We had a very nostalgic look of why these metal taps were so popular in the 1950s and how they are making a strong resurgence. You have probably read about the fashion history of our metal taps for shoes page that looks at some stylish metal taps used back in the 1950s. Most people are looking for metal or rubber taps. If you want to make a noise then make sure you avoid those that a re lablled noise free heel tips

Mens taps for shoes or Blakeys

Metal heel protectors for mens shoes were also known as Blakey’s Shoe Protectors I think is fair to say that Blakeys has become synonymous throughout the world for prolonging the life of footwear. Taps for shoes or boots are pretty fashionable again.

Capezio tap shoes

Capezio is the trade name of Capezio Ballet Makers Inc. Founded by Salvatore Capezio. He was a shoemaker and is renowned for his tap shoes. Capezio was born in 1871 in Italy. When he was 17 years old, Capezio opened a small shoe repair shop. Tap shoes were only a few pirouettes away from New York’s old Metropolitan Opera House. The sign above his door read, “The Theatrical & Historical Shoemaker. Since then the name is always associatted with quality tap shoes.

Capezio tap shoes today

Capezio tap shoes are as popular as ever today. Fashion icons like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga have been seen wearing them. If you want to get a pair they start from around £100 so shoes or boots are relatively affordable. When you consider a few years ago Beyonce and Maddie Ziegler have all supported the brand by wearing capezio tap shoes or boots. If you haven’t tried this manufacturer of dance shoes, apparel and accessories then you may want to visit his website.

Metal tips for shoes and metal heel taps for boots issues

If you want the clicky sound then go for the metal taps on your heels. The only issue I had is you can slip a little on pavements with the metal heels. Can you use taps on block heels, you can but the rubber ones are the best if you want to make sure the heel makes no sound. If you have boots then they are perfect for a rubber sole .

You dont have to glue them on. I use nails and they seem to stay on fine. You can glue it if you want to be double sure the taps dont come off before using the nails

Metal heel protectors

We used to call these metal heel protectors “Blakeys” Shoe & Boot Toe Guards

The post Taps for shoes appeared first on Skooldays.

10 Greatest Toys From The Seventies, Mastermind or Stretch Armstrong, what would you say?

10 Greatest Toys From The Seventies

1.Barbie

“We girls can do anything.”
If toys are a gold mine, then for girls, Barbie is the mother lode. The Queen Bee, in other words. The Head Honcha. The Great One. The Almighty Buxom One. Her Highness. Her Majesty. The Chairwoman of the Toy Board. If you played with her, and it’s hard to believe you didn’t, the mere mention of her name probably evokes a clouds-separating, angels-bursting-into-song type of effect.
1.Barbie

Barbie

2.Crayola Crayons

Who among us hasn’t held a crayon? Who hasn’t taken an obsessive fancy to one certain color and worn it down to a nub? Who hasn’t reverently opened a new box and filled his lungs with that special paraffin scent (a scent that a Yale University study ranked number eighteen on a list of the twenty most recognizable scents to American adults)? Coloring with crayons is a world that a kid can get lost in for hours. It’s calming, it’s engrossing, and it smells good. May the new shades keep coming, and the may your little brother not step on (or eat) any of your favorites.

2.Crayola Crayons

Crayola Crayons

3.Etch-A-Sketch

In the 1970’s, Ohio Art issued ‘Hot Pink’ and ‘Cool Blue’ frames, and for the toy’s 25th anniversary in 1985, the company offered the Executive Etch-A-Sketch-boasting a snazzy silver frame, a hand-carved signature at the top of the frame and jeweled drawing knobs! It priced in at $3,750 back then, so you better have been ready to devote the rest your days to stylus art. There are even models with color and sound effects, and even the Etch-A-Sketch “action pack,” which included different puzzle and game overlays that could be placed atop the screen. But the best-selling version, and the one indelibly ingrained in our toy culture memories, is the classic red.
3.Etch-A-Sketch

Etch-A-Sketch

4.Evel Knievel

Evel Knievel toys continued to be popular throughout the 1970’s. Although they were discontinued after that time, these toys occupied a special place in the hearts of toy fanatics and continue to be highly sought-after collectibles today. In fact, loose Knievel dolls and accessories can take in as much as $50 on the collector’s markets, and boxed versions can go as high as $100. Several of the classic stunt-toys were also reissued by Playing Mantis Toys in 1998 and found much favor with nostalgic Knievel fans. The continued popularity of these toys shows that Evel Knievel and the toys he inspired are phenomena with true staying power.
4.Evel Knievel

Evel Knievel

5.Lego

“A new toy every day!”
There are two kinds of gift-wrapped presents you can divine just by holding the box and giving it a good shake: a book, and a box of Legos. Literacy is a wonderful thing, but let’s face it, if you’ve got visions of toys dancing in your head, you’d probably rather hear that glorious Lego rattle. Sure, your mom used to step on them barefoot or vacuum them up because she couldn’t see them hiding in the carpet. And sure, you lost plenty of the small pieces to the cushion cracks of the car’s backseat and the not-often-mowed lawn and the dog’s digestive track. But never mind those perils, because some rides are worth the price of admission.
5.Lego

Lego

6.Mastermind

“Easy to learn. Easy to play. But not so easy to win.”
You have to give Invicta credit. This British plastics company took what was essentially a measuring stick for brainiacs and turned it into one of the most popular games to come out of the 1970’s. Maybe it was that James Bond-esque photo on the cover (aristocratic villain in an executive chair, exotic beauty behind him), but Mastermind always seemed too cool to be just for geniuses.
6.Mastermind

Mastermind

7.Mouse Trap

“A game of zany action on a crazy contraption!”
It may be time to revise the old maxim, “Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.” The mousetrap in the board game of the same name may have been the most inefficient, Rube-Goldberg-esque contraption even intended to imprison a rodent. Honestly, were the diving guy and the bathtub really necessary? And yet, as convoluted as this rat-catcher may have been, people have been beating a path to Mouse Trap’s door for over 35 years.
7.Mouse Trap

Mouse Trap

8.Rebound

Basically, Rebound was a miniaturized board-game version of shuffleboard. Just the same, there was a twist to this game of shuffleboard: the board was split down the middle by a wall. The player launched one of four pucks up the right side, carefully angling the shot so it would “rebound” off a pair of angled rubber bands at the top of the board. A proper shot bounced the puck down the other side of the board.
8.Rebound

Rebound

9.Stretch Armstrong

“S-T-R-E-T-C-H him… He returns to normal size!”
He looked like just another pretty blonde head on a Mr. Universe body. A Ken doll with better pecs and a sporty bathing suit. But Stretch Armstrong was much more than muscles; he was malleable. Bend him, pull him, twist him, tie him in a knot, it didn’t even faze him. He laughed at your puny attempts to harm him (note: toy did not actually laugh). Stretch’s limbs could be pulled to four times their natural span and still manage to squeeze back to normal size, without unsightly stretch marks.
9.Stretch Armstrong

Stretch Armstrong

10.Tonka Trucks

“A Real tough toy for a real tough boy – Tonka!”
Boys love their Tonka Trucks. Love to hold them, love to smash them into other Tonkas, love to take chips out the wall plaster with them, love to personalize them with “vroom vroom” sound effects. Tonkas are an inside and an outside toy—they’re sturdy and virtually unbreakable. There are plenty of moving parts, but not a lot of separable parts, so there’s no need to worry about things getting lost. There might not be a toy that says “boy” more. There are enough models in the product line to make a complete collection seem just barely attainable…instilling the Truck aficionado with a yen for more and more Truck acquisitions (in toy company land, this consumer’s sense of quest means a promotion for everyone in the marketing department).
10.Tonka Trucks

Tonka Trucks

“What about you, do you think we missed a great 1970s toy?”

The post 10 Greatest Toys From The 70’s appeared first on Skooldays.

So we thought we would introduce you to a selection of sites we are currently following.
Of course let us know if you think we have missed a cool fashion site off out list, for now our amazing 7 in no particular order.

7 Amazing Vintage Fashion Sites we Follow

1. Fashion Dig

http://www.fashiondig.com/
The great Vintage clothing shop selling vintage clothes, designer clothing, and retro accessories, vintage inspired clothing and loads more from the 60s 70s and 80s.

Fashion Dig

2. Fashion-Vintage

http://www.fashion-vintage.com/fv/index.html?language=en
Site in Englaish and Dutch – All authentic fashion on line. Claims to be the most fashionable place on the web for buying and selling authentic vintage designer clothes, shoes, bags and more

Fashion-Vintage

3. Vintage Fashion Library

http://www.vintagefashionlibrary.com/
Sewing patterns from every era to now. Civil War, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, WWII, Rockabilly, Mod, Hippie and more.Yes it goes right back to 1850 fashion and brings it up to date with 1970s disco and 1980s patterns

Vintage Fashion Library

4. Vintage Trends

http://www.vintagetrends.com/
Vintage Indie, Mod, Hippie Clothing, Retro Clothes & More! Has a nice fashion timeline feature. Site covers quality vintage clothing online, including indie clothing, vintage mod clothing, gabardine clothing and hippie clothing.

Vintage Trends

5. Retro to Go

http://www.retrotogo.com/womens_fashion/
Similar to Skooldays – covers all sorts of fashion, technology and design to film, TV, architecture and exhibitions – what’s hip and cool in the retro world. Really nice blog and clean layout.

Retro to Go

6. Almost Vintage Clothing

http://www.almostvintageclothing.com/
Very smart design for old UK fashion. Retro Clothes in all decades 1960’s 1970’s 1980’s and 1990’s vintage clothing.

Almost Vintage Clothing

7. Mod Cloth

http://www.modcloth.com/
Stunning fashion site Mod Cloth is a great place to do your nostalgic shopping. Mod Cloth provides a selection of vintage inspired fashion including dresses, tops, bottoms, swimwear and outerwear. With international shipping, this is well worth a closer look.

Mod Cloth

“So what about you, do you follow a vintage fashion site?
Do you think we missed an amazing vintage fashion site off the list?”

The post 7 Amazing Vintage Fashion Sites we Follow appeared first on Skooldays.

The rich voice over came from Wiliam Franklin

It was clearly stated each episode that “Only the murderer can lie”

Originally Edward Woodward hosted the first series. The concept was simple, a mini drama of 15 minutes takes place where clues and red herrings are left for you to pick up. the settings varied – i remember one taking place in a spaceship,of course Jon Pertwee being an ex Dr Who couldn’t help himself and putting his tongue in his cheek, Pertwee remarked: “In case you think, you’ve seen me here before, you haven’t. I never visited this place on my travels!”. So the settings were quite diverse from week to week.

You had to really concentrate to catch all the clues that are dropped in, it wasn’t always the butler or the maid! Once the sketch had finished with a murder then the cast were questioned by the Whodunnit panel.At the end of the questioning the Panel would make there decision and then John Pertwee would say the immortal words….Will The Real Whodunnit Please Stand Up?
Script:
“RELAXATION”, says Whodunnit’s Jon Pertwee is “riding a motor cycle, a bit of water-skiing, or a nice burn-up in the jet-boat. My wife thinks I’m demented.”For a man touching 60, Pertwee does seem a little on the hyper-energetic side. But his hankering after all kinds of athletic and mechanical excesses showed itself very early in life. During his early teens, for instance, he got carried away – quite literally – over a craze for motor cycles: his first ride on his father’s machine ended up with him going at high speed straight into a stone wall on the family estate!

From that inauspicious beginning Pertwee has graduated to racing cars, then go-karts, followed by more motor bikes, 10-speed bicycles, jet-boats and finally, in some sort of climax, to the Who-mobile. Viewers of Dr Who will probably remember the machine; it looked like a cross between a speedboat and a benevolent shark, but it won a permanent place in Pertwee’s affections. So much so that when he severed his connections with the series he took the Whomobile with him. Nowadays he uses it for the odd shopping jaunt around Barnes, Surrey, where he lives with his German wife, Ingeborg, and his two teenage children. He gleefully remarks how other road users in the area drive almost right off the road whenever he hoves into sight.

Pertwee looks like a cross between the Count Of Monte Cristo and Dan Dare. There’s something about the tattooed forearms, the hooked nose, and the wild, perpetually jet-streamed white hair that suggests both the classic romantic adventurer and the slightly silly comic-book hero. The similarities extend beyond mere physical appearance and his seemingly boundless energies; like some superannuated eternal child, Pertwee takes an obsessive interest in new gadgets and toys.

His town-house in London is littered with adding machines, rowing machines, an electronic treasure hunting machine for combing tropical beaches, tape recorders and stereo gear; but he’s not entirely chauvinistic in his pursuit or pleasure through the wonders of 20th century technology. Ingeborg’s kitchen hums, whirrs and whizzes with a multitude of automatic blenders, juicers, mincers, fruit-crushers and the like. “I have,” says Pertwee, “a perpetual need to be astonished.”

Such an adventurous, gadget-strewn existence does have its occupational hazards. Once, while water-skiing on the Hawkesbury River, near Sydney, Pertwee was challenged to a test of bravery (or stupidity) by some Ocker friends. With all involved being fairly well smashed on the picnic wine, Pertwee lashed his water-ski tow-rope onto a shark-spotting plane that someone had brought along for the party. He then took off behind the plane in an attempt on the “World Speed Record While Drunk on Skis.”

“We got to about 60mph,” he says, “and then we came to a bend in the river. At the same time the pilot hit an air pocket and shot straight up into the air. This presented a problem. Should I let go, and risk breaking every bone in my body, or should I hang on, take off, and take my chances on touching down on land around the bend? I chose the river, let go and bounced for about a mile. To my considerable surprise, I survived.”

All this may sound as if he is trying very hard to live up to someone, or something. And if there is any such person, Pertwee concedes, it is his writer father, the late Roland Pertwee.

“He was an overpowering man. As well as his acting and writing abilities he knew all sorts of quaint, unexpected things. He was a keen fisherman – he invented his own imitation fly, which is still sold commercially. I admired him intensely, but he was a lousy father. Rotten. He seemed to find it terribly difficult to show love.”

In some ways time has tempered the younger Pertwee’s impression of his famous dad. Once, Pertwee Snr indicated that the two little Pertwees (Jon and his brother Michael) should go on a fishing holiday to the family fishing hut, and that all lines, bait and other gear would be waiting for them there. On arrival, however, they found nothing – only the implements with which to make their own fishing gear. It is a lesson in survival that he claims never to have forgotten, however belated his appreciation.

His own theatrical career goes back to 1936 when he played in a production of Candida on Brighton pier. He has been in television since 1945, though since then he has spread his work fairly evenly between radio, television and the stage.

In this part of the world he was probably first known for his role in the crazy “left hand down a bit” world of radio’s The Navy Lark. Through the 60s he was also a regular in the Carry On films, and picked up cameo roles in such film milestones as One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing and Africana 2000. The big breakthrough, however, was his part as the second Dr Who in the long-running science fiction series.

Looking back over his career Pertwee says his favourite roles were that of Andrew in There’s a Girl in my Soup, a play which also carried him on tour to New York; and Lycus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He describes Whodunnit? variously as either “a real mind bender” or more practically as “my bread and butter”. The real purpose of the show, he says, only half jokingly, is to give him lots of useful ideas about how to murder his tax man.

But even after the tax man, has called, Pertwee still has enough for his, beloved machines and gadgets, along with two houses in England and a villa at Ibiza, on the Mediterranean, where he indulges another pet obsession – scuba diving.

“All actors are schizophrenic,” says Ingeborg, “but maybe Jon is more so than most. For an audience, or for people who he doesn’t know very well, he’ll still play the buccaneer. But though it sounds a little corny to say it, his real love is for his home and, his children. When he’s not ‘on’ he spends a lot of time at Ibiza, just sprawled in front of his TV set.”

Not a bad life. And the perpetually astonished and astonishing Mr Pertwee knows how to enjoy it, whether it’s scaring the daylights out of the good burghers of Surrey in his Whomobile or powering his jet-boat around in the Mediterranean sunshine. In one sense his manic cravings for speed, sun and thrills, and for the vicarious power that his gadgets provide may seem childish and a little shallow in a man of his years. But Pertwee lives by a more interesting moral – one that translates roughly as “with the right breaks, you don’t ever have to grow up”.

WHODUNNIT? TV1, Monday December 18, 8.20pm.

Caption:

Jon Pertwee chairs the panel of “crime investigators” in the TV programme Whodunnit? Inset: The actor in his younger days cracks a funny for a radio programme.

Episodes:

WHICH WAY DID HE GO? (26/06/1978)
UNDERNEATH THE ARCHERS (19/06/1978)
A DEAD CERT (12/06/1978)
INSTANT COFFEE (05/06/1978)
FINAL TRUMPET (22/05/1978)
A SAFE WAY TO DIE (15/05/1978)
ADIEU MONSIEUR CHIPS (08/05/1978)
A BAD SIGN (01/05/1978)
BEFORE YOUR VERY EYES (24/04/1978)
DIAMONDS ARE ALMOST FOREVER (17/04/1978)
WHICH EYE, JACK? (10/04/1978)
ALL PART OF THE SERVICE (03/04/1978)
LAST TANGO IN TOOTING (25/07/1977)
The Q43 EXPERIMENT (18/07/1977)
NO HAPPY RETURNS (11/07/1977)
The VILLAGE FETE (04/07/1977)
The RAJAH’S RUBY (27/06/1977)
DEAD BALL (09/08/1976)
A DEADLY TAN (02/08/1976)
A BAD HABIT (26/07/1976)
FINAL VERDICT (19/07/1976)
TIME TO DYE (12/07/1976)
FUTURE IMPERFECT (05/07/1976)
DEAD GRASS (28/06/1976)
BEWARE – WET PAINT (15/09/1975)
FLY ME, I’M DEAD (08/09/1975)
WORTH DYING FOR (01/09/1975)
TOO MANY COOKS (25/08/1975)
DEATH AT THE TOP (18/08/1975)
NOTHING TO DECLARE (11/08/1975)
EVIDENCE OF DEATH (04/08/1975)
POP GOES THEM WEASEL (28/07/1975)
FINAL DRIVE (21/07/1975)
PORTRAIT IN BLACK (14/07/1975)
A PIECE OF CAKE (26/12/1974)
TEDDY BEARS’ PICNIC (29/07/1974)
The ART OF THEFT (22/07/1974)
GOODBYE SARGE (15/07/1974)
The FINAL CHAPTER (08/07/1974)
IT’S QUICKER BY TRAIN (01/07/1974)
The LAST ACT (24/06/1974)
HAPPY NEW YEAR (30/07/1973)
DEAD LIKENESS (23/07/1973)
DID HE FALL OR WAS HE PUSHED? (16/07/1973)
CRIME AFTER A FASHION (09/07/1973)
KNIFE IN THE BACK (02/07/1973)
MISSING ON VOYAGE (25/06/1973)
WHODUNNIT? [PILOT] (15/08/1972)

The post Whodunnit? appeared first on Skooldays.

Toys in the 80s have to include The Smurfs. They spawn a tidal wave of cute clones: Monchichis, Snorks, Popples, etc. Rainbow Brite and My Little Pony fly high, Jem steals some of Barbie’s thunder, He-Man leads the Masters of the Universe to victory, and Transformers prove there’s “more than meets the eye.” Rubik’s Cubes give smart kids their day in the spotlight, while Cabbage Patch Kids reduce grown men and women to savage shopping mall beasts. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles make Cowabunga a household word, and G.I. Joe is repurposed for the 80’s as a “Real American Hero.” Nintendo brings home video games back from the grave, then shrinks them down to hand-held Game Boy size at the decade’s end.

We would love to hear your memories of Toys in the 80s so tell us about them by commenting below, who knows we may add it to our eighties collection above

The post Toys in the 80s appeared first on Skooldays.

Stretch Armstrong fuses “tug of war” with the action figure, and Japan totally revitalizes the concept with the Shogun Warriors and Micronauts. Shrinky Dinks prove that ovens aren’t just for food any more, while Sit N’ Spin proves that vertigo can be fun. SSP Racers explode onto the scene, Evel Knievel clears all obstacles with his Stunt Cycle, Holly Hobbie lends her bonnet to many a domestic product, Atari and Odyssey bring the video game craze home, and with a little help from George Lucas’ movie, a new Star (Wars) is born.

The post Toys in the 70s appeared first on Skooldays.

I notice that like me, the internet is full of retro cartoon fans wondering why Hannah Barbera have never released the great background music from the early 70s Scooby doo episodes.

We are not talking about the Scooby Doo theme tune as this is widely available, im refering to the background music that is often heard in the middle of an episode. It apears there are several, but one stands out and is normally the tune played when they discover a vital clue or Thelma starts to explain something to the gang.

One fan asks “Where Can I Get The Background Music From Classic Scooby Doo?” on Yahoo! Answers and the only answer is itunes. Talk about no answers!

Scooby Doo Underscore – Where are You?

I’ve approached this a real project as it appears it just doesn’t exist. There is a great Hanna Barbera sound CD collection and a release of many of the classic Hanna Barbera cartoon titles including Scooby Doo and Top Cat. It became clear that it’s known as an “Underscore” not “Background music” as the definition of an underscore is Music that provides emotional or atmospheric background to the primary dialog or narration onscreen.

Some progress – it’s known as a Scooby Doo Underscore !

So some progress was made as at least i now know that I’m looking for Scooby Doo underscore tune from the 70’s

I then decided to hunt on your tube using this search term but it appears once again, no one has it. One person spoke of giving their rand hand to get the background music.

Personally I think it would make an awesome ringitone on my phone.

I noticed that there are many episodes on youtube, so i suppose i’m at the point where i now ask if there is anyone out there who knows what this underscore is called. Whether it has ever been made avaialble to download. Who produced it etc.

Meanwhile enjoy listening to it on this episode
You will need to go to 8:39 mins to hear the underscore i’m trying to identify

The post Scooby Doo Underscore – Where are You? appeared first on Skooldays.

“Tupperware Busy Blocks were for educational fun” according to the marketing package.

They were supposedly to help kids learn the alphabet and at the same time learn building and construction techniques. All I know id if someone through one at you, it took a chunk out your head, they were really hard!

There were also 26 green plastic figures which correspond to the pictures on the blocks and representing each letter of the alphabet (Airport, Boat, Camel, Dog, Elephant, Fox, Giraffe, Horse, Indian, Jeep, Kangaroo, Lion, Monkey, Nurse, Owl, Pig, Queen, Rabbit, Seal, Train, Unicorn, Violin, Whale, Xylophone, Yacht, and Zebra).

Busy Blocks with the animals in them

According to the back of the box: BUSY-BLOCKS by Tupperware bring an exciting new world of fun and education to children of all ages. As the child grows, so do the play and educational features. Stacking blocks, mini toys, puzzle patterns and the alphabet, from A to Z, make BUSY-BLOCKS a toy that can be enjoyed over and over as the child grows. Each block opens and closes to store the alphabet toy pictured on the block, so children learn and enjoy while they play. And, the unique puzzle patterns let children use and develop their imagination and creativity. BUSY-BLOCKS is another fine toy from Tupperware… where quality is a matter of pride.

Anyone else remember these, I only recall them as my younger sisters loved them, if only they could learn not to throw them on an unsuspecting brothers head!

The post Busy-Blocks appeared first on Skooldays.

The I-SPY books are spotter’s guides written for British children, and particularly successful in the 1950s and 1960s.

Big in the 1950s and 60s – I-SPY books

The I-SPY Tribe was based on the I-SPY Books, some forty small volumes that sold in hundreds of thousands. Each book covered a subject such as I-SPY Cars, I-SPY on the Pavement, I-SPY Churches, I-SPY on a Train Journey, etc. As children spotted objects such as coalhole covers, oak trees, semaphore signals, fire engines, whelks, and so on, they recorded the event in the relevant book, and gained points. Once the book was complete, it could be sent to Big Chief I-SPY for a feather and order of merit.

The company was supposedly run by a Red Indian chief called Big Chief I-Spy. The original Big Chief I-Spy was Charles Warrell, a former headmaster who created I-Spy towards the end of his working life. He retired in 1956, but lived on until 1995 when he died at the age of 106. After Warrell’s retirement his assistant Arnold Cawthrow became the second Big Chief, and served in this role until 1978. For part of this time he also worked as an antiques dealer in Islington. Members of the I-Spy Tribe were called Redskins, and the head office was variously known as the Wigwam by the Water or the Wigwam-by-the-Green. The former was located for some years next to the Mermaid Theatre at Blackfriars, while the latter was in London’s Edgware Road.

The books were originally self-published by Charles Warrell but, after a brief period when they were published by the Daily Mail, they were taken over by the now defunct News Chronicle newspaper and based in the paper’s building in Bouverie Street. The regular I-SPY column, which appeared in the News Chronicle, reverted to the Daily Mail when the News Chronicle ceased publication, and continued to appear until the late 1980s The books have had various publishers over the years including the Dickens Press, a company set up to continue the book publishing interests of the ‘News Chronicle’ and Polystyle Publications, a publisher of children’s comics.

31 books were released in the range upto the 1980s. Rumor has it, a further six are planned for summer 2011. The I-Spy format has also extended to cover individual museums, galleries, parks and other specific applications.

Arnold Cawthrow died in 1993, and is commemorated by a stone plaque placed on the outside of the Boatmen’s Rooms, the house where he spent some of his last years in Deal, Kent.

The books became very popular, with print runs well into six figures. Big Chief I-Spy had a succession of assistants, usually known as “Hawkeye”. In the early 1970s, this position was held by Ralph Mills. Earlier assistants included Max Heinz and John Tagholm. In the 1980s, following a short-lived third Big Chief, Robin Tucek, David Bellamy replaced Big Chief I-Spy as the person to whom completed books were sent, and the earlier Red Indian connections were quietly dropped.

I-Spy books were still being sold, until recently, by Michelin Travel Publications and there has been talk of Michelin licensing the I-SPY brand to another publisher in the future.

The post I-SPY appeared first on Skooldays.

Movie Maker Board Game

The post Movie Maker Board Game appeared first on Skooldays.