Dinky Toys

David Cooke's passion for Dinky Toys began when as a child he was given four for Christmas by his grandfather, and his collection grew. In 1972 he founded the South West Model Club and in 1979 the East Anglian Model Club. David now appears regularly on radio and television describing toys, lectures to many organisations, writes articles for magazines and is the Dinky Toy Curator at Bressingham Steam Museum in Norfolk.

• Chronology of the history of Meccano Ltd and Dinky Toys; Dinky Toys - 'A fascinating hobby'; The pre-war years (1931-41); 'The ones without windows' (1946-58); The final years (1959-79); Further reading; Places to visit; Collectors' clubs and other organisations