Barnby's toyshop

A magic cave. Look at those beautiful prams!

Corgi Toys, Dinky Toys, Britains Toys, and much much more. That was a child's dream place. Neil, a quick browse on the web and I found the following: Barnbys toy shop, Coventry. 11th February 1980 from a webpage called Memeory Lane https://shop.memorylane.co.uk/mirror/1200to1299-01238/barnbys-toy-shop-coventry-.... if the info is correct, then early 80's before it finally closed the doors. From what I recall, the former Tiffany's Night Clubglass staircase tower was demolished early 80's to make way for the current Coventry Libary, which I think opened mid 80's, at a guess 85/86 ish? If I'm not mistaken, didin't Midland Educational & Co buy into Banbys? I know there were close business links between the two. I found the following link, which you may already be aware of, from the National Archives Midland Educational Co Ltd, booksellers, stationers and printers Along with the following from the Birmingham History Forum https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/threads/midland-educational.25743/ I hope that helps narrow down the time window.

Goodness me, I was dragged to Barnbys almost every Saturday by my daughter from around year 62 till her little brother came along and then a new 'scenario' started. Talk about a glutton for punishment. She has a Pirate puppet still and she is now soon looking forward to her retirement. He was with all the other puppets upstairs in that shop and now hangs in her wardrobe. .......Happy days.

I must add Barnaby's stockage of "chemistry sets". One could buy additional test tubes and replace exhausted chemicals there. Chemistry was one of my first obsessions, such that I was borrowing A level chemistry books from the Stoke library before 11. It was a difficult decision whether to study chemistry or electronics when applying for university. The Barton brothers (Electronic Services) eventually had the edge. I realised biochemistry was where the advances were to be made but my 3 A levels did not include biology. Electronics seem to offer more opportunity for hands-on engineering. My eldest son has chosen the opposite path, he is a professor of theoretical chemistry and sits in front of a computer screen all day. Sadly chemistry sets have been curtailed by the 'health and safety brigade', electronics has taken the hobbyist into levels of abstraction such that understanding is beyond all but specialists. Our parents could understand every aspect of how the lathe or milling machine that they operated worked, but today they would be alienated by the robots, 3-D printers and complex software tools that defy the opportunity of originality or common sense.

When I was little, my mum went into Barnby's with me to get a chemistry set. She was concerned that I might be able to make a bomb from it, but the manager chappy (or assistant, well, he was a mature bloke with glasses in a suit) assured her that there was nothing dangerous in the set. But I was young then. So, years later, we made our own guns and pipe bombs using sulphur, charcoal, icing sugar, sodium chlorate weedkiller from my parent's hardware shop. All done by trial and error. That's how ones learns. Nearly killed ourselves, we did. But it was part of growing up. Kids today.. stuck in the house, glued to a mobile or a laptop or a tablet or a television showing Netflix or a computer game... gamers, they call them. Ought to get out there into the real world, they should. I've never seen the point of living in fantasy land. And you're right about the Barton brothers' shop, ES as we called it. Electronics fascinated me from the age of 9, when I built my first one valve radio, taking over from where electrics left off. One of their sons was a sixth former at my school. Made a career of electrics/electronics (same thing in essence), I did. Still doing it now, although semi-retired. Could have done something different, like being a lawyer, or a stand-up comedian. Or a professional criminal. LOL

We have much in common, Choirboy. Funnily enough, I was in the school choir as I could sing in tune, before my voice broke, that is. And at age 15, motor bikes were far more interesting! When fixing TVs (a lucrative hobby), many is the time the anode of the line output valve would glow red because, usually, the drive to the control grid had failed. Red spots and white spots etc. were the thing in those days. Only years later did I learn that they were actually manufacturer's defects, which worked after a fashion. A bit. It's a wonder my circuits ever worked. It never occurred to me that a transistor should have a part number such as BC547 (or AC128 back in the day). I was good at language (grammar), but hated literature from any early age. Could never see the point of fantasy, i.e. fiction. Aged 8, the teacher did not put my essay in the bin, but once told the whole class that I got the prize for copying down the shortest poem about the sea and ships. She gave me the shortest comment I ever had on a report: "He lacks imagination". She was correct.

Slim, likewise I didn't like fiction. Another memory to add, AC/BC, germanium or silicone npn/pnp, not forgetting the good old 2N3055 power transistor and good old Electronic Services in the Arcade..... Back in those days Choirboy, we were encouraged to be practical and hands on, not today. Oh, and theThistle PH

Oh blimey, BC547 (& 548, 549.... and BC107, 108, 109 - the old metal can equivalents), AC128, 2N3055.... I think I still have a few of all of these in my little drawers in the garage! Been a while since I used them for anything, though. The germanium AC128s etc. are still useful for recreating the old "60s" sound when making guitar effects pedals.