About Me

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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Monday, July 30, 2018

New, Views Etc . . . Toys Я Going...Going...Still Going!

Kerching!
Despite the end coming some time ago, news stories continue to surface about TRU, not lest the recent spate of articles - in the major press - on the sale of six former Toy 'R' Us sites for £30.5m squids, one of the purchasers being Cardiff City Council? Plymouth Council has bought another (and funnily enough Plymouth is one I've been to!), I guess they are looking at conversion to sports facilities or maybe those multi-store craft/antiques markets?

Three have gone to an unnamed retail chain, so will remain shops of some type while the sixth is to be converted into housing it seems?

Gone Under - Down Under
Back in June it was announced that the 44 Australian stores were all to close through July, the whole group including the US parentage is going to be wound-up in the fullness of time, with a few US stores continuing as clearance depots.

As I've said before, not something I'll actually morn, they created the industry-model which destroyed them.

Still Trading!
However there was a good news story (for those who persistently and without reason, cling to a vague 'faith in humanity'); in Cheltenham one autistic lad was so bereft at the closure of his local store, and unable to fully comprehend it (it was his favorite store from infanthood) having fixed-it in his mind, as a constant in his life (as autistic's can), that his mother wrote to TRU explaining the worrying predicament.

Gloucester store invited him down, showed him the 'dead' Toysaurus, gave him a tour so he could finalise its demise - mentally - and presented him with logo boards (including Lego!), point-of sale display boards, an opening-times entrance sign, a large Geoffrey Giraffe and etcetera; allowing him to re-create a permanent TRU in his bedroom - which he has now done!

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