T is for Two - from Merit

Those of you who have followed this blog from the start, or who have gone back over some of the old posts will know I have a bit of a soft spot for Merit, which has an interesting history; he (J. Randall) being the man behind Bell who produced the box of figures we looked at a few weeks ago (more on them in a day or two), until he married and added 'R' Randall to the mix with Merit!

I posted the 'infant toy' fort some time ago and we are going to look at another infant toy today, and also a board game which has to be added to the master list...

Heeerrrrs....'Mr Bobby'! Sorry Edmonds, but originality was never your strong point and you were beaten to the post on this one by about 30 years! There's even a facial similarity, to Mr. Blobby*, not Edmonds! Dated to 1962, this is a pretty early piece of British plastic, and as a figure, in uniform; just about scrapes in under the collecting criteria wire!

The figure is fully articulated through over a dozen ball-sockets and swivel-joints, and is made from what was described - at the time - as 'hygienic' polyethylene. I'm not so sold on the multi-coloured segments - but it was designed for very young children in a quieter age, not sardonic old gits in the 21st century!

I really like this, as I hadn't seen one before, so when I saw it last weekend at the Sandown Park toy fair it was an absolute for inclusion! There is an elephant missing (probably with a grey wash, and almost certainly the same size as the other animals), the trap-door needs to be sourced and I will look out for a better box now I know what I'm looking for.

It has the same licensing date - 1966 - in the same typeface ('font' to the younger generation!) as the Airfix Tarzan set, and from the same people; Banner Productions (but Inc. not the Ltd. of the Airfix box), so ties-in to the same movie or TV series...I don't follow Tarzan so I don't know, anyone who does? The Airfix set was issued a year later though; 1968 as opposed to this games 1967.

*for non-UK followers - Mr Blobby was a televisual abomination here in the UK in the 1980's, Google him (it?) if you want to ruin your evening and lower your view of British cultural standing for all time. Sad thing is - if I see a small model of him, I'll have to add it to the collection...The Horror...The Horror...