When I was a little girl I had a ragdoll. It wasn't the only doll I ever owned, but I loved it loads and took it everywhere with me. I also had a menagerie of soft toys which for some strange reason were all named Horace which caused my parents no end of confusion. There were also a few Sindy and Pippa dolls which I dressed up in Action Man clothing* and took on hiking trips in the garden. I think there still may be a Barbie awaiting mountain rescue out there somewhere.
I remember my mother buying me one of those 'realistic baby' dolls that wee'd itself after you fed it which meant you had to change the nappy and burp it to stop it crying. All the other girls would happily run around, caring and cuddling their 'babies', I simply stopped feeding it.
Despite my pleading for a catapult or a BB gun, my parents stuck to the idea that those sort of toys were unsuitable for a young lady, but they relented on the catapult after the incident with the Lego crossbow and the bully from up the road, provided I never, ever took said catapult out of the realm of the garden.
Meccano was also a 'boy's toy' but I made do with as much Lego and Playmobile as I could lay my paws on, and still love playing with it to this day.
But my favourite 'toy' I ever got, was a farm set from a Green Shield Stamp catalogue. I set it up in my bedroom and added to it with pocket money toys until the herds of giant bunnies, wooden geese that were bigger than the barns and weeples** meant that getting to the bed was nigh on impossible, and I had to relocate to the garage. Happy memories, all.

So, on the subject of childhood, what was your best ever toy? Was there one that you desperately wanted, but parents said 'No!'? Do you still have your toys, do you still play with them? Are you going to go out and buy the toy of your dreams right now? Tell me all!

*Won in a fight from the bully from up the road.
**Breeding programme.