Our KVFM meeting this morning was interrupted by the arrival of James May, who is currently filming a new series about children's toys. You may recall that he visited McDonalds (for a burger) while KVFM87.7 was on air last month, and we persuaded him to record a brief piece to camera, supporting full time community radio for Kensington and Fairfield.
He came along today to ask us if we would make something out of Meccano over the next few weeks, and he would come back and see if the passion for this toy, traditionally manufactured on Edge Lane, is still there. It is of course controversial, since the firm was bought out by the French and is now manufactured in China, but there was still much reminiscing about the old days, what we had built as kids, competition over who could build up a number 10 set, recollections about local children hanging magnets over the factory wall on pieces of string to try and catch any offcuts, the sit-in that lasted so many months...
He has asked other Liverpool groups - and a group of students at St Francis of Assisi to make their own models and they will all be displayed later for one of his programmes.
We came up with some interesting ideas for our model and will be getting together to build something really great. Something to look forward to!
6 comments:
Are you going to be on tele?
x
I have absolutely no idea Cath, but you never know. I guess it depends if we make anything worthwhile. I might be on for a split second in the background at some point, if you squint, and peer round the edge of the screen...
Not in your nice cardie though?
I used to live in Sapphire Street, next to Binns Road where Meccano was manufactured. I remember the sit in when the place closed. That workforce were one of the countless victims of Thatchers policies.
I couldn't beleive it when I saw that picture of the two of you together. Oh I do envy you,I have always wanted to meet Pam Ayres. I could have given her a copy of my Ode to the String Vest.
Frank Hornby - Meccano, Dinky cars and train sets. What a guy! One of Liverpool's greatest sons for the effect he has on the world.
Sadly he was a Tory MP for Everton for a few years before he died :-(
His funeral was at St Andrews in Maghull, where I think he is buried (and coincidentally for me, my Uncle's funeral was too!)
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