Hamleys Toys Sports Store 188 -196 Regent Street London W1

Video Title :	Hamleys Toys Sports Store 188 -196 Regent Street London W1
Description :	William Hamley a Cornishman from Bodmin first opened a toy shop in London in 1760. William cramped his Holborn shop with every toy he could find; rag dolls, tin soldiers, hoops and wooden horses, because he wanted the finest toy shop in the world and compared it to the 'Noah's Ark'. In 1881, William Hamley's grandsons opened a new branch in Regent Street, not far from Piccadilly Circus. By the end of Queen Victoria's reign, croquet sets, cricket bats, footballs, marionettes, magic lanterns and model sailing boats filled the stores packed shelves. By now the shop's reputation had become very well known and Jaques and Sons asked if they could launch their new 'Gossima, ping pong' game, exclusively through Hamleys, which they christened after the noise made by the bouncing white celluloid ball. Not until 1921 did it officially become Table Tennis. In 1931 their desire to provide the world's best selection of toys and games finally threatened to close Hamleys altogether. Its fleet of horse drawn delivery vans were still at work each day when the economic depression across Europe forced the shop into liquidation. Hamleys was saved by a man who had ridden on the delivery vans as a boy, Walter Lines chairman of the Tri-Ang company, who bought it and rebuilt its reputation. In 1938 he was rewarded with the Royal Warrant from Queen Mary. Her granddaughters, the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, both had Hamleys toys in their nursery. The new Queen Elizabeth II had not forgotten her own childhood companions. Both Prince Charles and Princess Anne received toys from Hamleys and, in 1955, her Majesty honored Walter Lines with his second Royal Warrant as a 'Toys and Sports Merchant'. Hamleys became as much a London attraction as Buckingham Palace or The British Museum. Nowhere was the magic of childhood so precisely captured. And as toys changed, so did Hamleys; in 1981 it moved to 188 -196 Regent Street, still the biggest toy shop in the world. In 1994 Hamleys of London Ltd. was listed on the London Stock Exchange and became Hamleys plc. It remained a public company for 9 years until 2003 when, with the support of Baugur, the Iceland based retail group, Hamleys management team took the company private. Today, Spiderman is showcased with tomorrow's latest games and toys. To read their complete history and see inside this fabulous store go to Hamleys user friendly website www.hamleys.com where your be able to view and purchase items which can be safely delivered anywhere throughout the world. You may also order by contacting their 24hr order line on 0800 2802 444 Story abridged version of http://www.hamleys.com
Views :	7236
Rating :	4.25
Keywords, Tags :	Hamleys Baugur Toys Store Regent Street London W1 Stock Exchange England Interesting
Video Length :	2 : 0

Comments :

I was there yesterday for a holiday! =D Im back now though. It was superb!

did you like it in london