THE owner of Heaths Toymaster in Barrow has revealed the must-have toys and gifts they have that people are after this leading up to Christmas.

From traditional favourites like Lego, Playmobil, Sylvanian Families, and Thomas the Tank Engine to the latest trends like Tech Decks, the Dalton Street store has it all and is hoping for a bumper year in the lead up to Christmas.

Phil Heath, who has been running Heath’s Toymaster since 1971, believes that after the pandemic hit last year impacting on how people approached getting toys for kids and big-kids, people will return to their old shopping habits this year.

"We tend not to go for the latest craze items and focus on certain brands like Playmobil, Lego, Sylvanian Families, and Thomas and Friends," Mr Heath said.

"We tend to specialise in these sorts of things and stock a wide range.

"With Lego for example, there is a huge amount of people who are into that nowadays and people of all ages are into it.

"Children have come back into it as adults and Lego have been clever in the way they have been able to appeal to all ages.

"We stock big Lego Architecture pieces like the Statue of Liberty, Tower Bridge and other iconic landmarks."

Toy enthusiast Mr Heath has been at the helm of the business since he finished school.

He worked alongside his father, who first started the business as a toy stall in the old Barrow Market before buying the shop where the market is now before buying the shop on Dalton Road in 1965.

He explained that one particularly big market - Pokémon cards - are making a huge comeback this year with their 25th anniversary and are launching new 'Elite Trainer' packs to mark the occasion.

However, what gets Mr Heath most excited about this time of year is seeing the old faces from past years as well as new faces and making sure they leave with "a smile on their faces".

"One of the most exciting things about Christmas is seeing the customers come in and leaving with smiles on their faces as they leave with lots of presents," Mr Heath said.

"Quite often they come in saying they have not been able to find something anywhere else and thank god you have it.

"The smile on the faces of satisfied customers is one of the best things though."