The Lea Valley can boast an array of toy companies many of which are still household names even today.
Matchbox (Lesley Products)
Lesley Products was founded by John Jack Odell, Leslie Charles Smith, and Rodney Smith in 1953. The name of Lesley was a combination of Leslie and Rodney Smith’s first names. The company produced diecast metal models of various modes of transport vehicles with the first being a model of Queen Elizabeth II coronation coach that sold more than a million models. Leslie and co-owner Jack Odell created a brand that paved the way for the company’s future success that was especially designed for his daughter as her school only allowed children to bring in toys that could fit inside a matchbox. Hence the name of Matchbox was founded. The next production was a model green and red road roller which was the start of the 1-75 miniature range. The company went on to produce many thousand different types of models. By 1968, Matchbox was the biggest-selling brand of small die-cast model cars worldwide with featured plastic windows, interiors, tyres and even spring suspension. Larger models under the name of Yesteryear and King Size to complete with Corgi and the Dinky range were produce during this period. The company was based in Hackney with a large factory situated next to the River Lea. It also had a smaller factory in Chingford. By the 1970s the company’s Matchbox image success began to fade which resulted in the company going bankrupt. The Hot Wheels brand being a major contributor to the company’s demise. Some of the Matchbox tooling became property of Jack Odell who continued to market Matchbox type products under the name of Lledo (Odell’s last name in reverse) The “Matchbox” brand name, some tooling, moulds, and other assets were then sold to Universal Toys and David Yeh. The brand name of Matchbox and some of its models are still produced today by Mattel. The history of Matchbox can be found on Wikipedia with the above only just being a brief history of the company…
Lledo
Lledo was a British manufacturing company founded in 1982 by Matchbox co-founder Jack Odell, and Burt Russell, which was based in Enfield. The factory produced mainly die-cast scale model commercial vehicles, and also cars from 1983 until 1999 when the company went into bankruptcy. The brand name and its rights and the model range were bought by Corgi which continued producing models in China until 2005, when the remaining models were merged into the Corgi Classics range.
Exclusive First Editions (EFE)
Based in Enfield the company began trading in 1989, when it released its first models of an AEC bus and truck. Models were mostly produced in 1/76th scale, which matches the standard scale for UK OO gauge model railways. The initial aim of EFE was to provide a range of die-cast models representing the diverse history of UK road transport vehicles. The models were designed in the UK and manufactured in China. By the end of 2010 the total number of EFE range of models produced had surpassed the 2000 mark, with around 90 new types of models being released each year. In October 2016 Exclusive First Editions went into liquidation and was subsequently acquired by Bachmann.
Britain’s Toys
Britain’s Toys earlier known by its founder’s name of William Britain was a British toy manufacturing company known for its die-cast scale models of agricultural machinery and figurines. The company was established in 1893 as a toy soldiers manufacturer. With its factory in Walthamstow London, Britain’s then diversified into other associated toys such as die-cast zamac military trucks, commercial vehicles, and toy cars. On the 30th January 2012 Bachmann Europe Plc became the sole distributor of all W. Britain figures in the UK and Continental Europe.
Wells Brimtoy
In 1914 the Brimtoy Brand started life at 133 Highbury Quadrant, London, N5 and was a British Metal and Toy Manufacturers which produced a number of tin plate toys, under the brand name of Brimtoy. The company tended to buy its raw materials at high prices, and so manufactured at a loss and bankruptcy followed. In 1919 a second company was started was called A. Wells and Co Ltd, and which operated from Somers Road Walthamstow. It produced a range of toys, starting with a crane, and was innovative in that all the components for each toy were produced ‘in-house ‘with production being on a conveyor belt system. Among the items made by Wells was also a bonneted coach, but different and about half the size of the Brimtoy version. Brimtoy manufactured numerous toy cars in collaboration with Bing. In 1923 some directors of the former British Metal and Toy Manufacturers started a new company called Brimtoy Ltd, which also continued in the production of toys, including a bonneted coach. In 1932 Brimtoy Ltd was taken over by Wells to form Wells Brimtoy. While tin plate was the main component, over the years plastic was gradually introduced. As separate companies, their ranges had been very diverse, with railway items, dolls house toys, vans, lorries, cars and buses. The vans appeared as ambulances and Royal Mail vehicles. There was also a fire engine and an ice cream seller’s tricycle. The tin plate toys of Wells Brimtoy were extremely popular, but for most model enthusiasts it is the buses, trolleybuses and coaches which have the greatest appeal. One of the buses and the trolleybuses were produced in three sizes, the smallest being known as Pocketoys. These toys came with either friction drive or clockwork mechanism, and there was a stop-and-go device, with a bell giving the necessary stopping and starting instructions.
The factory was moved in 1938 to Stirling Road Walthamstow below. In 1949 the company supplied Equiflex anti-vibration mountings for radio equipment and employed then around 700 people. In 1951 Equiflex mountings were used in English Electric Canberra aircraft and in 1962 the company patented Improvements in carpet sweepers. By1965 production had ceased at Walthamstow.
