UK Toy Fair 2001


Toy Fair moved a new location in London Docklands for 2001, at the Excel Centre. As usual, hobby board games were thin on the ground, but the toys were great.
  Business was not very brisk on the Saturday 
  The stand selling foam rubber tipped rockets, planes and helicopters was uprange from the creche. Any children checked in there could look forward to interesting times 
  Boom! Boom!!
Among the characters was an old favourite. Basil Brush is back! 
  From Hasbro, a re-issue of Hotel 
  ... and Pathways in the Deep, a tile laying game 
  ... and Pokemon action figures ...  
  ... and Turbo-Snail racing  
  Elsewhere there was a superior slot car racing game 
  Alumni of Ford Open Prison have produced Incarceration, which comes with a recommendation from Jonathon Aitken. Um, fine. It looks a bit random for serious hobby players, but the black market trade in ciggies and phone cards offers potential for stitching up your rivals 
  Talking of dodgy characters, here are two more. Dick Dastardly and Muttley ride again 
  ... fortunately, International Rescue are on the job, although their anti-photography widget was on the blink 
  This space race game with magnets engrossed the team on the stand publicising it, which must be a good sign 
  Is it a kite? Is it a plane?
Yes 
  As we left, the crescent moon looked down on the Powderpuff Girls 
More reports ... or back to the pit head