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Showing posts from August, 2011

Looe's Making Waves Music Festival

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With September just around the corner Looe is preparing for one of its biggest events this year, a musical extravaganza, and it promises to be an exciting experience and something to remember for anyone who will be in Looe at the time. The festival is set for 23rd , 24th and 25th September and there will be 3 soundstages; on West Looe Quay will be a marquee with a Cornish traditional feel, The Rose Garden Marquee, East Looe with an easy listening ambiance, and the beach and seafront with an al fresco rock, pop, punk vibe. During the day music will be concentrated on the 3 soundstages then local pubs, rest aurants and cafes will take over in the evening to maximise the benefits to the local economy. Headlining will be from the Jam, The Blockheads and Ade Edmondson (of Young Ones, Bottom and Dance for Comic Relief fame) and the Bad Shepherds, plus 40 other local bands, dancers and performers. Also on these 3 days there will also be a host of workshops, street ente

Best toys for a 1 year old girl

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Buying a gift is hard enough but with one year olds you also have to make sure it's safe as well as all the other worries like do they have it already? and will they like it? Here is my list of our top five favourite toys for 1 year old girls that take all that worry away for you: 1. Baby Xylophone - £11.99 This chunky wooden xylophone has four lovely tones meaning she can bash away without causing ear ache. 2. Sweet Pea Snuggle Pod - £11.99 An incredibly soft baby dolly that slips into her peapod bed. Cuddly and cute. 3. Eco Phone - No batteries required - £12.99 Telephone calls when this little girl grows up are going to cost enough without having to spend on batteries for her toy telephone when she's only one. This genius phone is charged simply by shaking it and then it lights up and beeps when the buttons are pressed. 4. Rainbow Spinning Top - £12.99 A traditional metal spinning top decorated with bright colours that merge together as it

Looe and Shark Fishing

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Just around the corner from Toyday in Looe is the headquarters of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain which I walk past every day on my way to and from work. Outside against their wall they keep a blackboard with an up to date count of the sharks that have been caught from Looe so far this season and it stands at 297. Nowadays with conservation in mind the sharks are caught, their measurements are taken and weight estimated and then released back into the sea. This is so different to when I was a young boy and growing up in Looe. Each morning men, and women who I thought were really brave would climb into the fishing boats and leave the harbour and steam for a couple hours out to sea stopping to catch some fresh mackerel for bait on the way. The boats would fly the red SACGB flag to show they were off shark fishing for the day. Me and my friend Bob, both of us aged about ten, would stand on the Banjo Pier in the evening to watch them come back in and for each blu

Best toys for a 1 year old boy

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Shopping for a gift for a 1 year old seems to be especially easy in our shop. When children turn 1 there is suddenly loads of fun wooden toys that are suitable for them. Narrowing it down to what he'll love the best is the challenge. Below is a list of the top gifts for a one year old boy: 1. Wooden Hammer and Balls - £14.99 Hammering these balls and catching them as they come out the mouse hole seems to be irresistible fun, especially for boys who love to hammer things. Although we also sell the more traditional hammer and pegs this wooden toy is definitely more popular. 2. Rolling Shape Sorter - £9.99A wooden shape sorter that little ones can use to not only sort the shapes but also have fun rolling and shaking. We've not had this item in stock very long but it's value for money has given it instant popularity. 3. Ride on Aeroplane - £79.99 When little boys come into the shop this is an item they go straight to. If you've got a bigger bud

Peppa Pig & George at Woodlands Theme Park

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I know with Totnes Carnival starting on Monday there are lots of things to do with the kids next week. If you're looking for other options then on Wednesday 16 th August at Woodlands Theme Park, Peppa Pig & George will be there throughout the day. Our Peppa Pig range here at Toyday is always popular with the little ones so why not take them to see their favourite TV characters and enjoy the other rides and attractions at the Park. Showing at various intervals throughout the day from 11.00 until 4.00. This is a free event included in the admission charge to Woodlands Park.

Alice in Wonderland Themed Odd Object

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Can you spot our object? I've narrowed it down for you by only taking a picture of one section of the window. It will be much harder for those trying to spot it from the entire window. The competition ends on the 27 th of August so come up before then if you want to have a peek. Adam has spent ages making us lovely wooden boxes to display stock in the shop which you can see in the other picture. Everyone seems to love them and customers keep wanting to buy them but unfortunately we don't have enough to let them. Each box has been waxed and printed with our giant Toyday ink stamp which makes them look really traditional to fit in with our theme. We also have some new wooden half barrels to go outside with stock in. There is no protection from the elements so the contents have to be rain proof but they are great for our summer stock like balls, buckets and Frisbees .

Looe events in August

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We have a lot of events happening in and around Looe throughout the month of August and with such a variety of things to do I am sure there must be something here for everyone to enjoy. 11th Snorkel Safari Looe area 12th Beach Day at the Childrens Centre Looe Childrens Centre 12th New Orleans Jazz & Supper Evening St Martins Church Hall, Looe 14th–20th Fowey Royal Regatta Fowey 14th Family Woods Watch Walk Kilminorth Woods, Looe 14th Burraton Male Voice Choir Riverside Church, West Looe 16th&17th British Fireworks Championships Plymouth Hoe 17th Looe Life at Low Tide West Looe River 17th Polperro Fishermens Choir in concert Polperro Quayside 18th Red Arrows at Fowey Fowey 19th Pirates & Princesses Looe Childrens Centre 20th Killer-The Jerry Lee Lewis Story Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross 21st Antique Fair Millenium House, Pensilva 21st Looe Lions Duck Race Looe Bridge & river 21st–26th Redwing Sailing Championships Looe Bay 21st Canoryon Lowen Choir

Beat the Big Birthday Party Expense

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Birthday parties have become big business with every child having to have a better part y than their friends. You can hire anything; Party buses, bouncy castles and all sorts of children's entertainers. Easy for me to say with my love of all things traditional but do we really need to spend lots of money to give our children a good Birthday party? I think the way to go is homemade. I've seen a great idea of making your own bunting out of old hankies. One way of doing this was to just fold them and knot them on to each other at the corners but if you wanted to make something more permanent that will last for future parties, you could sew them into triangles on to a long piece of ribbon. Do you remember paper chains ? You can buy packs of gummy paper strips that you link into paper chains or if you have some old colourful paper handy, scissors and a glue stick you could have a go at doing your own. With the decorations sorted, on to the food. We keep chickens so to not use up s

Totnes Carnival Week 2011

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Totnes Carnival Week kicks off Monday 15th August, with a week crammed full of events for all ages. Toyday will of course be taking part in the Odd Object Competition, which runs from 13th - 27th August, so come up to the shop and try and spot our odd object in the window. You can buy a form from paper works or tourist information and play along for just £1. There are great prizes and trophies to be won. Other events that week Monday 15th August - Baby Show at the Civic Hall 10.30am till 12noon. Register by 10.15am, entry £1. Glamorous Grandparent Competition "Musical Event" at Totnes Civic hall from 7pm. entry £1 Tuesday 16th August - Mile of Pennies in the High Street, 10am till 12noon. The Floral Dance, from the Rotherfold to the Plains with the Totnes Band, 7pm Wednesday 17th August - Sports Day in the Park from 2pm at Borough Park Carnival Bumper Bingo, Civic Hall, 7.30pm. Euchre at the King Bill, 7.30pm for 8pm start, Entry £1. Pool Knock Out Competition at the Dartmo

Looe in Full Swing

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We are now into the first week of August and Looe is packed with holiday makers and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. Last Saturday was the final day of Looe Carnival week with the procession taking place from Hanafore down along West Looe quay and into the streets of East Looe. The weather was glorious and there was hardly a standing place to be found. It was a great evening and a wonderful atmosphere and a fitting finale to a great carnival week. The Looe shop window has been given another make over and we have tried to include a range of the toys to be found inside. It is not a big shop and I think a lot of people are surprised when they do come in to see the selection of toys that we keep from Babies Teethers and Mobiles right up to Suduko and Scrabble and also a lovely range of Musical Instruments . Our selection of traditional wooden toys is expanding all the time and I think one of the best sellers is the wooden Noah's Ark complete with Noah, his Wife and seven