by Louise Birch

Day 7 of our Advent Calendar is all about Christmas Shopping. there is a commercial side to Christmas that many dislike, for some this is due to the affordability of gifts. Today’s entry recalls a toy fair that addressed this.

These images show the annual Wykebeck ‘Family allowance Toy Fair’.  Local residents in possession of a Family allowance book were able to buy new and quality second-hand toys as Christmas presents for their children thanks to donations by local firms and business fairs.  Toys were offered at a much cheaper price than in the shops, sometimes between only 10p and 25p.

The fairs were a joint initiative between Social Service, the Probation Service and the Tennant’s Association.

See you tomorrow for day 8.