General Chat

I just googled Boko and Tomo and found a site with lists of many conjoined twins. It made interesting but mainly sad reading.
Boko and Tomo were born on my 6th birthday. It is heartening to know that Boko has had a relatively normal life since the operation.

Lizx



Wariboko and Tamunotonye Davies, known as Boko and Tomo, are born in Kano, Nigeria on July 25, 1953. Joined at the abdomen, the sisters are taken to London and surgically separated by Dr. Ian Aird on December 3. Tomo dies in surgery, but Boko returns to Nigeria and today is a happily married grown woman.

The Golliwog celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 1995. Golliwog collectibles, which always had a loyal following, again boomed on the secondary market. This popularity continues today and is evidenced by numerous eBay and Yahoo internet auctions and the presence of several international Golliwog organisations. A pro-Golliwog viewpoint can be found at the International Golliwog Collectors Club's website: www.teddybears.com/golliwog/direct.html. Many collectors, primarily though not exclusively Whites, contend that the anti-Golliwog movement represents political correctness at its worst. They argue that the Golliwog is just a doll, and that the original Florence Upton creation was not racist, intentionally or unintentionally - this is reminiscent of the claims about Helen Bannerman's Little Black Sambo.

Critics of the Golliwog have launched a new attack. They are trying to get the image removed from all newly published children's books, and they are trying to force businesses to not use the Golliwog as a trademark. The Black Trinidadian writer, Darcus Howe, said, "English [White] people never give up. Golliwogs have gone and should stay gone. They appeal to White English sentiment and will do so until the end of time." Gerry German, of the Working Group Against Racism in Children's Resources, was quoted in The Voice, a Black newspaper, as saying: "I find it appalling that any organisation in this day and age can produce anything which would commemorate the Golliwog. It is an offensive caricature of Black people."

IHear hear

Kaz

Kaz - I cannot speak for others but I never thought of golly other than a fictional creature (much loved by me) as the fairies at the bottom of the garden, Goldilocks etc etc. On speaking of offence - why did I never see black dolls for sale in Africa or Caribeean only white - the white people were in the minority very much so - in all four of the places I visited? Why did I have to find one in Lubeck? None for sale in this country at least none of our family and friends at the time some 16 years ago could find a black doll for sale.

i had a big white dolly that had cry box in her back when you tipped her forward
and a black dolly that did same,
they had lovley kniited outfits on dress bonnet and coat,
black dollys was yellow,
as i grew up my auntie had two daughters and we thought it would be nice if i gave them my black dolly to have as a passed down treasure,
not sure if they kept her,
but she was lovely

gollys making it huge in wales i believe, i see him lots

How sad that a children's toy had caused such trouble. I loved my Golly and thought of him as another teddy or doll. I had a Rosebud doll, too. The colour of each of these was irrelevant to me.

I also used to collect Robertsons' jam Golliwog tokens and had a really good collection of Gollys playing various sports and musical instruments.

Wow

I too had a black doll called Boko. Learned years later that she was named after one of the cojoined twins.

This is the very first time I have heard of anyone else having a black doll with this name. All of my friends thought I was mad!!. Thought I has made the name up.

Think we all had a golly and collected the badges from jam jars.

Innocent days before PC gone mad.

Libby xx

I have some of the Golly badges and I think I still have a lot of the tokens, never got round to sending them in lol
Wonder if they still have the badges?
Lizx

When I was young (how many centuries ago?) my sisters and I used to collect the lead animals from the tins of cocoa. We were also members of the club, were called cocoa cubs. I still have my badge and quite a few of the animals somewhere.

Recently at an antique fair I saw one of the animals for sale, cant remember whether it was $20 or $40. I commented that lead toys were a no-no these days. The stall holder said it was adults who collected them. Well after all I still have them. But that doesnt necessarily mean I am an adult.

Huia.

In my second childhood.

Huia.

Huia, you are only as old as you feel, lol, and as old as your tongue and a little older than your teeth, but if you want to be in your second childhood, I am not going to try and stop you. Would you sell your animals or keep them, and have them on display?

Lizxx

I dont know if I would sell them as they are antiques. Son might not want me to. But I would have to find them first anyway! My house is so full of 'junk'.
Huia.