The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Does anyone have any photographs of the Jolly Giant in Jordanhill, does anything remain today - signs, logos, etc

Its part of Arnold Clark now - nothing Jolly Giant remaining, although I remember it very well...

I have done google image searches for this a few times and the only thing it came up with was a wee toy truck with an advert for jolly giant on the side.

I used to go there as a child in the early-mid 80s and remember when it closed down mid 90s - they had brought out all their stock to shift and some of the stuff was from early 80s I think - great!

The Jolly Giant was run by a guy called Jack Lees who ran a toy wholesalers in Glasgow at the time.

He had been to America and seen the Toys R Us setup (before they opened in Britain) and came up with the Jolly Giant concept.

The Jolly Giant was fantastic!

Although there was always a wee pleasure/pain thing going on, given how absolutely petrified I was of the 20-foot Jolly Giant mannekin that towered over the entrance.

The Crow Road Jolly Giant is indeed now Arnold Clark. I found a 1982 school diary entry where my brother pretty much details a virtual tour of the inside of the store:

"When I went in there was a Jolly Giant dummy. He is looking after the trolleys. I went through a metal roundabout to get in. All the games were when I went in I walked around a corner there was star wars and back up and there was centurions and gremlins (?) back round the corner there was girls dollys (sic) and stuff fir drawing. After that there was bikes and prams. Up from that was pac man and space invaders. I got a pac man to play called munchman (?) and we got star wars figures. Figures from june with sting in it were at the till then we paid with uncle brian then we went to get soup at the cafe..."

I've cleaned that up as best I can!

Pointyears wrote:

image.jpg

The Crow Road Jolly Giant is indeed now Arnold Clark. I found a 1982 school diary entry where my brother pretty much details a virtual tour of the inside of the store:

"When I went in there was a Jolly Giant dummy. He is looking after the trolleys. I went through a metal roundabout to get in. All the games were when I went in I walked around a corner there was star wars and back up and there was centurions and gremlins (?) back round the corner there was girls dollys (sic) and stuff fir drawing. After that there was bikes and prams. Up from that was pac man and space invaders. I got a pac man to play called munchman (?) and we got star wars figures. Figures from june with sting in it were at the till then we paid with uncle brian then we went to get soup at the cafe..."

Munchman:

I've still got mine.

The addition of Gremlins and Centurions are a mystery, as they were 1984 and 1985 respectively.

Brilliant! I recognise it now. Must be a 1985 entry - I'll ask!

Pointyears wrote:Brilliant! I recognise it now. Must be a 1985 entry - I'll ask!

What Star Wars figures did you get? The "Last Seventeen" had just been released in summer 1985, but due to the declining interest of Star Wars by this point, the shops could barely give them away, and all things Star Wars became consigned to the bargain bins. Ironically, they're among the most valuable now.

It *was* 1985 and the Star Wars figures were Chewbacca and Medic droid.

I know what you mean about the final, rare figures and I kick myself reminiscing now. In our native East Kilbride, our John Menzies, had stacks of Yak Face and Anakin Skywalker (old man version) I was all about He-Man and disregarded them. I wake up in cold sweats about that!

Goldbergs in Glasgow had a toy clearout in 1988 when it was closing. They had bins of the fabled last seventeen. Again, i cared not for them. They even had the jawa with gold coin, racks of them! Another wake up screaming in the night memory. By todays value the collective figures in those John Menzies/Goldberg's bins would be in the thousands!

Pointyears wrote:It *was* 1985 and the Star Wars figures were Chewbacca and Medic droid.

I know what you mean about the final, rare figures and I kick myself reminiscing now. In our native East Kilbride, our John Menzies, had stacks of Yak Face and Anakin Skywalker (old man version) I was all about He-Man and disregarded them. I wake up in cold sweats about that!

Goldbergs in Glasgow had a toy clearout in 1988 when it was closing. They had bins of the fabled last seventeen. Again, i cared not for them. They even had the jawa with gold coin, racks of them! Another wake up screaming in the night memory. By todays value the collective figures in those John Menzies/Goldberg's bins would be in the thousands!

I got most of them I still have them and their card backs. I don't recall ever seeing seeing 'Power of the Force' card backs (with the coins). I had always thought they were US only, but obviously not. My 'Final 17' were all on the trilogo cards.

We took the kids to see "Darth Vader" at Jolly Giant. I was pushing my oldest boy through the crowd and telling him to touch his cape, you would have thought it was Jesus