Toy department

Where you went to have fun
By Jo Spence

Most children if not all children in Watford and its surrounding area knew where Trewins toy department was. Ebenezer House was the partners name for it but the children just knew it as where you went to have fun!

Pocket money toys was the most popular section of the department being the most easily affordable with whoopee cushions a real favourite. Next was the toy of the moment. Sindy and Barbie for the girls, Action Man and Lego for the boys. With, of course, the ever popular essential soft toy. Teddies out numbering the rest. Not much different from today.

Photo:Front door with open display windows to toy department.
Photo:Boxed toys with pocket money toys on the right. The door just visible behind the Trewins sign was the partners entrance to the shop.
Photo:Looking across the toy department from gardening.
Photo:Soft toys spilling from the shelves.
Photo:The view from toys window to office door.
Photo:Stairway to toys upper floor. The blue hoarding around the construction site for the new Harlequin centre can be seen through the window.
Photo:First floor art, games and outdoor toys.
This gallery was added by Jo Spence on 07/09/2007.

Comments about this page

I remember a customer attempting to return an unwanted game - Trivial Pursuit; which at that time (c1983) wasn't stocked by the partnership.
He couldn't understand why we wouldn't take it back.
"But I'm an account customer " he said!

It took a lot of explaining by the then manager, Ian Head.

By Jo Spence
On 02/10/2007

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