Dixons
The home of brands such as Prinz and Saisho. Summary Founded by Charles Kalms and Michael Mindel. Dixons started life in 1937 as a small photographic studio in the High Street in Southend. The company was branded Dixons Studios Limited a name reprtably picked at random from a telephone directory as it was deemed to […]
Tab Clear
How many people remember this clear fizzy drink from the 1990’s similar in flavour to flat Coca Cola. Tab Clear was actually Coca-Cola’s venture into the short-lived “clear cola” movement that was popular during the early 1990’s. Summary A ‘diet’ type drink Tab Clear was initially introduced in the United States on December 14th, 1992, it’s […]
Dinky Toys
Dinky Toys was the brand name given to a range of die-cast zinc alloy scale model vehicles, traffic lights, and road signs. Summary The models were produced and the brand owned by British toy company Meccano Ltd who made Dinky Toys at their factory in Binns Road, Liverpool, UK between 1934 and 1979. Dinky toys pre-dated other popular British […]
Busy Bodies
You will probably have to be a keen collector or of a certain age to remember these little plastic figures. They were seen as a competitor to what was then Play People. Summary There is very little detailed info out there on Busy Bodies. We think they were created as Play-Big by a German toy company […]
Rumbelows
Once on nearly every high street Rumbelows was said to rival the big players in the market at the time: Currys, Dixons and Comet. Summary Rumbelows had their origins when Fred Dawes established a chain of TV and radio rental shops that he named after himself in the 1950’s. The stores built on their success […]
Amstrad PPC512/640
An early laptop? In the 1980’s Amstrad like them or loathe them had a reputation for producing the latest electronic trends at affordable prices. By 1987 Amstrad had ventured from TV’s and consumer electronics into the booming home computer market. The PPC (portable personal computer) models offered computing on the go. Summary Launched in 1987, […]
Talbot Tagora
How about something with 4 wheels that you don’t often hear about? Talbot’s forgotten executive car had only a short life from 1980 to 1983 with fewer than 20,000 models ever made. Summary The Talbot Tagora was a large four door saloon aimed at the executive car market, dominated by the like of Ford’s Granada and Rover’s […]
Cabana
Remember the ad? “Come mister magic man, make me a Cabana”. Cabana is perhaps a forgotten chocolate bar that was about in the 1980’s. Summary Cabana was a chocolate bar combining coconut, caramel, cherries inside a milk chocolate outer layer. It was produced by Rowntree’s in the early 1980’s. Where Did They Go? Sadly Cabana […]
Rover SD1
Even today the Rover SD1 doesn’t look out of place against it’s modern counterparts at it’s launch it was style revolution. Sadly at many of the car rallies I’ve attended SD1’s are a rare visitor. Summary Launched in 1976, development had begun in 1971, when Rover ,who at that time were part of British Leyland, […]
Lunn Poly
It’s that time of year when people’s thoughts turn to the annual holiday. Like anything else here in the UK Travel Agents once a mainstay of any British High Street have changed. In this post we remember Lunn Poly, remember? Lunn Poly…Get away Summary Lunn Poly was, once, the largest chain of Travel Agents in the UK, […]