to printable Palitoy panels pdf

Welcome to the
Toybox
A touring exhibition that
looks at toys past and present.
Children have always played with toys.
Things like balls, hobby horses and even
yo-yos have at least a 2000 year history.
Over the centuries, toys have followed the
changes in the wider world and have
mirrored society as a whole.
Boys and toys, scooters,
go-carts and a rocking
horse from about 1910.
With kind permission of Oxfordshire County Council.
Until the 1870s many British
children were part of the work force
and had little time to play. Only the
very rich could afford more than a
few simple, home-made toys.
In the 19th century new factories
and new materials made toys cheaper
and more readily available. At the
same time a change in people’s
attitudes backed by government
regulations took children out of the
workforce and into the schoolroom.
Childhood became longer as toys
became easier to get.
A 19th century toy shop.
With kind permission of
the V&A Picture Library.
Since the 1950s there has been an
explosion in toy manufacture fuelled
by new materials, technology, greater
wealth and the impact of advertising.
Today most children have a toy box
full of toys.
Bisque headed doll
from about 1900.
With kind permission of
Leicestershire County Council.
The Stafford children, 1910,
a prosperous family with their
Christmas presents.
With kind permission of Leicestershire County Council.
A ‘Potted’
History of Dolls
Early Dolls
The earliest miniature versions of people
were used for ritual and magic.
Belief in the strong magical power of dolls
probably meant that children weren’t allowed
to play with them.
The children of ancient Egypt and Greece
were given toy dolls to prepare them for
parenthood. These early dolls were made
of wood, clay or cloth. These remained the
main materials for centuries.
Wooden doll and
doll’s cradle from
about 1540.
The doll and child
are both dressed as
miniature adults.
Painting
wooden dolls,
Germany,
1698.
Wax Dolls
The first development
in doll technology was the use of wax
in 17th century Germany.
Wax dolls were more lifelike but were
very expensive especially when dressed
in the latest fashions like their owners.
Most children continued to play with
home-made wooden and cloth dolls.
‘My friend and I’, 1905.
A pram full of bisque
dolls, late 19th century.
‘Handle with Care’
the 19th Century
Doll Revolution
From the 1800s doll makers began to
experiment with cheaper materials.
‘Composition’ dolls were made of paper
and pulped wood mixtures and could be
mass-produced by machine.
At the same time dolls became more
realistically human. Closing eyes were
invented before 1826. The first walking
doll also came out in that year.
A Frenchman, Malzel, took out a patent
for a talking doll in 1827. Carved or
moulded hair was replaced with silk,
mohair or even real human hair.
Germany and France began to produce
large numbers of bisque porcelain-headed
dolls. Bisque can be tinted a delicate
flesh colour, perfect for dolls. These ‘pot’
dolls were more expensive to make than
composition dolls as they had to be fired
in a kiln but mass production brought
prices down.
‘If you want to get
ahead get a hat’.
Bisque dolls remained
very popular well into
the first half of the
20th century.
The 2oth
Century Doll
Dolls From Other Cultures
Most cultures have their own doll traditions. Dolls are
often home-made from local materials and are symbolic
rather than human looking.
The Japanese make elaborate life-like dolls to use in doll
festivals that teach children about adult life. The Chinese
are an exception, as children did not play with dolls at all
until Europeans introduced the idea in the 19th century.
Young woman with a Japanese
‘festival’ doll, about 1800.
Until recently Western-made dolls representing other
cultures fell into two basic types, coloured and painted
Caucasian dolls and dolls which exaggerated the
stereotypical features of another ethnic group.
Mass Production
The story of doll making since 1900 is one of
increased mass production using ever-cheaper
materials. Quality dolls were now available to
almost every child.
Sophisticated versions of cloth dolls, with
moulded and painted faces of stiffened felt,
enjoyed a 20th Century revival.
Bisque and composition remained popular
materials despite the invention of celluloid
Wig stitching at Palitoy, late 1960s. The wigs
dolls in the 1860s by the Hyatt Brothers, USA. were then ‘rooted’ into the heads of vinyl dolls.
Celluloid plastic was easy to mould using
Into the 21st Century
steam pressure but proved very flammable.
In modern times advertising and the
Modern, complex plastics replaced all the
media have made new types of doll
different materials used in doll making in
very short-lived.
the 1940s. In the late 1950s vinyl was
The success of ‘dressing’ dolls like
introduced. Hair was ‘rooted’ and could
‘Barbie’ depends on following the latest
be brushed for the first time.
fashions. Novelty dolls based on film and
Celluloid doll, 1920s.
TV characters are also very popular.
Battery operated dolls imitate real
children and babies. Bisque dolls are still
made but as ‘collectables’ for heritage
conscious adults.
Hard plastic doll,
1950s, with fully
articulated arms
and legs.
Guys & Dolls
Ideal Figures for Boys and Girls
Dolls have often reflected a traditional view of male
and female interests through their idealised shape,
body proportion and jointed limbs.
Action figures for boys are muscular, realistically
proportioned and can be posed easily for fighting.
Fashion dolls for girls are impossibly thin and leggy
and have limited leg and arm movement.
‘Action Man’ and ‘Action Girl’
Palitoy of Coalville launched ‘Action Man’ in 1966.
He was based upon ‘GI Joe’, made by Hasboro USA,
which was the first scale figure designed for boys that
could be dressed and undressed like a girl’s doll.
From 1968 Palitoy produced a wide range of military
uniforms and accessories for Action Man, as well as
“gripping hands” in 1973, and a range of sporting
costume and equipment.
Palitoy launched ‘Action Girl’ in 1971.
Her costume equipped her for ballet and horse riding but
her joints were less flexible than those of Action Man.
Both dolls ceased production in 1984, but Hasboro
revived Action Man in 1993.
The Body Beautiful
Mattel created ‘Barbie’ in 1959 as a teen fashion
doll for pre-teen girls.
Barbie’s limbs are not very flexible but she has a
vast wardrobe of designer clothes, feet permanently
on tiptoe to wear high heeled shoes and vital
statistics that scale up to 42:22:36.
Virtual Beauty
Eidos, created Lara Croft in 1996 as the star
of the computer action game, Tomb Raider.
Her good looks and super-human fitness
finally combined action with fashion to be
“The perfect fantasy girl for the digital
generation” (Newsweek).
Board Games
Board games developed from gambling games played by
adults. They have a long history across many cultures.
Many new games were invented in the 19th century
when new printing techniques made games very cheap
and easy to produce.
Most board games fall into one of two types:
Race Games
The ‘Game of the Goose’ was the first modern race
game. It was devised in Italy and registered in London
in 1597 by John Wolfe. Players moved round the board
on the throw of a die and received rewards or penalties
depending on the square they landed on. The same
format features in many newer games like ‘Monopoly’
made by Parker Brothers, USA, from 1935.
Strategy Games
‘Card Houses’ game,
from about 1905.
With kind permission of the Robert Opie Collection.
These are games in which two people pit their wits
against one another. The ancient games of chess
and draughts are the basis for most strategy games.
‘Nine Men’s Morris’ is an early British development of
these. It was played on chalked or scratched lines until
the commercially produced boards of the 19th century.
Learning through Fun
The educational value of games was recognised
in the late 18th century. Early educational
games taught moral values as well as the history,
geography, letters and numbers covered by more
modern games. Titles like ‘Virtue Rewarded and
Vice Punished’ from 1820 are self-explanatory.
‘Hopla’, ‘the favourite game
of skill’ from about 1920.
With kind permission of the Robert Opie Collection.
Games from Other Cultures
‘Ludo’, from about 1925. ‘Ludo’
is popular with younger children,
as you don’t need many reading
or number skills to play.
Some of our most popular board games originated in
other cultures. ‘Ludo’, which dates from the late
19th century, is based on Pachisi, the national game of
India. ‘Lotto’ (Bingo) originated in Genoa, Italy, in the
17th century.
With kind permission of the Robert Opie Collection.
Shelves full of games,
a toyshop in 1953.
With kind permission of the Photographic
Archive, Community History Service,
Kirklees Metropolitan Council.
The Toy Revolution
The Science and
Technology of Toys
The materials and processes used to make
toys have changed dramatically over time.
A time line of change in toys
When Introduced Materials
Process
Before 1700 clay, wood, cloth home made
1700s wood
small workshops
1700s
paper/card
small workshops
1800s
paper/card
factory made
1800s
pressed tin
small workshops
1820s
pressed tin
factory made
1870s
solid lead
factory made
1900s
organic plastics
factory made
1920s
die cast metal
factory made
‘Harbutt’s Plasticine’, patented in
1897, a box lid from about 1910.
With kind permission of the Robert Opie Collection.
From the 1940s complex plastics factory made
Of course not everyone used new methods. Children
continued to play with home made toys. Materials and
ways of using them overlapped considerably.
A market stall full of ‘goodies’ 1952.
With kind permission of the Photographic Archive, Community
History Service, Kirklees Metropolitan Council.
Teddy Bear’s Picnic
Realistic looking toy bears have been made for
centuries. However ‘teddies’ date from 1902 when
President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt of the USA
made international news by refusing to kill a bear
cub while out hunting.
Morris Michtom, USA and Margaret Steiff, Germany
both claimed to invent teddy bears. However Steiff
bears proved the most popular.
A 1950s toy shop.
With kind permission of the Photographic Archive,
Community History Service, Kirklees Metropolitan Council.
Bears were made of wool mohair with glass eyes.
They had long snouts, humped backs, jointed limbs
and ‘growlers’.
British companies began making bears in 1920 with
Chad Valley. Merrythought followed in 1930 and
Pedigree in 1937. They made cheaper bears from
rayon plush. From the 1950s man-made fibres like
nylon and polyester were used.
Today teddies are often multi-coloured, dressed and
squash faced to make them ‘cuter’. Nostalgia in
adults provides a new market for Steiff-like bears.
Adding Movement
The simplest moving toys are pushed or pulled along on wheels.
Adding a few wires to the wheels gives extra movements like a tail
wagging or a head bobbing. Toys from ancient Egypt and Greece
used these methods.
A ‘Meccano’
construction set
from the 1920s.
“Engineering that
really works”.
With kind permission of the
Robert Opie Collection.
Clockwork Toys
A craftsman made clockwork theatre, 1947.
With kind permission of the Photographic Archive,
Community History Service, Kirklees Metropolitan Council.
Clockwork works on the principle of a
coiled spring under tension. When the
tension is released, the spring unwinds and
can be used to power all sorts of motions.
Clockwork mechanisms date back to the
1400s but were originally too expensive for
toys. Automata, complex clockwork toys
using figures, date from the 1700s but
were toys for adults. By the 1800s
clockwork, tin-plated toys were cheap
enough for many children to buy.
‘Hornby Dublo’ electric train, late 1950s.
With kind permission of the Robert Opie Collection.
Computer Games
Clockwork was the most popular method of
making toys move until the battery and
electric powered toys of the 20th century.
Atari, USA, launched the first computer game, in 1975.
This was ‘Pong’, a table tennis game that used a television as a console.
The Japanese Nintendo Entertainment System came out in 1985.
Original characters included ‘Super Mario Brothers’.
The Sega Master System was launched the
following year.
In 1989 Nintendo started the trend for hand held
video games with Game Boy. In 1991 Sega launched a
similar system with a new character, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’.
Sony’s Play Station was first marketed in 1995.
New games could be loaded into all
these systems.
The Sony PSP
launched in 2005.
Miniature Worlds
Children have always been given toys
that reflected the world around them and
prepared them for adulthood.
Early Greek and Roman children played with toys
like carts, animals and soldiers.
In 1606, Louis XIII, the French Dauphin, was given
an army of 300 silver soldiers in preparation for his
adult task of commanding the armies of France.
Other children had similar toys in cheaper materials,
especially wood.
‘Everything stops for tea’ 1950s.
With kind permission of Leicestershire County Council.
New Toys for Old
Right up until the 20th century toys were expected
to be instructional in some way. Rocking horses,
first popular in the 18th century, taught little boys to
ride. Little girls had cooking sets, doll’s tea sets and
doll’s houses to prepare them as housewives.
Changes in technology in the ‘grown up’
world were mirrored not only in the toys
themselves but how and with what they
were made.
During the19th century hand-made
wooden carts gave way to mass-produced
tinplate trains. Early 20th century die
cast metal cars were replaced in the
1950s by plastic space rockets. At the
same time miniature mangles in metal
gave way to plastic washing machines.
Modern microchip technology now offers
children entire virtual worlds to explore.
‘I want to be a racing driver’ 1930s.
With kind permission of Leicestershire County Council.
‘I want to be
a sailor’ 1930.
‘Playing Mum’, 1962.
With kind permission of Mrs R Reed.
Boy Toys and Girl Toys
Until recently many toys were designed for
either boys or girls. Boys were prepared as
‘bread winners’, girls as housewives and
mothers. During the last fifty years the roles
of men and women in the workplace and the
home have changed; a change toys now
reflect. For instance dolls now come dressed
as doctors and vets.
Playing Together
Street and Playground Games
Wherever children gather together they play informal games
that often do not require toys. Game rules are flexible and
can be changed by common consent.
Many of these street games have been played throughout
the world for centuries. Adults have often encouraged them
as a way of developing social, verbal and physical skills.
There are many different types of game:
Chase Games
The most ancient games of all are probably
‘Tag’ like games where someone plays ‘it’
and catches others players. ‘Stag’ and ‘Tick’
are local tag games.
Children playing
‘hoop and stick’,
from about
1900.
With kind permission of the
Robert Opie Collection.
Throwing and Rolling Games
Children have been playing marbles type games for
centuries. Medieval British children played ‘cherry pit’.
Cherrystones were thrown into small holes in the ground
to win points.
By the 20th century different marbles games had their
own names such as ‘Cob’ and ‘Lag’.
Children playing ‘Tip Cat’ early 20th century.
With kind permission of Leicestershire County Council.
Singing Games
Singing often accompanies ball, skipping and
dancing games. Songs have changed over the
centuries but some like ‘Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses’,
which commemorates the Great Plague of the
17th century, remain popular today.
‘Silly Old Man’ is a local game where a boy,
the silly old man, chooses a ‘wife’ from a
circle of singing children. The marriage is
then sealed with a kiss.
Children playing ‘Snobs’ early 20th century.
With kind permission of Leicestershire County Council.
What’s in a Name?
The same game can have different
names in different places.
‘Knucklebones’ was a game played in
ancient Rome. Five sheep’s knuckles
were thrown up and caught in a set
pattern. The same game, played with
small stones, is called ‘Snobs’ or
‘Spraega’ in the Midlands, ‘Fives’ in
Scotland and ‘Jacks’ in the USA.
Palitoy
“Made in Coalville”
Some very famous British toys
were made here in Leicestershire.
The Palitoy Toy Company was based in Coalville
from 1937 until 1984. They are best known for
products like ‘Action Man’, ‘Tiny Tears’ and ‘Pippa’.
Palitoy was originally the toy division of Cascelloid
Ltd. of Leicester.
It was named after the company’s founder, Alfred
Pallett. The Coalville branch opened because the
company needed more space to make celluloid
plastic dolls.
Plastic windmills
for Woolworths
were one of
Cascelloid’s
earliest products.
In 1968, Cascelloid, by then part of
British Xylonite, sold Palitoy to the
American giant, General Mills Inc., which
already owned the game producers
Kenner and Parker. In the 1970s Chad
Valley and Denys Fisher joined the group
under Palitoy’s umbrella.
Palitoy’s relationship with the Far East
began in the 1960s.
At first this allowed Palitoy to produce large
numbers of toys very cheaply. However by
the 1980s competition from Hong Kong and
Japan plus the international streamlining
of production methods had put Palitoy out
of business.
Many of Palitoys most famous names like
‘Action Man’ are still in production but other
companies like Hasbro make them now.
Aerial view of the Palitoy
factory, Coalville, in
1977. The white line
encloses the site in 1950.
‘Long Live the Queen’, the Cascelloid float
at the Coalville coronation carnival, 1953.
With kind permission of the Coalville Times.
Cascelloid Ltd.
In 1919, Alfred E. Pallett, aged just 18, bought
a boarding house in Britannia Street, Leicester.
The residents, including the bed bugs, were
evicted. A few hand presses for moulding plastic
were installed. Cascelloid Ltd was born.
Early Days
The visit of King George VI and Queen
Elizabeth to Cascelloid Ltd. Abbey Lane,
Leicester in 1946. Plastic toy cars are
rolling off the assembly line.
The first year was very bad. Alfred had to pawn his own
possessions to pay the factory electric bill. However he
convinced Woolworths to place a big order for soapboxes
and then plastic windmills. Soon the factory was working
from 6am till 10pm making 360,000 windmills a week.
These sold in Woolworths for 2d (1p) each.
With kind permission of Mr J Day, Ratby.
Branching Out
The windmills sold best in the summer so
in the winter months the factory made
baby rattles. It was only a short step
from rattles to toys. Cascelloid’s first doll
was made in 1925. She was based on a
Mabel Lucy Atwell character called
Diddums.
By 1927, Cascelloid had 60 workers and
was earning £10,000 a year. That same
year, the Britannia Works were destroyed
by fire. The company moved to a larger
site in Cobden Street, Leicester.
The Cascelloid’s Ex-Serviceman’s
welcome home dinner, 1947.
With kind permission of Mr D Ross, Anstey.
British Xylonite
Success meant competition. The company
became part of British Xylonite Co. Ltd.
in 1931. This brought in new money. In 1932
Cascelloid were able to move to a larger
building in Abbey Lane, Leicester. The Palitoy
trademark was registered in 1935.
Some of the Cascelloid
workforce, 1947, at the
farewell party of Mr Bert Sims.
With kind permission of Mr B Sims, USA.
The Cascelloid Factory, 1957.
With, from left, George Baker,
Bert Sims, Joe Oldham and in
front, Eddie and Susie Sims.
With kind permission of Mr B Sims, USA.
The Coalville
Connection
The company needed more space to make dolls.
An old billiard and dance hall was bought in
Owen Street, Coalville in 1937. A year later more
land was added to the site. The new factory was
described as ‘a gold mine on top of a coal mine’.
New Plastics
In the 1930s Cascelloid invented
a new plastic, ‘Plastex’ to make
unbreakable dolls. In 1935 Cascelloid
made the first non-flammable doll with
‘Bexoid’. Dolls were given ‘sleeping
eyes’. Cascelloid made the first plastic
toy cars in 1939. These used the new
injection moulding process.
World War Two
After the War
The war stopped toy making in the
Cascelloid factories, which now included a
factory at Stamford that made plastic
clothing. Instead the factories made plastic
items for the war effort including spools for
camera film.
Post war, Coalville went back to making dolls
and dolls clothes but added new lines. These
included Table Tennis sets and Dolls Prams
The Coalville factory became the main centre
for toy making and in 1963 was separated
from the rest of the Cascelloid Company as
‘Palitoy’. Success attracted the attention of
USA giant, General Mills Inc. They bought
the Palitoy toy division in 1968. A new era
began for Palitoy.
Palitoy advert at a Toy Fair, late 1970s.
With kind permission of Mr B Turner.
Palitoy products
available in 1979.
Dolls, Dolls, Dolls
Doll production was
crucial to Palitoy’s success.
1950s Dolls
The 1950s were the golden age of the
hard plastic doll. Palitoy made numerous
dolls in this material. These included
the ‘Girl’ magazine ‘Dress Me’ doll,
the ‘Patsy’ baby doll and the ‘Paliglide’
walking doll.
At the end of the decade Palitoy began
making dolls in soft vinyl plastic, the
material dolls are still made from today.
The King and Queen on
the Doll Line, admiring
Cascelloid’s new babies.
With kind permission of
Mrs P Whapplington, Worksop.
Tressy
Wig Stitching, the ‘Tressy’ Section,
1960s. With from the front: Margaret
Birch, Vivian Parker, Christine Blyth,
unknown, Wendy Pepper, Margaret
Whitby and Lucy Chambers.
With kind permission of Mrs W Pepper, Ibstock.
1964 saw the launch of Palitoy’s first
teen doll. ‘Tressy’ was the first Palitoy
product to be TV advertised. She came
‘with hair that grows to match her
clothes’. A key in the doll’s back
operated the hair mechanism. In 1965
‘Tressy’ got a little sister, ‘Toots’ and in
1967, a friend, ‘Mary Make-Up’.
Tiny Tears
In 1965 ‘Tiny Tears’ hit the
market. ‘Tiny Tears’ was a baby
doll that ‘drinks, wets and cries
real tears’. The little blue- eyed
blonde took the market by storm.
She was voted Girls Toy of the Year
for 3 consecutive years.
Pippa
‘Pippa’, introduced in 1972, was a
new idea in doll making. She was
a fully poseable teen doll but only
17cm tall. By 1976 ‘Pippa’ had
seven girlfriends, a boyfriend,
‘Pete’, and a whole range of
accessories including a flat pack
apartment.
‘Christopher’, one of the
Palitoy twins with Debbie
Reid aged 8, 1976.
With kind permission of Mrs S Reid, Heather.
A Star is Born:
ACTION MAN
The secret of Palitoy’s success was the ability to
spot new products. The company’s production of
‘Action Man’ was a good example of this. The 1966
Brighton Toy fair saw the launch of the little chap.
He was based on an American product; ‘GI Joe’
made by Hasbro.
The ‘Action Man’
assembly line
in 1966.
Industrial Handling magazine.
Alfred Pallett inspects the new
troops, Palitoy 1969.
With from the rear, Mary Campbell,
the Manager, Alfred Pallet and
Christine Davies.
Making an Action Hero
With kind permission of Mr J Campbell, Whitwick.
The first ‘Action Man’ was only available as a soldier, Action Success
sailor or pilot. He had painted hair, a scar on his right Between 1966-1979 Palitoy
sold 8 million Action Men.
cheek and twenty moveable joints. He was a great
However some 25% of ‘Action
success and won the ‘Toy of the Year’ award, 1966.
Man’ sales were on accessories.
The success meant upgrades for ‘Action Man’.
Children bought a small number
Soon there was a ‘Talking Action Commander’ to give
of expensive figures then spend
orders to the rest of the troops. Then more realistic
their pocket money on exciting
flock sprayed hair (and beards) in 1970, gripping
new outfits and weapons.
hands in 1973 and moving ‘Eagle Eyes’ in 1976.
‘Action Man’ was demobbed by
He even got a friend, ‘Tom Stone’ a black soldier.
Palitoy in 1984 but recalled to
At the same time the ‘Action Man’ wardrobe grew
duty in the 1990s by Hasbro.
enormously. Soon it included realistic uniforms from
all round the world, diving suits, football strips and
Space Ranger costumes.
Palitoy Grows Up
The success of ‘Action Man’ meant expansion for
Palitoy. In 1977 the Coalville factory was greatly
extended. A factory shop opened in Baker Street,
Coalville. In 1978 Palitoy employed about a
thousand people. By November of that year,
annual sales had topped £20 million.
Set designed for a ‘Star Wars’
display at a Toy Fair, early 1980s.
With kind permission of Mr G Hughes, Thornton.
Set design for a
‘Star Wars’ display
at a toy fair, early 1980s.
Palitoy made a number of
‘Star Wars’ toys under
licence from Kenner, USA.
With kind permission of Mr G Hughes.
Star Wars Toys
The sales figures were greatly helped by Palitoy’s new
line, ‘Star Wars’ toys. These were made under license
from Kenner, USA, one of the General Mills group.
The ‘Star Wars’ film trilogy launched the idea of
collectable toys. Soon Palitoy was making a range
of these toys based on ‘Strawberry Shortcake’,
a scented doll, and ‘Care Bears’.
Palitoy and the Far East
Despite good sales there were major job losses at
Palitoy, in 1980 and 1982. A major problem was
that making toys in the Far East was a lot cheaper.
Palitoy themselves bought toy parts in Hong Kong.
In 1977 the company had set up Palitoy (Far East) Ltd.
to handle this part of the business.
All that remains of the Palitoy factory, 2005.
The End of an Era
In 1984 Palitoy’s European businesses,
Mainline Railways, Airfix, (bought by
Palitoy in 1982) and Action Man collapsed.
Palitoy followed soon after. The Coalville
factory was taken over by Hasbro for a
time. It was abandoned in 1994.
The Working Day
Working Hours
In 1950 normal working hours were 8am-1pm, lunch,
then 2pm-6pm. There were two 10-minute breaks when
the tea trolley came round. Employees clocked in and out.
The factory hooter sounded 2 minutes before 1pm and
6pm to allow the workers to form ‘an orderly queue’
before the final hooter blew.
Muriel Weston (nee Cresswell), meets
Peter Bough and ‘Archie’ in 1950.
‘Archie’, the little star of Workers
Playtime, featured in Palitoy’s
puppet range.
A night shift was introduced when new technology
demanded the use of great ovens to melt and cure plastic.
It was cheaper to keep the ovens hot all the time.
Donated by Mr L J Weston, Loughborough.
Wages
Wages were paid weekly. Assembly line workers
were paid ‘piece rates’ depending on how many
items they had made. Out workers also made toys
and dolls clothes at home.
No Smoking!
Due to the fire hazard smoking was not allowed
except during official breaks. In the 1950s,
when most people smoked, matches, pipes and
lighters had to be handed in at the works gate.
Wall lighters were provided in the canteen.
Mr Patrick presenting Mrs Mary
Campbell with her retirement clock
on the Palitoy shop floor, 1972.
With kind permission of Mr J Campbell, Whitwick.
Worker’s Welfare
Cascelloid Ltd. were seen as caring
employers. The Welfare Department
at each factory provided a duty
nurse. In the 1950s a chiropodist
was available once a month.
Workers could receive Ultra-violet
light and Infrared treatment at work.
Palitoy stand at a Toy Fair,
late 1970s.
With kind permission of Mr B Turner.
After Hours
Sporting Life
By 1948 the Cascelloid factory at Coalville had a
full sized tennis court and a cricket field. There
were works cricket, football and hockey teams and
an active hiking club. The cricket and tennis
grounds were built over in the 1970s. However the
factory continued to field teams in other sports,
including table tennis, until it closed.
The Palitoy hockey team, 1960s.
Back row from the left: unknown,
Archie Ball, Aubrey Bale, Archie Ray,
unknown and unknown.
With kind permission of Mr A Bale, Hugglescote.
The Palitoy Players, 1960s.
Other Pleasures
With kind permission of Mr A Bale, Hugglescote.
Children’s Christmas parties were always a
special event. In 1950 the children had tea
in the canteen, a show and Santa gave out
presents from a giant Christmas cracker.
All the toys, of course, were Palitoy’s.
The children also enjoyed trips to the
pantomime or could watch a performance
by the Palitoy Players, the factory amateur
theatrical group.
Children’s Christmas party, Palitoy, 1957.
With kind permission of Mr A Bale, Hugglescote.
Annual Christmas parties were also on offer
for the ‘grown ups’. In 1978 the party was
at the Palais de Danse in Leicester and
Miss Palitoy, the factory beauty queen, was
crowned. Another annual event was the 21
Club dinner for staff who had worked for
Palitoy for 21 years.
The Works Outing
Miss Palitoy, 1970.
With from the left: Maureen Collins,
Mrs Fletcher, Christine Smith, nee
Watson, Mr Fletcher, the Palitoy
Chairman and Rhona Knifton.
Kindly donated by Mrs C Smith, Whitwick.
There were Works outings every year. In 1979 seven
coaches set off to go to various destinations including
London, Blackpool, Lake Windermere and York.
The year before one of the destinations on offer had
been Boulogne in France.
The 21 Club presentation, 1959.
With kind permission of Mr A Bale, Hugglescote.