Osborne’s, a family-run toy shop in Rushden, Northamptonshire, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, marking the milestone with a window display of vintage toys spanning the 1960s to the 1990s. Jim and Pam Osborne opened the shop in 1955, and it has been run by four generations of the family since.
The shop became the first in the UK to stock Lego after Jim and Pam discovered the brand at a trade fair while on their honeymoon in Brighton in 1960 – a claim confirmed by Lego itself in 2018. To mark 60 years as a Lego stockist, Osborne’s transformed its own shopfront into a replica built from 277,500 Lego bricks, which was on display for three days.
The shop is now run by Will Osborne alongside his wife Libby, their daughter Anna, and granddaughter Kasey Cheetham, who describes it as “a second home.” Will says the shop’s longevity comes down to principles set by his father: staying well-stocked, selling high-quality products, and keeping a personal touch in customer service. “[The anniversary] is important to us but it’s important to the community as well,” he said.
Alongside contemporary toys, Osborne’s continues to stock traditional favourites such as teddy bears and Hornby trains, serving generations of families in Rushden and beyond.
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Source: BBC.
