Memory Lane Part 5: Toy Shops Of The Steel City Part 4

 

We probably all know of the London toy store, Hamleys, but those in Sheffield will wax lyrical about Redgates. Let me assure you, that when Hamleys opened in Sheffield, killing Redgates, it was a case of Southern bullshine, obscuring solid Northern gold. 

Any child who remembers Redgates will tell yanyone who cares to listen, how truly brilliant that store was. Four floors of quality toys, usually the entire range of any product line, and many ranges which would not become fashionable for 2 decades. They were ahead of the curve in so many ways.

And so, having been wowed by Beatties and these newfangled fan

tasy games in the glass cabinats in the RC car section, lets walk 500 yards down the road and perhaps back in time 4 years or so.

Redgates was the best prof of life test a child could ask for. If your pulse didn't quicken as you passed the large glass windows of this department store dedicated to the edification of children, you were dead. It was that simple.

Now,  Redgates was not a sterile 'big box' store like we see, today, filled with whey faced dropouts in nylon polo shirts. This was a proper department store with staff dedicated to the product lines in their own area of the store.

Scalextric? - It had its own department

Hornby? - It had its own department

Airfix? - again...

And as I understand it, according to my sister, it was not different girls, despite what Joe Jackson espoused. In fact, as you will see in the above pic, the first floor was an entire floor, dedicated to the needs of the distaff side of the equation.

Until the advent of roleplaying in my life, this was where most of my money went at weekends and on family outings, much as the majority of my money goes on toys today. I never wanted for toys - I was very lucky in that regard - but my parents refused point blank to buy me any Star Wars toys, because they had no animated joints. This is something that I regret, but understand, because even now, I loathe buying toys which are really no more than plastic clothes peg dolls for my grandsons.

Palitoy screwed the pooch on that one and I don't care how teary eyed you get for your original Jawa with vinyl cape, my friend, YOU are part of the death of quality toys and lazy manufacturing. 

The Battlestar Galactica range with it's 15mm high pilot figures had as much animation as your 3 inch Moff Tarkin. 

The first stop was always the ground floor, where the latest 'must have' toys were displayed in all their glory. Whilst I wanted those Star Wars toys, I was a big, big fan of the Micronauts range, marketed in the UK by Airfix, as well as the aforementioned Eagles range. 

Mobile Action Command was something I collected religiously, and had every single piece. I loved them.  They were made by Matchbox and has so much play value that an imaginitive kid like your correspondent, was never lost for ways to have fun. Great looking little figures, which had lots of animation in a figure half the size of the SW stuff, and loads of accesories and vehicles. My favourite was the helicopter and the mountain rescue set with working winches and great colour schemes.

Matchbox later upsized the models and removed the articulation, and totally fucked up my childhood. Thos elarger models had to be accepted as part of the canon, as they came with the beloved vehicles, but in my world they became the enemy - a breed of supersoldiers, trying to overthrow M.A.C. Really, that's what my head came up with, and even today, I sneer when I think of those overmuscled, steroid fed fuckers.

*coff* Pardon me... I get emotional about certain things

If I wanted Britains Deetail or Airfix 1/32, or the bulk purchase of equipment and uniforms for my beloved Action Man, then it was Redgates for me.

Likewise, when I wanted outfits or to add to my arsenal of toy ordnance, Redgates was the place to go. My metal SLR came from here, although my friction powered, belt-fed M-60 was actually sourced from Hopkinsons. When I say I had an arsenal, it's no hyperbole. I was able to 'tool up' half a dozen kids for one of the many games of 'Army' fought up and down the street, whilst many had to use sticks and a lot of imagination. The other bonus, beyond the aesthetic, was that you did not have to waste spittle and get a sore mouth, making gun noises - although I did  a pretty good Stengun impression. Rubber knives, grenades, rifles - I had the lot, and I believe it made me the well balanced individual I am today. No, really.

Redgates also had one of the earliest ranges of D&D and Runequest in the city, although I didn't realise as it was hidden on a display, under the staircase in the basement. The basement was where parents dragged you to buy a new pram or cot, in the mother and baby department, along a corridor with glass window displays. These were usually quite sugary in theme, but did once have a fantastically psychedelic display of Magic Roundabout figures.

You also went down here for bikes and skateboards and other miscellanea. It was a useful area for more 'serious' toys, which is why I tended to go down there less, and probably why I initially missed the RPGs until an early 80s shake up and some of the electronic toys were put downstairs.

Oddly, it was the basement where the best plastic Bowie Knives were stocked in the pocket money toys section, but as they were excellent quality, you only needed to replace them anually after the pre birthday wappentake.

The other floors of Redgates were of less interest to me, although the Play People (latterly Playmobil) and Busybodies range from Germany - essentially larger Playmobil types - with some excellent West German military figures, and the face paints (great for camo painting yourself before operations on the next street up with the rest of the platoon) were kept up there along with other toys for the younger members of the family. My first teddy bear came from this floor and I still have 'Poo Bear' (not a typo as he had a brown nose) and he is still as mischievous as he was when I was 4.

Redgates will no doubt feature in later posts as we trace my life in the hobby, but for now work calls and I must yet again away, to the coalface of creativity...

TTFN

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