Toys of Christmas past

The Toyland Express has been remembering the many significant characters who first peeped their heads out of Emily's stocking on past Christmasses.

In what will be five years ago this December 25th, probably the most prominent character of all time Marissa Cooper bounded into Toyland. Though ignored for her first few months and then merely called 'Loud American Dolly', she is now personal adviser to the King and a larger-than-lifesize poster of her adourns the walls of Boston. A year later, in 2004, what would later become her trademark car arrived.


2004: Barbie car

Not all Christmas characters are successful. In 2004, with no new Jellycats, photographic records show that a certain polystyrened-headed troublemaker Eleanor arrived, who is now missing presumed broken.


2004: Eleanor

After the success of Marissa, who at that time hung around mostly with Princess Carly Spots and a plastic McDonald's snail, pressure grew for Father Christmas to bring her a Jellycat friend, and so came Sabrina, now Toyland's Hogwarts-graduate magical doctor.


2005: Sabrina Spellman

The following year, and after the creation of The Toyland Express, came a Build-a-Bear koala bear, perhaps in honour of Grace (of Grace's Toyland) going away for a year. He went on to become Prime Minister Nizz of the Land of Old Toys, which declared independence from Toyland as 'Oldsville'.


2006: Prime Minister Nizz

Also in 2006 came the fiery haired Texan Claire McKuchen, a Jellycat willing to give Marissa a run for her money in original voice terms and also loudness. Often referred to as the most glamorous of the Jellycat Bunch, Claire fits in well as Marissa's best friend. She now works as the tour guide to Kensington Palace and has a pet rabbit called Snowski.


2006: Claire McKuchen

Which brings us up to last year, in this brief look at just a few of the toys of the last few Christmasses. Phoebe Nightingale became the fourth and final twelve inch Jellycat, and became known for her different hair texture and tendency to fall asleep whenever possible.


2007: Phoebe Nightingale

In the NEXT Toyland Express
Toys of Christmas present: We ask three important characters what they are hoping to find in their stockings this year