About Us EquipmentSpeedway Ski Jump Toyset Hoopla Renovation Links

Our Toyset was built in around 1976 by Maxwells of Musselburgh (near Edinburgh), who were better known for making Waltzers and other large fairground rides. Toysets have long been popular with young children and a particular favourite toy on the gently rotating platform is the double decker bus – which can seat over 20 youngsters! Our Toyset was delivered new to Lancashire showman Michael Albert Collins, but he didn’t keep it for long and it returned to the Edinburgh area in 1977 finding its new permanent home at the amusement park in Portobello. 

After it left Portobello, The Toyset spent a few summers at Burntisland before being stored for a number of years in Dumfries. It was from here that I bought the Toyset in 2004 and I have since replaced quite a lot of parts on it including a complete new set of uprights, troughs, rounding boards and walkways. I have also made new lighting for it but I need to spend some time on the toys before the Toyset can once again delight the young children of the Edinburgh area.

The old wooden build up toysets have fallen out of favour with showmen recently because they take at least 4 hours to build up and you can now get a similar thing which tows behind a car or van which can be set up in a matter of 20 minutes!  Luckily for us the old Toysets strip down into small enough pieces to carry through our terraced house into the back garden!