The Meccano-Set




Just nuts and screws and chromium struts, more than a hundred parts, maybe, but
fixed the way figured in fig 49 they yielded a spandrelled structure.
Like a pylon, perhaps, with a swivelling arm - that cats-cradle web had a stack
of charm, "an' they've gone an' called it 'Derrick'..!"
Fig 52 Was a meccanoed 'M' whose arms see-sawed on rods bushed into a stage.
That photo of its lozenged form was a source of fascination; so much so that he
wondered what a Beam-Engine' was, how and why folk worked them?
These were his reasons for building the toy, the number-three kit had the 
necessary stuff, so he made a start on its trellis-work stem..
It was only when he searched for the tackle of its stage that he missed two 
curious components:  two cotton-reel shapes that were called 'copper coils' ; 
the kit never claimed them as items..
Accessories and Extras: 50p said the, now, disappointing manual's list. 
There was nothing to stop him from building the thing, all he needed was half a
quid! He could do the flippin' derrick an' all, if he had a quid in his pocket.
"'S a flippin' swizz!"  he cussed  out loud among the shadows under the table.
Edging nearer to the net-gauzed light of the back room window he flicked through
for things he might have missed.. but each page was a waste of time.
He could've built himself a motor-car if he only had four proper wheels,  
"..Could've knocked up one of them spiffin' tanks.." - he had two chains and a
pair of spindles - but he needed six sprockets and he only had four..
"An' what fun is a flippin' 'Water-Pump' when I aint got a 'lectric motor.!?"
He told the budgie. "..What use is half a flippin' cuckoo-clock'..or a pushbike 
on pulleys with grooves 'stead of tyres..?"..
He could fix-up a chair or a house, of course, or a wierd looking boat or a nutty
aeroplane - but what good was a chair when it didn't do a sausage..
Or an Andy-Pandy hut.. "..Or a boat what flippin' sank..  An' who'd be daft enough 
to build the thing when only flippin' Noddy would've cottoned to that plane..?!"



                     -Sterl'