
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Scrabble</title><category>Board games</category><category>Family fun</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/scrabble.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/scrabble.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2006-07-11T01:13:29Z</published><updated>2006-07-11T01:13:29Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[For some reason, this lexiconic leviathan has been criminally ignored when it comes to compiling lists of the greatest games. Put it down to years of family fights over the OED (they might as well call it Squabble), or a reputation for attracting po-faced, serious and worthy players – that’s “word slingers” to you, sunshine – at international tournaments. Or that covert, crafty it’s-good-for-you quality (as you improved your game, you expanded your vocabulary – up to a point, that is. No one ever dropped a QAT or ZEK into a conversation at the grocers. Not unless they wanted bruised spuds and a stunted cucumber).
]]></summary></entry><entry><title>Slinky</title><category>Executive toys</category><category>Family fun</category><id>http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/slinky.html</id><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://tvcream.squarespace.com/toy-list/slinky.html"/><author><name>Steve</name></author><published>2006-07-07T15:55:02Z</published><updated>2006-07-07T15:55:02Z</updated><summary type="html" xml:lang="en-GB"><![CDATA[The Queen owns one of these, you know. Bought at the British Industries Fair in 1954, she was reported to have dubbed it “amusing”. Presumably she couldn’t wait to set it off walking down the Grand Staircase at Buckingham Palace. Rumour has it that when, in 1982, Michael Fagin broke into the Queen’s bedroom and unburdened all his mental problems on her, she kept him occupied by delivering a physics lecture on compression wave principles illustrated with a Slinky.
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