East Lancashire toy shops hail the popularity of traditional goods (From Lancashire Telegraph)

East Lancashire toy shops hail the popularity of traditional goods

2:20pm Tuesday 20th December 2011 in Blackburn By Dan Clough, Reporter

PUPPET PALS Beth France at Timeless Toys

TRADITIONAL toys are at the top of children’s lists to Santa Claus this year.

And shop bosses in East Lancashire said they have seen a return to the toys of yesteryear.

Top-selling toys include Lego, a model pirate ship and a puppet theatre play set.

Danish favourite Lego is the number one toy for Blackburn youngsters, according to the staff at Mercers in Darwen Street.

The toy has been around for 62 years, but it remains popular today, having developed licensed themes, including Batman and Indiana Jones.

Rose Fowler, from the shop, said: “Lego has been selling really well and is the number one toy for boys.

“They’ve got the licences for Star Wars and Harry Potter which makes it sell well.

“It is good that children still want Lego as it is a constructive toy where you have to sit down and build something.

“It is obviously still capturing their imaginations if it is still so high on their lists.”

Beth France, of Timeless Toys in Gisburn Road, Barrowford, said it was important to maintain the traditions of classic toys.

And she said the top toys in her shop this year have been a Le Toy Van model pirate ship and Melissa and Doug’s Puppet Theatre play set.

Ms France said: “These days, toys are all-singing all-dancing, and the toy plays on its own while the child just sits and watches.

"Children get so much more out of toys like the pirate ship and the puppet theatre.

“They are proper toys that encourage sharing, and the parents can also get involved.

“It is nice when toys can involve the whole family.”

She said children need to be given a chance to use their imagination.

“Our toys look lovely, which is why the children notice them,” she said.

“Things like the pirate ship look exciting and the children want to play with them.”

Ms France said it was not just children that got enjoyment from classic toys.

She said: “They help to bring back memories for adults. We got a lot of grandparents coming in who want their grandchildren to play with the toys they did.

"They ask for older toys like Jack-in-the-boxes, but I can’t get hold of them for love nor money.”

"She also said that traditional wooden toys lasted longer than modern plastic ones, adding: “You won’t have to keep coming back buying new ones all the time as they will last.”