A mere mention of the name, brings back floods of memories for children of all ages - even the ones now collecting their pensions! Michael Todd looks back on the favourite childhood figure that was always ready for a punch-up!

ACTION MAN

“Come and have a go if you think you’re ‘ard enough! Are you talking to me or chewing a brick?” Don’t mess with Action Man, or take the piss out of his facial hair

Kids of today are really spoilt aren’t they? They have smart phones, cool video games to play and hundreds of TV channels to choose from.

But during my childhood in the 60s we had no phone, no video games, and only three TV channels viewed in black and white. Half the time the picture was rubbish anyway.

We had some cool toys though, and up there near the top of the list was Action Man. He was one tough dude and no matter how dangerous the mission was – even if the odds seemed insurmountable and survival impossible - he would come through on the side of truth, justice and the, er, British way. If attacked by a German platoon he would slaughter the lot of them single-handedly, and cop off with your sister’s Barbie at the end of the day.

Back in those halcyon days of childhood the only controversial issue we had to deal with was in the playground, where the subject came up as to whether Action Man was a doll for boys or a proper good fighting toy like all the other fighting toys that us boys were given. Young Cyril from next door was clearly confused about that issue as he dressed his Action Man in girl’s doll clothes.

I was a dirty kid growing up, not the pervy kind of dirty but mucky dirty, mostly my mudsplattered legs due to wearing shorts all the time, no matter what the weather or season.