Gary Alston remembers his first Barbie...
Let me take you back to the 1960s, the glorious 1960s. It was a wonderful era to grow up in. I remember being surrounded by music, especially at home. Petula Clark was forever on the radio singing Downtown, Sandi Shaw had hit the big time with There's always something there to remind me, and Dusty Springfield was making major waves with I only want to be with you. I loved pop music, but especially girl singers. Every weekend I would go to the cinema (where they had regular children's clubs) or ice skating. On TV we watched Dr Kildare, The Avengers and Peyton Place. My special favourites were the puppet shows, Thunderbirds and Stingray. I had many idols back then, Emma Peel, Lady Penelope, Lucille Ball, Wilma Flinstone, Jonny Quest and Ilya Kuryiakin in The Man from Uncle. My biggest idol though, was an 11.5" plastic vision in a red jersey swimsuit. Her hair was coiffured into a champagne bubblecut. Her eyes held a technicolor glow, her nose a cute little upturn, her lips styled in best Hollywood starlet tradition. Her name was Barbie, and I coveted her with great passion.
At the time, the teenage fashion doll was a new phenomenon for Britain, and who better to represent it than Barbie. My first introduction to her had come in a black and white TV ad shown around 1963. In it, a designer was at work in an atelier sketching an outfit for Barbie. The outfit was Solo in the Spotlight and after the sketch it was shown on the doll. I'll never forget that moment, Barbie looked stunning and so grown up. As I sat there, transfixed, I knew I had to have this wonderful doll. Little did I know then that it would take four years before she would become mine.
At school in London, all I ever saw was the new Sindy doll. She had a Christmas pudding head, always seemed to be dressed in Summery Days and compared to glamorous Barbie, looked like a candidate for Weight Watchers. When I went out with my parents, Sindy was in all the toy shop windows in her pink and white box with 'The Doll You Love to Dress" on the front.
In 1964, my family moved to Marlow in Essex, and it was there in a small shop that I found my entry into Barbie's world. There were two toyshops in Marlow. One was the average kind you found everywhere, selling Sindy and Action Man. the other was much more special - it had Barbie! Not only Barbie, but Ken, Midge and Skipper too. There were also other, cheaper dolls including Lady Penelope and Emma Peel. There were the marvellous Pelham Puppets that I loved in their bright yellow boxes, and wonderful colouring sets by a company called Venus Paradise.
Every Saturday morning I would go into the toyshop to look at the Barbies. There was a lot to look at - boxes of bubblecuts and some ponytails. I loved the boxes so much. I was captivated by the bright, colourful sketches of Barbie in her wonderful outfits. I wanted them all, but especially Solo and Bride's Dream. There were lots of outfits to buy in the pink striped tray packaging. Quite a few of them were 1600s. I remember gazing longingly at Matinee Fashion. With each outfit there was a minature fashion booklet that I would come to know and treasure.
At school I had discovered two girls with two very desirable Barbies. One was a blonde ponytail in the Solo dress who had obviously seen better days; this did nothing to diminish her appeal in my eyes. When I was in class I would steal glances at her in my classmate's bag, oblivious to the lesson being held! The other girl was the proud possessor of a doll I hadn't seen before, Fashion Queen Barbie. She was brand new, with those fabulous wigs and the Stormy Weather raincoat I was fascinated by her, and more determined than ever to get a Barbie. There were however, two obstacles to overcome. My parents steadfastly refused to buy me one, meaning I had to raise the 21/- to buy my own. "Dolls are for girls", they'd say. I wasn't going to let this deter me. There were plenty of PAK outfits in town selling at 10/- each and I thought to myself, if I can't have the doll, I'll have the duds! I started saving my pocket money and the first Pak I bought was the black Silk Sheath. I marvelled at the dress with its tiny zipper. It really worked, and what about the dainty black pumps! Other Paks I purchased were the Tee Shirt and Shorts and the white version of Apron and Utensils.
