Who

As I am sure everyone knows, the New Year can be a worrying time for toys. It's so easy to forget all those Christmas promises that we will continue to play with the old toys as well as the smart new electronic ones. Come the New Year, mum and dad start complaining about the mess on the floor and saying something has to go. It can be quite worrying.

Not in my house, of course. Here it is the "big kids" whose "children within" look after me. I have no real worries - even if Mikki has been on "ebay" and found a Figaro that is said to talk (you may hear more of that later). I think they just tease me when they come home with stories of all the sales in the shops and all the toys going cheap. I must also tell you that I know the difference between toys (I am really concerned for cuddly toys like me) and ornaments or novelty items - even if they look like characters.

We don't have a Disney store in our local town. In England, the big theme for the last few Christmases in the general stores has been Doctor Who. Even your bubble bath came in bottles shaped like Daleks. So, the biggest news item of the last week has been the announcement of a new actor to play the Doctor. This may be only from next year, 2010, but it means a whole new range of toys and models of the new man and all the poor kids being told that their David Tennant dolls have to be "upgraded".

This is yet another advantage of buying cuddly toys based on toons. Mickey Mouse and the rest of us never grow old; never get into contract disputes; never feel the urge to go off and play Hamlet at the RSC; etc. Yes, I know Mickey often performs live on stage but you know what I mean.

And I know NASA have cuddly toy space shuttles but a cuddly toy Dalek just sounds wrong. "Cudd-le me or be ex-ter-min- ...": no, it just doesn't sound right.

So, remember kids of all ages everywhere. A cuddly toy is not just for Christmas.