TP, READY OR NOT!

I hope you all had a good Easter and chocolate passed your lips in one form or another. Since we are no longer in Lent, fasting has ceased and there are no spare chocolate biscuits. Don't get the wrong idea, we are not totally preoccupied by the brown stuff!

As from the middle of next week we will be sending out spare parts on behalf of TP. It feels like we are receiving deliveries daily from TP as they send us all the nuts, bolts and pieces of timber and metal we will need to fulfill the task. These will have to be clearly identified, as I'm afraid one nut looks very much like another.

The office is being rearranged to cater for the avalanche of paper that will ensue in the form of orders, manuals and labels that will be needed. A new office is being created for the spares team so hopefully by next week they will have electricity. Hey, they won't have time to sit down. At the moment the spares are still coming and we have not got the ones we have sorted and found homes for. It is a good job we are well on with lambing. Will we make it by next week............... but of course, but there may be a national shortage of chocolate!! Keep your fingers crossed for us and I'll let you know what happens!! Julie

MISCHIEF AND MAYHEM

What a week it has been!!!

We have had a fantastic response to our Easter competition, with hundreds of imaginative suggestions. The staff had great fun choosing the winning names. A big thank you and congratulations to Evie Grace.

Meet Mischief and Mayhem two angelic lambs!

The rapid change in the weather on Tuesday night caught us all on the hop. The sheep and lambs bore the brunt of it. Wednesday had us battling the elements. After a night of bitter temperatures, harsh winds and driving snow and rain, we weren't home and dry. The amount of rain saw the rivers rising dramatically to burst their banks and sheep having to be move out of danger. Young lambs were frozen through and had to be thawed. The kitchen became an improvised lamb hospital!! Looking at the sun today you would not believe that the weather could have been as severe as it was, or cause as much havoc.

Maundy Thursday and Easter is just a day or two away. We are open Good Friday from 10.00am till 4.00pm and Saturday as normal. Sunday and Monday we will be closed. Have a good Easter. I hope there will be eggs to be rolled and hot cross buns to be devoured, until next week, Julie.

WE'RE HAVING A HEAT WAVE AND ITS ONLY MARCH

I hope you are all enjoying the glorious weather. The lambs are having a whale of a time skipping and scampering across the fields and running races. The shepherd isn't looking quite as exhausted. I think he must have caught up on some of his sleep, regardless of having an hour less in bed on Sunday

What a week it has been! The sunshine has prompted us to do a spot of spring cleaning, trying to get the stores organised before new products come in. Enabling us to find what we want quicker. At the moment there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Spares orders continue to come in at a rate of knots and we are managing to process them and get them out within two to three days, the rest is in the hands of the Post Office. The rise in stamp prices did make us flinch as it did everyone else.

This week on Facebook we launched our Easter competition. Win a John Crane Tag Along Wagon a fantastic prize. We managed to persuade a couple of lambs to sit in it long enough for us to take a photograph. All you have to do to win is come up with a name for the lambs who are hitching a lift. One of the lambs is a breed you may not recognise, called a Zwartble.

Visit Facebook, you can access it from our home page and have a guess or three, until next week when we will announce our winner, keep enjoying the sunshine. Julie

SPRING

The glorious weather has encouraged us to keep building toys for the display. Bobby has assembled the TP slides and is putting together a challenger frame as I write this. Meanwhile Rob is trying to keep up with the demand for cars. I'm not sure that he is up to the speed of a formula one engineer yet, but he's heading in the right direction, either that or he is going round in circles.

Some spare parts have come in and we are trying to process them as quickly as possible as well as keep up with orders. You have also been caught by the Spring clean bug and are wanting to sort your own toys ready for your little ones to play on, so are keeping us on our toes.

Lambing is in full flow, and some of the pets have taken up residence in a Little Tikes playhouse. Who said toys could not be multi purpose!!! There are a few bleary eyes and weary expressions. Not surprising considering there have been some very late finishes as the sheep continue lambing through the night and going to bed blurs with getting up again.

Spring is officially here and this weekend sees the clocks go forward, I won't remind them they will get an hour less in bed, they maybe won't notice! Till next week, Julie.

READY STEADY BUILD

It does not seem five minutes since we were preparing for the sale. The outside display has been cleared, baring a few items. We still have a Little Tikes 8 in 1 Adjustable playground if anyone is able to come along for a bargain. The flip side of clearing the field is we are now in the process of building more climbing frames and houses. In a short time we have managed to erect quite a few houses, so the field is no longer bare. It won't be long before we have a street of houses, all shapes and sizes.

When you get your new toy home. First ensure you have all the pieces required, checking them off against your instructions. It does help to spread them out across the floor, the wider the better. Preferably in or near a doorway so no one can get through. Collect all the tools you may need, screwdriver, rubber mallet, chock of wood and a cup of tea. You are now ready to proceed to follow the instructions step by step in the order it recommends. Congratulations in no time at all you will have it built. As you can see that is exactly what we do!!

I hope all you Mums get a cup of tea in bed on Sunday. Enjoy your day, Julie.

OUR FIRST LAMBS!

Meet our new additions.

Yes, we have started lambing, and steady away is probably a good description. So far we have a couple of pet lambs that are on the bottle, little diddy dots.

Last week we were very busy. The outdoor display had to be washed and everything checked. The shop was rearranged to put all the sale items together, and when we all went home on Friday night the prices were worked out for the following morning.

Saturday 9.00am arrived and the car park was full! Sale day was here. Our annual event was a great success, only a few items remain from the display outside. Bargains were enjoyed by one and all. It was a very busy day and the staff were on the go all the time. We had boxes of sale items that had to be got in when it rained so there were some very tired legs by night. This year we are supporting the Friarage Hospital and donations will be given in the form of toys to the value raised.

For the first time we have had an Internet sale, reducing end of lines even further. So if you have not got your little ones a treat, now's the time to have a look.

Till next time, Julie

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!

The days are lengthening and dare I say it getting warmer!! Spring is hopefully round the corner and it will not be long until we have our first lambs. Watch this space, or face book for a picture.

The first Saturday in March is when we historically hold our sale. This year is going to be slightly different. We are having our sale on Saturday 3rd March. The only day in the whole year that we open at 9.00am instead of 10.00am. Those of you who have been before will know that all the display outside will be cleared (hopefully, we are brilliant at packing cars and modest with it!). Tickets are issued as you arrive (deli style!) so items are sold on a first come first served basis, making it as fair as possible. I am afraid you do have to cross our threshold to purchase the display items. Just in case you cannot remember what our display looks like here is a reminder.

There will also be lots of other toys not just the display items to tempt you. Drum roll!! The big difference this year is that we are holding an Internet sale as well, especially for you, our valued Internet customers. This will start a day later on the Sunday. It will not include display items. So all you bargain hunters, be ready on your starting blocks.

Enjoy the heatwave! Julie

INSPIRATION FOR HALF TERM

The snow has nearly gone and rumour has it that the temperature has risen!! We however remain unconvinced. Half term is being enjoyed by many excited children, who were possibly hoping that the snow would have stayed long enough for them to play in. If you are searching for inspiration as to what you can do with your little ones how about looking at some of the products made by SES.

SES has been the specialist in creative toys for more than 35 years. As you, the experts, know play and learning through play is a vital part of your child's development, and each child develops at their own rate. Play increases concentration, hand eye co-ordination, colour, and shape recognition, and promotes imagination and confidence to name but a few. SES believe that as well as developing these, safety and quality are equally important aspects of all their products, and because everything is produced in house they can guarantee this. Their expertise is enjoyed by more than 14 million satisfied consumers in 70 countries.

We have just got in some new lines that will be fun to use. The super dough now comes with glitter and confetti!!! What more could a little girl want than for everything she makes to have that touch of magic? What is even better is that it won't dry out and it is on special offer.

Have a great Half Term, until next week. Julie

TOY FAIR NUMBER 2

The snow arrived, and one big pup had a whale of a time diving into the snow drifts. Black ice meant a new playground skating the full length of the yard.

The 62nd International Toy Fair has been held. From the 1st to the 6th of February Nuremberg in Germany will have seen approximately 79 000 visitors from 114 countries around the World, making it one of the major events in the toy calender. Everyone wanting to see what the new trend will be. OK, you get the idea it is massive, no way can you do this in a day!!! Not to be left out our Girls were there.

One of the themes for the Toy fair for 2012 was toys for teenagers. Toys4Teens have focused on the interesting target group of 13 to 17 years and their consumer behaviour. Toys4Teens conducted research in Germany speaking directly to their target group and found that teenagers do like to play. Boys probably more than girls!! The favourite being electronic games, and play consoles. Classic games and puzzles came second, with sport, leisure and outdoor toys following in third place. So if you see more emphasis on toys for teenagers over the coming year you know why.

When our girls did eventually make it back, following delays and diversions due to the snow, they were full of enthusiasm and cold. They had seen some beautiful toys, wooden carved animals that looked realistic and very tactile. A kitchen that was unusual because it was made of wood but folded flat for storing under a bed! Just a small taster of the many things that caught their attention and have us all excited. Watch this space, we will be getting some very different, but brilliant toys in that we can't wait to try out.

Sorry perks of working in a toy shop. Keep wrapped up. Julie

WELCOME TO THE TOY FAIR

The girls returned safe and sound having walked their little socks off. Brim full of new ideas and new toys that they had seen. As with the best military manoevers an army marches on its stomach, and our fair maids are no different. Breakfast was bacon butties courtesy of British Rail, while a plan of action was hatched and the troops briefed.


As you can see the Toy Fair at Olympia covers quite an area. There are no short cuts, and a systematic approach works best. You may miss something of vital importance!

TP Toys have been taken over by Mookie Toys, they developed the Swingball. It was nice to meet the team and hear some of their plans. It looks like they are going to continue with most of the lines that TP had, and are progressing with the Castlewood Range which will be arriving in March/April. We are quite excited about these.

A company that caught their eye sold garden games with Shaun The Sheep!! Home from home! When all this became too much there were masseurs on hand to ease away the tension.

A spot of market research was conducted in a top London store. They were very eager to reassure us that our prices were far more competitive by a good ten pounds!! By the end of all this there were four very tired ladies.

Until next week, take care, Julie.