THE NEXT TRAIN APPROACHING............

This weekend and the previous one has seen the Hogwarts Express steaming its way up the East Coast mainline. It is quite a majestic site, fire box ablaze and steam billowing. It even had Jeremy Clarkson waxing lyrical when the Top Gear Team took on the challenge of racing a steam train against a humble car from London to Edinburgh. This got me thinking about boys and their toys. Or hopefully in this modern day it is no longer thought of as being entirely male dominated. How many of you ladies out there didn't have brothers and missed out on playing with trains? I doubt I was the only one......

I am now making up for lost time. We have a new table set up in the shop with a Brio display ready for the train enthusiast to rave over. The only way to know what everything does is to play with it, so you will find us on our knees conversing with the three year old Brio experts. We are only fulfilling our job descriptions!

Marbel have taken over Brio. They are a Cornwall‐based toy distributor specialising in bringing wooden, quality, classic, traditional, innovative and educational toys to the UK market. The firm was set up six years ago by husband and wife team Christoph and Rebecca Bettin, who started the company after spending several years working in Munich, Germany, for American multinational General Electric. Ever since 1907, when BRIO first began selling toys, they’ve built a solid reputation for producing safe, high-quality products. Today, their commitment to quality and safety is stronger than ever.

Over the last year Brio have added quite a few new lines and are trying to combine both road and rail as a concept. For the really young you can go round a simple track and then disappear into uncharted territory on the living room floor and negotiate chair legs. For the older aficionado you can build tracks over two or three levels and link this with a road network that takes goods or people to any destination the imagination creates. It certainly is a toy that will grow with your child, expanding their imagination, improving hand eye co ordination and dexterity to name but a few. Beware you will become hooked!

We have just had a delivery of Brio, so I had better go and play, no I mean put it away. Till next time have a good week. Julie

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

Just testing how good your memory is, do you remember in one of the first blogs I wrote I said we had 17.5 children among us? Well we now have 18! Rob is a proud Dad. He has a beautiful baby boy, Alfie-John Michael. Weighing in at 6lb 13oz, arriving early, he obviously heard we had some new baby toys in stock and just wanted to check them out. His first stop on leaving hospital was not home, but Adventure Toys.

The other hot news is that we are having an Open Evening on Thursday 27th October, from 6.30pm to 9.00pm. You are all welcome, please come along, bring a friend. We have invited a number of fellow small businesses to come and show you a selection of their produce as in the case of Roots, and Lewis and Cooper are bringing wine for you to taste. We also have some soft furnishings for sale as well as Hats for every occasion. I will keep you posted, or better still keep up to date with us on facebook. You may just be inspired. Better still pop the date on your calender, or in your diary. All being well we will have some new toys in for you to see.

Talking of new toys. Do you remember Ambi? They are ideal baby and toddler toys. Made of plastic, but with a deep shine that just lasts and lasts. They have stood the test of time, many of you will recognise them when you see them. I still have the sunshine smiley faces that my children had and they don't look like they have been played with, they are still as good as new. Instead of being used as a rattle it is now an executive stress toy!! See what you think. Hazel's grandson is certainly going to find one or two in his stocking.

Till next time, Julie.

PRESERVING (CAN'T LET THINGS GO TO WASTE)

I hope you are all in one piece after the gale force winds yesterday. The wind certainly blew the cobwebs away, as well as a lot of fruit off the trees. Several trees were blown over blocking the road in either direction, and they had to be moved before we could get home. A sleep over in a toy shop may be every child's dream, just think what fun could be had. I doubt there would be much sleep!!

We have finished combining and are starting to work the land ready to sew the crops for next year. The hedge rows are laden with berries. We have a lot of windfalls, great for an Apple Pie or Blackberry and Apple Crumble. Makes my mouth water, better hadn't mention custard, cream or ice cream or I may start to drool. Quite a few of us have been busy making jam and fruit Jelly.

As I promised you in an earlier blog, I would persuade our members of staff to share with you some of their favourite recipes. Here is Belinda's. It is also one that many of us have made after persuading her to part with the recipe, and thoroughly enjoy. Even better if you are able to use runner beans that you have grown yourself. She has been making it for years. It is great with cold meats.

RUNNER BEAN CHUTNEY

2 lb runner beans (when trimmed and sliced)

1.5 lb onions (when chopped)

1 heaped tablespoon cornflower

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 heaped tablespoon dry mustard

1 lb Demerara sugar

1 lb soft brown sugar

1.5 pints of vinegar

Prepare vegetables.

Cook sliced beans in well-salted water until tender.

Cook chopped onions in half a pint of vinegar.

Mix dry ingredients to smooth paste with vinegar.

Strain cooked beans, then add to rest of vinegar and cook for ten minutes.

Add sugar and rest of ingredients and boil for a further fifteen minutes.

Bottle and cover.

This chutney keeps really well. All this talk of food reminds me that lunch is calling.

Let me know if you like it. Till next week, Julie

ENDINGS, BEGINNINGS AND ALL INBETWEEN

Our Yorkshire lass just missed out on a gold medal, but like all good things the athletics came to an end. The same could be said for the summer holidays. The little, and not so little ones are back to school, as are our students who have been helping out over the summer. They are back to University for their final year, but for many this is a new start.

There is still a small amount of combining to be finished, hopefully before we get any more rain. The bailer has been working nearly night and day, and we are leading bails at the moment. As soon as this is finished we will be ready to start ploughing, and the cycle begins again.

I appreciate not all of you will have had the opportunity to visit our shop, and will not have seen what we have on display outside for your little ones to try. Unfortunately my photographic skills are limited, but here is a section of our outdoor display.

I was thinking about the shop and how it varies throughout the year. During March we are busy building our display for outside, often in the snow, wind and rain. We're a hardy lot! The Toy fairs are just before this. Usually we go to London and Germany to see what new toys are going to be introduced over the coming year. We are still getting new products in now, an example of this was the Little Tikes Cozy Cab that we got in for the first time a few weeks ago. Between now and dare I say it Christmas (it seems a long way away) we will be having regular deliveries. The sledges will be ordered, and the debate as to whether we can have another winter like last year will go on until the last possible minute. Santa will have visited, a New Year celebrated, stock taking completed and we have come full cycle.

No time to dilly dally, till next time. Julie

The Athletic World Championships are taking place amidst a certain amount of controversy. We have seen some top athletes being disqualified for false starting. The biggest surprise being Usain Bolt, did his fellow team mate twitch enough to set him off?? One thing I do know is that when it comes to getting out of the starting blocks our new hens are dab hands. They are not afraid of a little pushing. Yes they are enjoying plenty of fresh air and freedom. At the end of the day, like Jessica Ennis after day 1 of competition in the heptathlon, they are ready for bed.

Do you remember those school sports days when there was the good old wheelbarrow race?? Well we have a very good wheelbarrow, made by a company called Tolo. We have recently got it in so I thought I would tell you a little about them.

Tolo, have the catch phrase Trust Tolo. They were established in 1985 and are a British owned company. Their head office is in Hong Kong. The company promote fair labour throughout the supply chain as well as being ethically accountable regarding manufacturing and its social and environmental impact. They also hold certificates for consistent superb quality standards.

We have the wheelbarrow and a selection of garden tools in stock. Tolo’s tools are not only just fun and educational, but they are also real gardening tools that have been custom made to suit children. Each design is lightweight and easy to manage but has all the practicality and durability of high-quality adult gardening tools. Children love to be involved in the garden and see things grow, to be responsible for their own little plot. However big this is. Being outdoors teaches them about nature, the different animals and insects that live there. It is hard work so it will tire them out and there is no greater satisfaction than eating something you have sown, nurtured and harvested. A sense of pride. Just what Jess will feel when she stands on the podium to receive her medal.

Here's hoping, Julie

LET US EAT CAKE

last week it was Jules and Rita's birthdays. We wished them both another year of joy, health and prosperity, quickly followed by, you have brought in a cake? Before the year is out we may need to invest in some new candles. We have those that keep relighting, those that just won't light, and those that melt their wax so fast the cake develops another frosting. The solution has been created, we do sell a wooden birthday cake with candles which are ideal for playgroups, nurseries and young children. A towering inferno and toddlers are not a good mix. Us, we like the real deal. Chocolate cake always goes down well particularly if it is homemade, and has icing or cream on. You can't use the weekend, holiday, or working part time as an excuse, we will still expect our cake, so Jules we haven't forgotten!! Don't get me wrong we are not entirely single minded, but we did wonder if we were like the queen, and had an honorary birthday, how many each of us would need to have, to have a birthday every week!!

This made me think, we all have a recipe that we particularly like, that we are maybe associated with, or that we enjoy making. So why not share them with you. It may tell you an awful lot about us. Mine I can remember making since I was at primary school when I used to go to my Grans and baking days took the best part of the day. There is something about the smell of home baking.

SPONGE CAKE

• Butter to grease


• 4 large eggs


• 4 oz of golden caster sugar


• 4oz self raising flour


• Filling


• 8fl oz of whipping cream or double cream


• 1 dessert spoon of icing sugar optional


• half a jar of strawberry jam or jam of your choice


• Fresh fruit - optional

1. Oven on 180 degrees or 170 for fan assisted


2. Grease and line an 8 inch loose bottomed cake tin


3. Put eggs and sugar in a large bowl, whisk, you can use a hand whisk as I used to do at my grans, but that was maybe to tire me out and it takes ages. Ideally an electric one. Whisk until pale and creamy, thick enough for you to be able to write an initial on the top and it not disappear.


4. Sieve in flour and gently fold until all incorporated.


5. Pour into tin.


6. Bake in the middle of your oven for about 30- 35 mins. It will have risen, be golden on the surface and will be leaving the sides of the tin. The cake will spring back when lightly pressed in the centre. Ovens vary


7. Turn out, cool on a wire rack.


8. Split the cake in half with a sharp knife. On the bottom spread a generous helping of jam. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and place on top of the jam. Add fresh fruit if desired. Place sponge half on top.


9. 
   Enjoy!! You can't help but lick your fingers. There may even be a dash to lick out the bowl.

Julie

THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS OR LITTLE TIKES SPARES

What a week!!

Unless you have hibernated I don't think anyone could possibly have escaped the news that has dominated this week. There have been some high points. Communities uniting to help each other and work together to clean up their streets. England are now three games up in the test match thanks to Alistair Cook who seems to be able to keep his head and achieve "daddy" and "grandaddy" hundreds. ( I did have to check what they meant, double century and triple century) Why it wasn't mother and grandmother I don't know, maybe it's a man thing!! Yes, the football season has officially started so grown men will no doubt be throwing themselves on the floor, while the remainder take up residency in front of the big black box. Saying that we do have our share of female football supporters, so Manchester United, Maureen is expecting you to do well again. We all have our own individual talents, but its maybe when we pull together that we can achieve so much more.

A good example of this is our spares department. There is not one member of our staff who is not involved in one way or another. So I thought I would tell you a bit about it. We are the sole United Kingdom supplier of Little Tikes spare parts. So if you have lost a crucial part while moving house, the dog buried it, it has broken, or you just assembled it the wrong way (it does happen), or it was missing, we will do our best to provide you with a replacement. The prices do vary, and we do ask for proof of purchase, so its best to hold onto those receipts just in case.

We receive requests by e-mail or by telephone, from yourselves, the customer or stores or both. If you know what your toy is called it does speed up the process. If you don't have a look on our web site. If you are not sure which part you need and have lost your original instructions, go to Little Tikes (their American website) scroll down to the bottom of the page, and half way down the column on your right is download instructions. We will invariably have ours out as well, so we are both talking about the same part! We then start to process your order and do all the admin before it goes off to the spares department. The parts are then selected, wrapped, packed and then put on a carrier or prepared for the post. Where it is weighed, measured, stamped and a proof of postage completed before popping it in the sack ready for our friendly post man.

The majority of the spare parts are shipped in from Little Tikes sites around the world, so unfortunately on occasions there may be a delay with our supply.

I'd better go and wrap some spares, speak soon, Julie.

ALL COMBINES GREAT AND SMALL

We have some new additions to the farm, twelve to be exact!! These are of the feathered variety. They have settled in well, but unfortunately for the time being they will have to remain inside. They will be free range and will have the run of the place, so they could turn up anywhere!! As soon as the rape crop in the neighbouring field is combined we will be able to let them out. The foxes are hiding in the rape and are very grateful for an easy, convenient meal, which is why we are keeping our new hens safe inside for now. Not quite your Pizza in front of a film on the television on a Saturday night, but who knows!!
At the moment our combine is tucked up in the shed ready for action after having its annual makeover following a long rest since last harvest time. Not that we want it to look its best; more we don't want it to break down within the first hour. At this time of year you become obsessed with the weather, every waking moment you are either thinking about it, watching the weather forecast or looking at a computer prediction for the next five days. When the sun does shine, (on the law of averages it cannot rain continually) you are truly relieved and ready for action. Here's our Wow, Harvey Harvester Combine, he will not break down, and he does not depend on the right climatic conditions. If only we could all do our combining from the comfort of our living rooms!!!

If the next time you see us we have weather symbols in front of our eyes, you know why!! I will keep you up to date with our progress . Julie

AND THEN THERE WAS BIG

We have recently had a delivery of toys from a company called Big. So I thought I would tell you a little bit about them.

The company logo is the Big Buffalo. You will always be able to recognise any Big toy because it will have a black bull with red horns on the box. Reflecting the toys being strong, robust, and resilient. The toys are manufactured at Burghaslach in Germany. On the front of the factory is the buffalo logo which from horn to horn measures 42 meters.

The main raw material used is polyethylene (PE). It is light in weight, very resistant, so your little ones can really have fun on it, and it will not come to harm if it is left outside in the sun ( I'm hopeful) or rain. It is also environmentally friendly. Big toys promote the development of motor skills, balance and imagination. Several years ago Jurgen Kramer, Professor of Orthopaedics at St. Joseph's hospital acknowledged "The Big Bobby Car promotes healthy development of the hips due to the splayed leg position. After treating a dislocated hip with a spica cast, we recommend placing the child on a Bobby Car."

We have a selection of Bobby Cars, trailers, Bobby Bikes, tractors, go karts and a fork lift truck, to mention but a few. As well as those accessories that make playing on a pretend road as real as possible. Including traffic lights, cones, road signs and security gates. These encourage children to be aware of road safety in a fun way. They can fill up with fuel without it costing you a fortune and you can guarantee they will never run out of petrol. By the end of the day they may hopefully have run out of steam and be ready for bed.

I have a combine to catch, will speak again soon, Julie

ADVENTURE TOYS AT THE GAME FAIR

As you can imagine we have been very busy.

Wednesday we squeezed 3 x Little Tikes 8 in 1 Adjustable Playgrounds, 1 Playground, 1 Classic Castle, 1 Junior Activity Gym, 1 Hide and Slide Climber, 1 Activity School Bus, 1 Rocking Horse and 1 Police Cycle Sounds Rocker (all Little Tikes) into our van ready for an early start.Is this the last bit?

Van unloaded and ready to start assembling! Making sure all the parts were there and the instructions were followed, no short cuts! Showers were dodged by eating our picnic in the van, and eventually the creche was completed ready for our young critics.

Here is the after picture of the Adventure Toys Creche

By the time the Fair opened to the public the rain clouds had vanished and the sun had made a welcome appearance. It was fantastic to see so many eager faces ready to put the display to the test and fun was had by one and all. As is always the case, all good things must come to an end and Sunday evening the display was dismantled. The van was packed and pointed north for its return journey up the motorway. Arriving back safe and sound before the van was changed back into a pumpkin at the stroke of mid-night!!!