The MD guide to the 50 greatest christmas presents our (and our sister's) youth. In order.
Number 50
The strangely alluring and enduring shop till.
Number 49
Crossfire. Couldn't pick a knife and fork up on boxing day due to the finger blisters.
Number 48
The Magic Robot
Confiscated after 10 mins for being.... 'A OUIJA BOARD FOR KIDS!!!!'
Number 47
Stretch Armstrong
Number 46
The very un-festive coffin money box
Number 45
An ultra-realistic Batman/Superman outfit
Number 44
A big tube of Smarties
Number 43
Frustration
The pop-o-matic future had arrived.
Number 42
A pound note in a card
Number 41
The Post Office Set.
Pretty boring until we discovered the joys of tying up the Postmaster and robbing him: 'PUT THE MONEY AND THE GIROS IN THE BAG!!!'
Number 40
A WH Smiths record token
Number 39
The selection box
Number 38
The budget pocket transistor radio with leatherette case. Complete with earpiece
Number 37
A net of 'chocolate' coins.
Number 36
The Petite typewriter.
'Dear Cathy and Claire.....'
Number 35
A kaleidoscope
Number 34
A Levi jacket
Number 33
A Memorex C90 cassette pack
Number 32
A massive tin of quality street.
'That'll last you while Easter".
Toffees only by boxing day.
Number 31
Pong
Number 30
Buckaroo!
Number 29
The glorious Fisher Price Chatter Telephone. The only phone in the house until we got the party line.
Number 28
Operation.
Our Bass player's brother never lost and was convinced that a career in surgery awaited. Currently working in Lidl, Coatbridge in a non-medical capacity.
Number 27
Flight Deck.
'Permission to land from the top bunk bed - BEWARE CAT - BEWARE CAT!!!'
Number 26
Toffee with a HAMMER!
The hammer later being used as an actual DIY tool.
Number 25
Girl's World.
Our Ma borrowed the curlers
Number 24
A pair of Doc Martens
Number 23
A Slinky
Number 22
A Dymo label maker
Number 21
Monopoly
Staggering levels of family skulduggery, cheating and ill-feeling.
Highlights:
Nephew swallowing the Scottie dog when he couldn't have it.
Elderly aunt dropping the C-bomb after landing on Mayfair.
Burning of a real £5 note.
Number 20
Thunderbird 5. More niche than the ubiquitous pink Rolls Royce or brash TB2. Always had a soft spot for John Tracey. A lonely, melancholy figure drifting aimlessly in a freezing pitch black universe. Like us living an early 80s winter Airdrie
Number 19
Escape from Colditz
Number 18
Roller Skates
Number 17
Rebound
Number 16
Scales.
Our sister peed herself with excitement. Over scales.
Number 15
A stationary steam engine. Children playing with lighted meths.
Number 14
A pogo stick
Number 13
A Cabbage Patch doll
Number 12
Mouse Trap
Number 11
A John Bull printing set
Number 10
Action Man and Scout Car.
Orangeman neighbour: 'Wee laddies playing with dolls?. It's a slippery slope.'
Our Ma: 'Away an' shite yer sad old man' ✊
Number 9
Tin Can Alley
Number 8
Tiny Tears
Number 7
Johnny Seven
Number 6
The Fisher Price Garage.
Authentic smells on the stairwells.
Number 5
Action Transfers
Number 4
Battling Tops
Number 3
Scalextric.
17 people in our front room. A record. A car flew off on a bend and ended up in the fish tank. Still talked about in Airdrie to this day.
Number 2
The Cassette Player
Silence called in the living room when taping TOTP off the radio.
Then John Peel.
The gateway to a lifetime of musical pleasure
**** Number One****
The Cadburys 2p plastic chocolate vending machine.
With spare miniature pack.
Pound for pound- simply the greatest.
All hail the MD Community x
Just had Spirograph and Etch-A-Sketch on the phone. Not happy. Not happy at all.
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