MYSTERY SHOPPER
Like the rafters of an old theatre, this store was adorned in theatrical memorabilia, puppets, marionettes, pop-out Victorian theatre craft sets and retro board games. Glass cases filled with antique toys and priceless puppet theatre gave the store a museum-like sense of nostalgia.
BENJAMIN POLLOCK’S TOY SHOP 44 The Market, Covent Garden, London I happily studied the store
for ten minutes. “Do let us know if you need a hand, won’t you?” offered the mild mannered storeowner. I gave him my mission statement. “Well, we have a number of options here if she enjoys crafts or putting on shows?” “Don’t they all?” I replied. He then proceeded to lay out
cut and craft Victorian theatres with a variety of playbooks and character sheets. “Our most popular one sold out at Christmas, but we can find you something interesting here, does she like fairy tales?” He went through a box brimming with scripts and playbooks. From Fairy Tales
and Shakespeare to classic Victorian plays, the choice seemed endless. “We have plenty more to choose from of course,” said the owner, indicating the rest of the store. He showed me a collection of 3D craft kits, depicting iconic literary characters. “She may need help cutting these,” he told me “or maybe you could put them together and frame them for her, as a nice gift for her room.” A genius idea, but technically not a toy. He had to agree and continued to show me the collection of puppets and marionettes, silhouettes, Punch and Judy sets and circus themed toys and games. “We also have these retro style board games from Hungary, these do really well.” One look and I could see why. The store was filled with the weird, the wonderful and the utterly charming. Forgetting my mission momentarily, I admitted I wanted it all.
VERDICT: An enchanting store that brought the nostalgic magic of theatre together with the fun and excitement of an array of toys and games. The customer service was top notch, personal, informative and empathetic.
5/5 SUMMARY
London is the epicentre of trade and business, yet its population of independent toy shops is few and far between. However, among those it does have to offer, are some real gems. Special mention has to go to this month’s star store, Benjamin Pollock’s Toy Shop for its exciting collection of theatre-inspired toys and puppets, along with its
accommodating and friendly customer service. While Wood ‘n’ Things scored lowest this month, a toy shop in this central location was a welcome sight, and a refreshing respite from the monotony of suits and ties in coffee shops.
ERIC SNOOK
The store’s window display of working mechanical wooden toys immediately gave it a Dickensian toy workshop feel, so I entered with my hopes high. The dumbfounded
expression on the face of the young man stacking shelves extinguished this in seconds. Having asked for a traditional toy for my eight year old niece, the fear in his eyes said more than his words could, which did help as he didn’t utter a single one. Gratefully, we were rescued by a bubbly young woman. The shop was filled with
WOOD ‘N’ THINGS 57 Brushfield Street, Old Spitalfields Market, London
32 The Market, Covent Garden, London
knick-knacks, trinkets, gadgets, cuddly toys and a few tourist souvenirs. We stopped in a corner brimming with wooden play-sets, disparagingly, mostly aimed at pre-schoolers. The girl immediately thrust a miniature tea set in my hands. “If she likes role-play, she’ll love a tea set,” she informed me with confidence. “Or,” she continued, “it’s less of a toy, but all girls love these musical jewellery boxes.” Apparently they were their most popular line for girls of that age. It was the last on
the shelf, so I decided to believe her. “Most of the stuff is for younger kids really. But have a look at these little bits,” she said indicating the cheaper priced novelty items. “You could make up a goody bag. I’ll leave you to have a look.” As fun as they are, I didn’t think Mexican Jumping Beans or an oversized pencil quite cut it for a birthday present. I liked the tea set, but in the end left the store deflated that the mechanical wooden toys didn’t get a mention. Girls can enjoy construction too, right?
VERDICT: Eric Snook is a charming store with a traditional toy shop feel. The range of stock didn’t seem to quite live up to how it presented itself, but there were still some treasures to be found. The service was perplexing at points, but pleasant. Certainly a store of character.
www.toynews-online.biz
This store had a lot less ‘wood’ than it did general ‘things’. From the outside it had the appearance of an alcove of discovery, waiting to be explored. I manoeuvered my way into the shop and commenced my hunt. To its credit, the amount of ‘things’ on display was impressive. Fancy dress items plastered the walls and hung from the ceilings, while novelty gifts including rubber spiders, fly-laden ice cubes and false noses piled high on the shelves. The shop almost had a jovial fun quality, were it not for the sun-bleached
signs posted around the shop ordering ‘No photos’. The opposite side of the
shop was where the ‘wood’ was kept. A couple of sets from Hape and Brio stood solitary on the shelves. I couldn’t help but think that for a store that prided itself on its ‘wood’, the choice was somewhat rather limited. I broached the storeowner
with my question. The response didn’t take me by too much of a surprise. “Pretty much what you see here.” I thanked her kindly, and left the store rather underwhelmed.
3/5
VERDICT: This store had a fun collection of novelty and fancy dress items, ideal for pocket money spending or party games. It was somewhat let down by its wooden toy collection, but nevertheless good to see the presence of an indie like this in a central London location.
2/5 March 53
STORE STAR
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76