CONTENTS.P3 Top Toys P5 Gifts for Kids P6 Local Food P7 Unusual Gifts P8 Christmas CDs P10-11 Gifts for Women P13 Theatre P14-15 Pantomimes P17 Decorations P18-19 Gifts for Men WELCOME to the Evening Chronicle The Evening Chronicle is a daily, evening newspaper produced in Newcastle upon Tyne, covering Tyne and Wear, southern Northumberland and northern County Durham. It was founded in 1885 by Joseph Cowan. Gift guide, which will give you lots of present ideas for the whole family, as well as ideas for nights out, pantos, festive food and decorations. Cash-strapped parents can take some early festive cheer from the news that it's back to basics for this year's Christmas toys. With more games, and old favourites like Lego and Monopoly set to take a place under the Christmas tree Christmas tree Evergreen tree, usually decorated with lights and ornaments, to celebrate the Christmas season. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as symbols of eternal life was common among the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. , the toy industry's annual prediction of the festive season's best-selling toys suggests that extravagant children's gifts are off this year's Christmas menu. In fact, Dream Toys - the Toy Retail Association's (TRA) list of the must-have toys for Christmas - features no toys over pounds 50 in this year's Top 12. And in the entire list of 72 toys, there are just three toys, all construction sets, over pounds 50 (pounds 59.99). As last year's list included one toy for pounds 299.99 and another for pounds 249.99, and was dotted with items well over pounds 50, this year's list is definitely a bonus for penny-pinching mums and dads who still want to buy their kids top toys. There are two games in the Top 12 Dream Dozen this year - Lego Games Minotaurus (pounds 17.99), and Monopoly City (pounds 24.99) - whereas last year there were none in the Top 12. Parents will be pleased to see old names like Lego and Monopoly on the list. TRA chairman Gary Grant Gary Grant (born April 21 1965 in Canton, Ohio) is a retired American professional basketball point guard in the NBA. Gary "The General" Grant played for Canton McKinley High School and collegiately at the University of Michigan and was selected in the 1988 NBA Draft by the said: "What we've experienced this year has been a resurgence in people going back to traditional, trusted brands. "So we're seeing brands coming through like Lego, Sylvanian Families Sylvanian Families (シルバニアファミリー) is the name of a line of anthropomorphic collectible toy figures, created by Japanese company Epoch in 1985 and distributed worldwide by a number of companies. and Playmobil, and well-known names like Monopoly, Rubiks Cube and Jenga - things that people feel comfortable with." Grant believes parents aren't necessarily looking for cheaper toys, but want good-quality items that have lasting play value. "If you were to evaluate the worth of a toy from the point of view of pound per play hour, even though these toys might not be the cheapest on the market, when you think about their longevity and the children's interest, they probably work out as one of the cheapest toys ever purchase." Overall toy sales are down 10% on last year, and Grant admits that the toy market has found 2009 a challenge. Although the boys' market has been strong this year, the traditional girls' market is trading down, he says. The biggest sales decline is in dolls, which have sold 22% less. However, arts and crafts arts and crafts, term for that general field of applied design in which hand fabrication is dominant. The term was coined in England in the late 19th cent. as a label for the then-current movement directed toward the revivifying of the decorative arts. are up 6%, and Grant says believes that the money being spent on girls has moved from dolls towards this area. The number-one brand in arts and crafts is Crayola, but two particularly strong products are Bendaroos, which are a type of waxed pipe-cleaners that children can mould and make models with, and Aquabeads, beads which children can make models with after adding water to them. Barbie Barbie in full Barbara Millicent Roberts A plastic doll, 11.5 in. (29 cm) tall, with the figure of an adult woman that was introduced in 1959 by Mattel, Inc., a southern California toy company. and Baby Annabell are still on the most-wanted list for girls, although animals play a strong role in the girls' category, with the Go Go Pets Hamsters (pounds 9.99), Pony In My Pocket Pony Arena (pounds 24.99) and Peanut My Playful Pup (pounds 44.99) all making it on to the wish list of young animal lovers. True to type, the boys' category is packed with battling and cars, with plenty of TV and film-inspired toys, including a Ben 10 Action Cruiser (pounds 29.99), and a Star Wars Clone Wars Clone Wars may refer to:
The Dream Toys Dream Dozen Bakugan Battle Pack, Spin Master (pounds 19.99) Battle Strikers starter Set, Mega Brands (pounds 9.99) Ben 10 Alien Force Kevins DX Action Cruiser, Bandai (pounds 29.99) Bendaroos Mega Pack, Spin Master (pounds 19.99) GO GO Pets Hamsters, Character Options (pounds 9.99) GX Racers Tightrope Terror, Flair (pounds 22.99) Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera, V-Tech (pounds 49.99) Lego Games Minotaurus, Lego (pounds 17.99) Monopoly City, Hasbro (pounds 24.99) Princess Peppa's Palace, Character Options (pounds 39.99) Sylvanian Families Caravan, Flair (pounds 44.99) Transformers Movie 2 Voyagers Figures, Hasbro (pounds 22.99) |
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