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| Ancestor Gateway Forum - STAMFORD MEMORIES GATEWAY (Lincolnshire England) used as PRIDE and PREJUDICE FILM SET | New Topic | Search |
| Thread Topic: ELLISDONS catalogue Topic Originator: Mike Laughton Post Date February 10, 2015 @ 3:37 PM |
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| Mike Laughton |
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This post doesn't pertain specifically to Stamford but it may bring back memories to anyone who grew up during the 1950s. (Perhaps the 1940s and 1960s as well) ELLISDONS was a mail order catalogue that used to advertise in all the popular comics of the day - Dandy, Beano, Eagle. etc etc. The company specialised in jokes, tricks and games for children. There was hardly a child growing up in the 1950s who didn't buy something from Ellisdons. The kind of items they sold included joke rubber beetles and spiders, realistic-looking rubber food, soap or bars of chocolate. They also sold items like "black-face soap" (which would leave you with a blackened face if you tries to wash with it) and a trick kaleidoscope which would leave your mates with a black ring round their eye after they looked through it. One of their biggest sellers was a periscope which enabled you to see over walls and hedges or over the heads of people in front of you in a crowd. (These reached the height of popularity during the queen's Coronation). One of the weirdest things they sold was a "SeeBackroScope" which, when you put it to your eye, enabled you to see behind you. This was based on the same principle as the periscope, using two small mirrors. But the most popular item you could buy from Ellisdons was the stink bomb. You used to get a pack of three for 1/6 (seven and a half pence in modern money). You could also buy a bottle of stinking scent for the same price. the stink bomb and stinking scent was made from hydrogen sulphate and it smelt like rotten eggs or a really obnoxious fart. The most popular target for boys with stink bombs was Woolworths or the Cinema. The Picturedrome was better than the Central because it has a wooden floor and the glass would break more easily. Throw one in the Central and the chances are it would land on the carpet or something soft and fail to break. Occasionally a brave lad would let off a stink bomb at school but if you did the teacher would punish the whole class. For a time you could buy stink bombs from Hardinghams shop in Ironmonger Street. But Mr Hardingham stopped selling them after complaints from parents, teachers and other businesses. In some other towns business people who had been the victim of stink bombs would get their revenge by letting them off in the shop that sold them. Anyone else have memories of buying something of interest from Ellisdons? Photo: Crowds at the Queen's Coronation in 1953 pictured with their periscopes.  |
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| Roger Partridge |
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I grew up in the 1950s and don't remember Ellisdons. I don't recall either the Beano or Dandy carrying adverts and I used to read the Beano every week and the Dandy at Bill Garrett's barber's shop when waiting to get my hair cut. What time does to the memory! |
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| ANNE MARIE McFARLANE |
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I ADORED THE CATALOGUE. EVERY CHRISTMAS MY GRANDPARENTS LET US SEND FOR A PARCEL, AND I CANNOT EXPLAIN THE EXCITEMENT WE FELT WHEN IY ARRIVED. I HAVE MENTIONED IT ON A FEW OF THE SITES I AM ON, AND NO-ONE REMEMBERS IT. I HAD " THE PIG WITH THE CURLY TAIL, SMOKEY JOE, MAGIC PUTTY, IYCHING POWDER, STINK BOMBS, INDOOR FIREWORKS, AND A TUBE OF A GLUE-LIKE SUBSTANCE WHICH CAME WITH A LITTLE PIPE. A BLOB OF THE SUBSTANCE WAS PUT ON THE END OF THE PIPE, AND YOU BLEW BUBBLES THAT YOU COULD PINCH OFF THE PIPE AND PAT ABOUT. EVENTUALLY THEY DRIED OUT AND BECAME BRITTLE. AMAZING TIMES. THANKYOU FOR LETTING ME REMINISCE. I WOULD LOVE PICTURES OF THE CATALOGUE TO POST. |
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| Peter |
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I grew up in the 50's/60's and craved a Seebackroscope, alas never to own one. By the time I could afford one I had moved on to Airfix kits and spent many happy hours upstairs in Warners and Oliver Carleys' in Peterborough drooling over the latest models. I often wonder if my Sunderland flying boat still lies at the bottom of the Welland near the point after it was scuttled by bangers one Bonfire Night! I blame youthful high jinks and a misspent youth. Funnily enough I seem to get worse as I get older lol. Regarding the adverts I'm sure they appeared in the comics of the day as well as the classified pages of the Saturday editions of some of the national newspapers. However, I fear that my memories are struggling to get past the 70's which is when I discovered beer! |
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| Mike Laughton |
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Hi Anne Marie, There are lots of pictures of Ellisdons catalogues on the 'Net. Just type in "Photos of Ellisdons catalogues" or "Images of Ellisdons catalogues" on google and dozens will appear. Great nostalgia! |
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