The Jolly Giant

Showcase your photographs - this will be split between Glasgow photography and everything else.

Moderators: John, Sharon, Fossil, Lucky Poet, crusty_bint, Jazza, dazza

The Jolly Giant

Postby Greg12580 » Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:34 pm

Does anyone have any photographs of the Jolly Giant in Jordanhill, does anything remain today - signs, logos, etc
Greg12580
Just settling in
Just settling in
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby Jazza » Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:03 pm

Its part of Arnold Clark now - nothing Jolly Giant remaining, although I remember it very well...
User avatar
Jazza
Site Admin
Site Admin
 
Posts: 438
Joined: Fri Mar 22, 2002 11:54 am
Location: Glasgow

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby kirstymaclaren » Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:06 pm

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!
kirstymaclaren
Second Stripe
Second Stripe
 
Posts: 119
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 9:42 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby stunev » Tue Jul 26, 2011 2:33 pm

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.
stunev
Busy bunny
Busy bunny
 
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2003 11:32 am

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby gordon » Fri Jul 29, 2011 12:41 pm

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.
Malcolm Tucker is always right.
User avatar
gordon
Second Stripe
Second Stripe
 
Posts: 364
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2005 1:19 am
Location: Lenzie

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby Pointyears » Sun May 01, 2016 12:09 pm

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..."

I've cleaned that up as best I can!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Pointyears
First Stripe
First Stripe
 
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:14 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby dazza » Sun May 01, 2016 2:39 pm

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:
Image
I've still got mine.

The addition of Gremlins and Centurions are a mystery, as they were 1984 and 1985 respectively.
User avatar
dazza
-
-
 
Posts: 1933
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2003 4:25 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby Pointyears » Sun May 01, 2016 2:47 pm

Brilliant! I recognise it now. Must be a 1985 entry - I'll ask!
Pointyears
First Stripe
First Stripe
 
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:14 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby dazza » Sun May 01, 2016 4:04 pm

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.
User avatar
dazza
-
-
 
Posts: 1933
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2003 4:25 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby Pointyears » Sun May 01, 2016 4:34 pm

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
First Stripe
First Stripe
 
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:14 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby dazza » Sun May 01, 2016 5:39 pm

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 :P 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.
User avatar
dazza
-
-
 
Posts: 1933
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2003 4:25 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby mercury » Sun May 01, 2016 8:45 pm

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
mercury
Second Stripe
Second Stripe
 
Posts: 187
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:13 pm

Re: The Jolly Giant

Postby Pointyears » Sun May 01, 2016 10:17 pm

image.jpg

image.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Pointyears
First Stripe
First Stripe
 
Posts: 62
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:14 pm


Return to Photo Sharing

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests