Small World Play

boys toys

I was in a hotel in Norwhich, Id stayed there before, years ago when I was touring one of the Grumpy old women shows, I remember there was a Xmas tree in reception, I walked in a decade later, there was a Xmas tree in reception, my life is conertina’ing.

The Mercure in Norwhich, has nothing to recommend it, but I dont hate it, I had a bath in my en suite, the decor was so late 80’s/90’s it was like being in a drama. I slept well.

I was staying the night before a 2.30 pm matinee, at the Playhouse, where my tour manager found a marvellous crop of mushrooms down the side alley.

Before leaving for the gig, I noticed the hotel was hosting a ‘toy fair,’ vintage toys in a couple of function rooms at the back, the car park was filling up. It was two pounds to enter, but i didnt have any cash on me, so they let me in for nothing.

There werent that many children and it suddenly dawned that this was a collectors fair, lots of men in their thirties and forties, some with wives/ girlfriends/ others hunting alone. The majority of the stalls were stuffed with Harry Potter lego/ Star Wars lego, architectural lego. Lots of grown up lego for serious lego fans, for people old enough not to shove small pieces up their noses/ bums.

My grandson is three, this lego is beyond him, I turned my attention to what else was on offer. There were a lot of small figurines, some were of the lego variety, many were completely undidentifiable to me. But what took me back, was the sheer volume of small world male figures, wearing masks/ capes/hood/ helmets carrying axes/ swords/ crossbows, mini assassins, tiny agressive fighting men, so many of them.

Over in the pink corner little nostril sized Polly pocket was playing on her swings/ visiting her fairyland castle/ salon/. The second hand prices were eye watering- check your attics gen Xers/ millienials. On another stall, my little ponies, mid prance, awaited their tails to be brushed.

Happily I found a Sylvania failies stall, I bought Arlo a hedgehog family and a doggy family and a solo rabbit because she was so cute and i might keep her for myself. I overpaid on my card so that I got change for my entry fee, and as I left, a grown man was trying on a darth vader helmet.

The gig was a pleasure, matinees are a dream, I was home to watch Antiques road show and another ep of ‘All her Fault’ ( Sky/Now), which my daughter is one of the team writers on (ep 6), its a gripper people and available all around the world.