Toys?

[Dick]

I have this ridiculously keen memory of being at home one morning before school in kindergarten, weighing whether to bring my paltry collection of ninja turtles to play with the other children.  I finally decided that the prospect of joining in was worth the potential ridicule.  I packed a small Kool Cigarette duffle bag with my Raphael and Master Splinter and set off with grim-faced determination.

I don't remember what happened with the toys but I do vaguely recall some sort of crippling shame related to the pronunciation of a word.

[cold before sunrise]

up until the age of 9 i was something of a tomboy, except the boys didn't really want to let me play with them. sometimes we'd play kissy games and that was fine and all but when it came to skating and rough housing they didn't ever welcome me (unless it was to show the boy next door my privates behind the shed). i had an embarrassing penny skateboard that probably didn't help matters.

[clare]

I packed a small Kool Cigarette duffle bag with my Raphael and Master Splinter and set off with grim-faced determination.

This was the best bit...

I'm too old for TMNT, and I can't remember if I had any Star Wars action figures - I vaguely recall a Yoda - but my friend had a bunch of them that we'd play with together. He was a couple of years older than me, and had a much older sister (who was too old to play Star Wars with us), but i also remember conning him into playing with my plastic horses quite  a lot. I made him play The Silver Brumby, but he was pretty into it, having read the books too.