Rosie priced at Barnardo's

LEAMINGTON SPA - Rosie the Ragdoll suffered a fate feared in many a toy's nightmares today as she was taken to Barnardo's, a charity shop, priced and then put on a shelf to be sold onto a new owner. The doll was banished from Toyland by King Cheeky late last year for breaking into Marissa's house and bullying her.


For sale: Rosie, 95p

Marissa Cooper recounts how Rosie was the ringleader of those who tormented her in her pre-character days in the Land of Old Toys. The story of Marissa's escape and arrival in Toyland is considered a classic in Toyland literature, consistently ranked as one of the most borrowed books at the Smallvania Library. Once Marissa found fame and fortune as one of Emily's all time favourite toys, Rosie became jealous and insisted she was a Jellycat because of her similar yarn hair. Possessed by jealousy she tried to force her way into the Jellycat Bunch household.

King Cheeky banished her, and in December the Land of Old Toys was demolished to make way for Granny Camps Bay's stay. Several bags of toys were sent to charity shops, with Dr Flixy, well known for his love of 'Doctor Doctor' jokes, among the cast-outs. Rosie was sent to Barnardo's in Leamington Spa to await a new life or, if unsold, the dreaded bin.

Rosie has been priced at 95p, the same price as the lesser known Little Fluff Bun bunny rabbit who accompanied her to the shelf. A number of other non-character toys sent to Leamington failed to pass the safety test to be sold on.

'I hope she does okay, I mean I know she bullied me and all and I'm pleased she's gone,' said Marissa, 'But no hard feelings.'


Pictured: Rosie and Little Fluff Bun wait for a new life, inevitably with new names.

'At least she went out doing something good - making money for charity,' she added.

TE

Lizzie gets own voice

QUIET JELLYCAT MERMAID LIZZIE McGuire has returned from a year-long (in Toy years) trip to a Toyland in Australia with a distinctive new accent.

'G'day reporters and what a beautiful morning it is how about a barbie later?', Lizzie greeted the Express journalists after stepping off the Polly Pocket Airways plane. It wasn't just the pouring rain and cold chill that made what she said remarkable.

'I didn't like that comment about having a Barbie later...' said a passing tall blonde leggy plastic doll.

Most were surprised at Lizzie's newfound Australian accent. It solves the problem for Emily of Lizzie having the default 'Spurry' voice, which is the same as her sister Sabrina. Many had not even noticed Lizzie had left Toyland, perhaps owing to her lack of any role in any storyline for a long time.

'Crikey you didn't even know I was gone?' asked Lizzie, clutching a bag of koala bear teddies and boomerang gifts for her Sunnydale Juniors schoolfriends. 'Well I was only gone for a Toyish year!'

Some wondered why Lizzie had bothered coming back to the wet and the dark, away from the coral reefs and blue seas that a mermaid more than anyone should enjoy.

'I've heard the ducks in Australia fly upside down!' said a nearby toy.

Ducky is three years old.