YO-YOS have had their ups and downs over the years, but the latest craze left one pensioner's head spinning like a top. When Jessie Williams, aged 75, read in the BEN that yo-yos were once again in fashion the memories came flooding back. And now Jessie, of Hall i' th' Wood, Bolton, is set to show the town's youngsters that their latest craze is certainly nothing new.
The sprightly great-grandmother managed to uncover the yo-yo she used to have as a child about 70 years ago.
In place of the current day plastic models on sale, Jessie's yo-yo is made of tin. Red in colour, the toy has "Made In England" printed on it, together with a design number and "Toys Distribution".
Jessie, who says she could not resist having a go herself, said: "It is still usable. I have had a few goes, but I am certainly nothing exceptional with the yo-yo, not like my grandchildren.
"I must have had the yo-yo for years, and together with the rest of my possessions, it has moved around with me over the years."
Jessie was born in Manchester and lived in Prestwich and Whitefield before moving to Australia, back to Bolton, then on briefly to South Africa.
A former Senior Citizen Carnival Queen for Radcliffe, she moved to Bolton once again almost 12 months ago.
"My possessions have travelled everywhere with me," she said. "This yo-yo must have been with me for donkey's years."
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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