A celebration of the toys which have survived across the decades, presented by a man who still plays with them. When James May was three, his father gave him a toy car for Christmas, .. show full overview
A celebration of the toys which have survived across the decades, presented by a man who still plays with them. When James May was three, his father gave him a toy car for Christmas, and a life behind the wheel and under a bonnet became his destiny. Forty-two-year-old James takes us on a tour of his childhood mind as he rifles through his boy toy favourites which include Meccano, Lego, Scalectrix, Airfix and, his all time number one toy, the train set. His love of engineering and building things has shaped the ingredients of his entire toy cupboard. There's not a microchip in sight. He still plays with his toys - still loves building things with his various sets. Each toy prompts a story - a history told via archive, anecdote and obsessive collector.
The show focused on the toys loved by his elder and younger sisters, including dolls, dolls' houses, dolls' prams, Girls' World, Ladybird Books, Spirograph, and a Palitoy (Kenner) Tree .. show full overview
The show focused on the toys loved by his elder and younger sisters, including dolls, dolls' houses, dolls' prams, Girls' World, Ladybird Books, Spirograph, and a Palitoy (Kenner) Tree Tots Family House. May speaks about how he often played with them as they were hand-me-downs.
During the show, May sets up a race as a girls' school (Skipton Girls' High School) and a boys' school (Ermysted's Grammar School) battle it out in a go-kart time trial, using their own converted Silver Cross prams. May gets his own made by the pram factory. He tests it out, battling for first place alongside the girls and the boys.
In 2009, James May went on a quest to show what is possible with old-fashioned toys by using them on a scale never seen before. Five toys were successful but one failed - model trains. .. show full overview
In 2009, James May went on a quest to show what is possible with old-fashioned toys by using them on a scale never seen before. Five toys were successful but one failed - model trains. James and his team revisit the doomed challenge and make another attempt at building the longest ever model railway track - nearly ten miles long.
The Top Gear presenter investigates the enduring appeal of the model aeroplane and sets out with the intention of achieving the first flight across the English Channel by an engineless, .. show full overview
The Top Gear presenter investigates the enduring appeal of the model aeroplane and sets out with the intention of achieving the first flight across the English Channel by an engineless, home-made supersized toy - breaking the British distance record in the process. During his quest, James turns Indiana Jones to unearth surprising new evidence identifying children as the true pioneers of flight and wrestles with an underperforming craft that threatens to barely leave the ground.
In this high-octane Toy Stories special, James puts an iconic toy to the most ambitious test ever attempted. The challenge: to build a motorbike and side car entirely out of Meccano to take on the Isle of Man’s legendary TT circuit.
In this high-octane Toy Stories special, James puts an iconic toy to the most ambitious test ever attempted. The challenge: to build a motorbike and side car entirely out of Meccano to take on the Isle of Man’s legendary TT circuit.
James May attempts to rehabilitate one of Britain's most derided toys by seeing if it's possible for Action Man to do what no toy has ever managed - travel faster than the speed of sound.
James May attempts to rehabilitate one of Britain's most derided toys by seeing if it's possible for Action Man to do what no toy has ever managed - travel faster than the speed of sound.
