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Showing posts from 2011

The New Year in Looe

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Once again we are just a few days away from the New Year celebrations here in Looe after another hectic Christmas and it seemed to be over so quick. Like most people I am sure your house has been full of presents, food and of course sweets of all descriptions and last night I was glad of just a salad after having the obligatory roast each day with desert to follow! I have done a couple coastal walks and some beach combing as the weather has been really mild and mostly stayed dry and even had coffee sitting on the outside decking of the Watergate Beach Cafe wearing just a jumper and jeans enjoying a lovely sunny day. Saturday afternoon will see the start of the New Years Eve celebrations here in Looe and by the evening there is hardly a place to stand in the street with everyone in fancy dress costume of one description or another ending with a grand firework display on the seafront at midnight to see in the Year. The mood is festive and jolly and Looe is now becoming one of the top d

Stuffing Those Stockings

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Today is Market day in Totnes and the town is buzzing. In the shop people are making a b line straight to the pocket money toys for one reason only. We sell so many stocking fillers that I get a real insight into what Santa is bringing lots of little boys and girls this year. It seems there is a different tradition in every house. When I was little we used lie our pillow cases out by the fireplace in the front room along with a mince pie, glass of milk and a carrot for the reindeer. Until my Dad suggested Santa would much prefer a glass of whisky . We would then sneak down as earlier as possible to get stuck into our present stuffed pillow cases. Often we would get sent back to bed and told it was far to early to start unwrapping presents. There was no sleep going on in that bedroom though, just two excited girls waiting until it was time to go down stairs. When it was eventually my Mum's idea of morning we would tear into our stockings (pillow cases) as she watched our happy child

Christmas Shopping

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My grand daughter ( 7 ) decided there was something she particularly wanted for Christmas and it was an item that we do not happen to sell so it was a trip for us to the nearest city. On entering one of the big toy stores I must admit it was a bit overwhelming with the row after row of wizz bang high tech toys on display so I asked the nearest person that worked there if he could help me find where this item was stocked only to be pointed roughly somewhere to the back of the store informing me it was on a far wall. We wondered along the walls looking for the item but we couldn't see it anywhere so I asked another worker who was stocking a shelf only to be told they were only there for the Christmas period and didn't know where anything was and sorry they could not help. A few more wanders along the walls, and with my grand daughter getting pretty frustrated, as I was as well by then, we found what she wanted by chance as we had given up and was heading for the exit through the

Christmas event update

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West Looe saw the arrival of Father Christmas last week with a nice crowd of people even though the weather was not as good as everyone hoped. Also it has been decided that the Lantern Festival which was to be held tonight will be postponed until Tuesday 20th December as there are gales and heavy rain forecast for tonight and as I look out of the window it looks like the forecast was right and its pouring down! This is something beyond every ones control and I am sure this is a wise move as it is a wonderful evening watching the processions making their way from the three starting points to converge on the Quay by the Fishmarket for a carol service. If I remember correctly it was around this time last year when we were more or less snowed in and it was easier to get around on the sledge we sell than by car or on foot so I shouldn't complain about it raining really so maybe I should think about keeping one in the shed just in case. I hope that you are ready for Christmas but if you

All www.toyday.co.uk orders upgraded to 1st Class delivery for free until Christmas Day

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We have all been working super hard as usual this year making sure all the Christmas toys go out with no delays, and our fantastic new system and amazing team have been running on top form, ensuring that all orders placed through our website and other shopping channels have been sent out the same day. Despite this great performance, we are always at the mercy of both the Royal Mail and the British weather, so just to be extra safe we have decided to upgrade our economy delivery service to First Class for free right up until our last Christmas posting date on Monday 19th December to ensure that you recieve your toys and last minute stocking fillers in time.for the big day. If, like me, you are a man then don't worry, you can choose next day delivery for your toys right up until mid-day on Thursday the 22nd December to guarantee your delivery in time for Christmas .

Looe Christmas Events

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Looe has started its Christmas events with the arrival of Father Christmas last Friday where crowds gathered on West Looe quay despite the poor weather. Lostwithiel Town Band were playing and there were fire works to coincide with the switching on of the Christmas lights at East and West Looe. On Thursday December 15th Looe is holding the annual Christmas Lantern and Torchlight procession and carol service. As usual there will be three separate processions leaving at around 6.30 from the Millpool Carpark, West Looe Square and the Globe Inn. They will then all join for the main carol service on or near the Fish market at 7pm. Hot soup and rolls will be available in the Tourist Information Centre afterwards. I am sure everyone is hoping for a nice dry evening so please do come along and help make it an enjoyable event. It is lovely to see all the shops in Looe with their Christmas windows and the Christmas Lights completing the atm osphere in the evenings. It is only a week or so until

Christmas Window in Looe

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Has it really been almost twelve months since I dug out the boxes marked 'Christmas Decorations' which have been sitting quietly on the top shelf of the store waiting patiently to be opened again. As always I test the lights before putting them on the tree as I have been caught before when I have finished the window only to find when I switch the lights on they decide not to work although when I had put them away they worked fine. This year there was no problem and they all worked perfectly. I find there is something really enjoyable in stripping the window and dressing it for Christmas and watching the children's faces as they smile happily and point at all the things they notice like the teddy bear wearing his Christmas Hat in the pedal car , to the Nesting Santa . We have a wonderful range of Christmas toys in our shops and on our website and I am certain if you are looking for something special or a little different than either pop into the shops or buy online where w

Santa's Grotto Toys

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We have been supplying traditional and classic toys direct to Santa for 10 years now, with our energetic Christmas elves tirelessly gift wrapping and sending them out every year so that all the girls and boys out there have an exciting Christmas morning.   Are you planning on having a Santa's grotto this year? Since Father Christmas started recruiting and training apprentice Santa's to help with the Christmas rush by opening up their own Santa's grotto's, there has been an increase in demand for a selection of traditional toys to give to all of his visitors. As the apprentice Santa's are on a trainee wage, then all the Santa's grotto toys have to be sourced at a competitive price, which is where we come in. We can gift wrap the Santa's grotto toys for you Santa's Grotto Toys We can advise on the best range of Santa's grotto toys for your event, working to a price point of your choice, and can even gift wrap each individual present for you,

Totnes Christmas Late Night Shopping

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This year the Totnes Christmas late night shopping will be held on the 6th, 13th & 20th December - 5pm to 10pm A series of three festive Tuesday evenings with entertainment, shopping and food. Don't forget to pop up to Toyday to check out our great value stocking fillers and gifts for all the family!

Christmas last posting dates 2011

It looks like it's going to be another busy Christmas this year, and so it is time to post our last posting dates for 2011. UK Standard Delivery : 19 December 2011 UK Next Day Delivery: 22 December 2011 – before 12pm UK Christmas Eve Delivery: 23 December 2011 – before 12pm, surcharge applies. Standard European Delivery : 12 December 2011 Standard Worldwide Delivery : 9 December 2011 Extended returns period For added peace of mind this year, we have extended our returns period over Christmas, so anything purchased during November and December this year will be eligible for return throughout January 2012. All that we ask is that the return is in new condition and in its original packaging. Subject to our standard return T&C's . Your statutory rights are not affected.

Racing Rubber Ducks

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With one of Toyday shops based in Looe we are no stranger to Rubber Duck races as each summer The Lions Club of Looe holds its own annual rubber duck race when around 5000 rubber ducks are dropped from the Bridge into the harbour amid huge cheers as the tide is going out. Through the summer people 'purchase' a numbered duck and on the day of the race the harbour is packed with every one hoping the duck they sponsored is the first past the finishing post although as with any race there is a lot of jostling, the ducks that is, as they float down the harbour. It is a hugely enjoyable event and raises an amazing amount of money for charity and we are finding that this kind of event is becoming more and more popular and we are getting requests if we can supply large quantities of rubber ducks which of course we can. One criteria for a successful duck race as you can imagine is the fact that the ducks are suitable and although they all float in a bath its when they are dropped

The Toy Sourcers

Do you have a list of toys that your business or client needs but can't find on our website (or on google!)? If so, you need our toy sourcing service. Whether you need 20,000 rubber ducks for your cooperate or charity event, or dice, counters and cards for your exciting new game, or perhaps your client requires a selection of toys aimed at a particular age range or price point. Whatever your toy requirements, we are happy to assist. Working directly with the major toy manufacturers and importers, we can source almost any toys, and will provide a bespoke quote for you along with high resolution product images, availability & lead times. There is no charge for this service; it all comes as part of our great old fashioned customer service! Simply contact the toysourcers@toyday.co.uk and tell us what you need, and let us do all the hard work for you, whilst you go off and enjoy that game of golf, sorry, I mean concentrate on your next presentation.

Which is better - LEGO or a better value lower priced compatiable set?

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Well, the official Toyday poll results are in, and surprisingly, only a third of our readers thought that LEGO® was better, compared to 66% of you that believed the lower priced compatiable sets to be better value. We have been attempting to get an account with LEGO®, for at least 5 years, and my bi-annual call to their sales team always go the same way, that they won't be opening any new accounts until next year! So naturally we were excited to hear when the LEGO® patent had expired, and that many of LEGO®'s competitors sets were emerging. After purchasing many of the different brands, we found the best of the compatiable sets to be Cobi and the MY range to be the most similar to LEGO®, and with a good tight grip, and also representing the best value for money. This is why we now sell both of those ranges in our shops and online. Now, it wouldn't be fair for me to state my particular preference until I have compared like for like, so last week I went out and purchase

Turn on the Tap Appeal

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Quite often we get requests to supply toys that are going to be used for a promotion or a display and we have had items shown on television programmes but I believe one of the most interesting has to be from the Harvest Committee of a Church Sunday School which required 50 of our plastic watering cans. They informed us that the watering cans were to be used by the children to raise money at their Harvest Festival. Money raised would go towards the 'Turning on the Tap Appeal'. This is the re-launch of the campaign for clean water launched by Christian Relief and development charity Samaritin's Purse which originated four years ago. The aim is to give cleaner drinking water to the 1 in 8 people in the world who still don't have access to it and suffer from water-borne diseases. I remember when I was around the age of ten visiting my grandparents who lived in an old cottage in the corner of a field not far from the village I lived in. They had no running water but there wa

Operation Christmas Child with Samaritan's Purse

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Every year lots of our customers tell me they are looking for little toys to fill there shoe boxes for the Samaritan's purse operation Christmas child. The aim is to give a gift to mak e Christmas a bit special for children all over the world experiencing war or poverty. You can be someones own personal Santa! Simply find a medium sized shoe box, wrap it, fill it and send it. For more details visit the Operation Christmas Child website. I am often asked what items you shouldn't put in so here is the list: No Food - especially chocolate - non-chocolate sweets are allowed No medicine or vitamins of any kind No war related items - toy guns, soldiers or knives of any kind No clothing - some accessories are allowed No fragile items - glass containers, mirrors. No liquids - including blow bubbles, shampoo, bubble bath, toiletry sets or ae rosols . No dangerous items - sharp objects, scissors or razors No novels Nothing of a political nature No hand-knitted s

Have A Spooktacular Halloween at Woodlands Theme Park

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On Saturday October 29th from 5.00 to 9.00pm for one night only Woodlands is hosting a Family Fright Night. There will be spooky ghosts and zombies around the park so be prepared! Join Palm FM at Dracula’s Disco with the radio presenters organising games and competitions. There will be interaction and activities that will make your hair stand on end as you brave the scary zones in the Woodlands. If you go for the day you can stay for the evening for free! Entry after 4pm just £5.00 per person. If you are looking for an outfit then click here to check out our Halloween themed products.

Best toys for an 8 year old girl

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Here is my top five unique gifts for an 8 year old girl: 1. Friendship Bracelet Making Kit - £4.99 A classic craft kit for girls at a great value price. Girls will love making bracelets for themselves and their friends and when they run low on threads they can top up on different coloured threads so this kit can be used over and over again. 2. Swan Lake Jewellery Box - £15.99 This little girls jewellery box is simply beautiful and has a dancing ballerina inside. When the lid is opened the ballerina will twirl to Swan Lake. 3. Paint Your Own Russian Dolls - £12.99 A set of five wooden Russian dolls that have been left plain so that they can be decorated to anyones taste. After they have been painted they will look great in a girls bedroom. 4. Darling Rubber Duck - £6 The most glamorous rubber duck your likely to find, this rubber duck will make bath time more fabulous. 5. Wooden Flower Press - £6.99 A large wooden flower press will make an interesting gift that will inspire craft pro

A Successful Music Festival

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Looe's first Making Waves music festival has been hailed a great success with an estimate of more than 2000 people flocking into the town on those three days. The weather was glorious and it was only on the final evening that it began to rain but even that couldn't stop the enjoyment that was being had by all. A musical parade took to the streets to welcome everyone to the event and as they walked around the town you could hear every kind of musical instrument and it was delightful to watch. Throughout each day the streets were full as revellers moved from one stage to another and in the evening all the pubs and restaurants done a roaring trade. One of the big na mes was Roy Wood of Wizard fame and I can remember dancing to his music many years ago and hearing him brought those memories back! Was it that long ago I was wearing flares!! I think there was an estimate of around 70 bands taking part in the festival and hats of to the organisers. I am not sure if the cost of put

More ebay bargains from Toyday

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We are trying to make some room for our Christmas stock downstairs here at the Totnes shop so we're having a clear out. The place where millions of people get rid of things they no longer want or need, but sure someone else will...is of course the most popular online auction and shopping website, Ebay! 2 packs of Ju mbo Soldiers wo n on ebay for 99p! A few people have grabbed some bargains this week. Including a brand new Retro Rubik's Cube usually £12.99, it was won for £1.63 and all it was missing was it's packaging! We have lots of packs of Soldiers with split packaging, but all in perfect condition. Someone won 2 packs of Jumbo Soldiers for 99p, instead of paying £5! There are still 4 listings for soldiers waiting to be won so come visit our shop toyday_clearance and get yourself a bargain. Keep an eye out for new listings being added in the next week!

Gok Wan's Spray Painted T-Shirt Disaster

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I was watching the new series of Gok's Clothes Road Show on Channel 4 last night and although I love browsing the high streets fashions from my arm chair and watching as Gok Tirelessly makes women look thinner simply by adding a belt to any outfit I was less than impressed by his homemade t-shirt . I love the idea of giving us crafty fashion tips, I can see the use for glittering up a pair of old heels but using spray paint to create a unique design on a plain white T I don't think any of us could pull off. Even with his creative flair the design produced was lack luster so how can any of us mere mortals expect to come anywhere close to producing something wearable. Plus I'm not entirely sure how practical it would be to wash. Nowadays customising a t-shirt shouldn't be so hard. You can by iron on transfers, sew on patches or how about going a bit retro and doing some tie dying. When I was a child I created my own funky t-shirts with string and some veggies . I tr

Travel Connect 4 Game Review

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Description This travel size Connect 4 game is from the Hasbro range of games, this is a scaled down version of the original game. The aim of the game is simple, get 4 of your coloured discs in a row either horizontally, vertically or diagonally to win. Take it in turns to slot your coloured discs in to the stand to try and get 4 in a row or to block the other player from winning. Only two people can play, male or female. It is recommended for people over the age of 6. Travel Connect 4 Summary Connect 4 is a simple but enjoyable game. The travel size makes it perfect to take on any long journey and be taken out your bag to play and pass some time. Only two people can play this at a time, but that doesn't matter too much with it's purpose being for travelling it would suite two people sat in the back of a car or sat together on a train,bus or plane. I use to love playing this with my Dad and could play all afternoon trying to beat him so will definitely be giving this as a

Best Sellers This Week.

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With Christmas looming upon us and the summer, well what summer we had, almost a memory I am always interested in what customers are buying as presents and what seems to be the most popular. It is always pleasing to hear that there are many parents still looking to buy the more traditional toys for their children and can usually find what they are looking for here in the shop. Whether its for a girl or boy these seem to be the most popular this week. The Wooden Carpenter s Tool Set has to be one of the nicest tool sets around for the budding carpenter. It comes complete with a range of tools including a hammer, screwdriver, saw and other items and in the little drawers are an assortment of screws and nuts. It closes with a couple clips and has a carrying handle. Perfect for the DIY child. Although the Train Vehicle Puzzle is going to make up many Christmas presents it is a very popular buy throughout the year, although sadly the various other vehicle puzzles have now been discontinu

Best toys for an 8 year old boy

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Unless you know what's cool buying a gift for an eight year old boy can be tough going. By eight they know what they like and what they are in to may change by the day. Below is my list of top gift ideas that are sure to be a hit: 1. Spinning Plate - £5.99 The diabolo has seen a rise in popularity this year and most little boys seem to own one already, which is why it's not on my list. After experimenting with diabolo tricks they have become interested in all things juggling and this spinning plate will certainly test their skills. 2. Technorobot Building Kit - £10.99 I could have chosen almost any kit from our education section as there are some other fantastic ones amongst the range. This robot making kit has been popular for years and is a hit with boys. 3. Wooden Bow and Arrow Set - £8.99 A lovely traditional bow and arrow complete with target and three arrows. Even the Dad's will love having a go at this! 4. Magic Hat Trick Set - £16.99 Harry Potter has made all t