Hello and a warm welcome to a festive-themed edition of My 70’s TV Childhood! It’s hard to believe, but this is our sixth Christmas special, and we’re diving deep into one of the most exciting parts of a 70s childhood: the toys!
Christmas in the 1970s was a magical time. The feeling of togetherness and family was never stronger than when the double editions of the Radio and TV Times arrived in our house. We all knew we were in for a festive telly-watching treat. Shows like Mike Yarwood and, of course, Morecambe and Wise gained audiences of tens of millions of Brits who, having enjoyed a traditional turkey dinner, then slumped into their armchairs for the Queen’s Christmas message.
But as children, we were often conflicted. Did we watch along with the grown-ups or did we carry on playing with our presents? Quite a dilemma! One solution was to play with presents on the floor at the same time as everyone was watching Eric and Ernie. This sometimes backfired. Oliver’s grandfather had a habit of standing on new toys as he couldn’t see very well. His Subbuteo corner kicker didn’t make it to Boxing Day!
Of course, part of being a child at Christmas was the prospect of waking up on Christmas morning to find lovely presents at the end of your bed from the big man himself. The build-up began weeks beforehand, stoked by the incessant, endless stream of Christmas toy adverts. Buckaroo! Operation! Mousetrap! We wanted them all.
But outside of the hype, what toys and games did we really want? In this episode, we’ve got the official list of best-selling toys and games from each year of the 1970s. We take a trip down memory lane, year by year, to see how many you remember. Whether you had them, or never got them, it’s a fascinating journey.
It’s remarkable how many of these toys were ones we thought we wanted, probably due to TV advertising, but never had. Some toys are timeless, like Monopoly and Etch A Sketch, while others had their moment in the sun before disappearing (Pet Rock, anyone?). By 1979, we were starting to go down the electronic and computer route with Simon and the Sony Walkman entering the scene.
But as we reflect, it’s clear the presents seem less important the older we get. What really comes through are the happy memories of sharing Christmas as a family, all together, enjoying each other’s company in a way that is priceless.
What were your favourite 70s toys and games? What were your treasured moments together as a family at Christmas?
Let us know!
Oliver
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