The toy industry and its close relationship with children's artefacts and equipment, made a huge contribution British ascendancy in light industry, after decline of heavy industry. Light industry was a pivotal theme in British economic history and toy-making and sales in internationals markets was a vital ingredient in Britain's reputation as the 'workshop of the world'. It flourished from the Great Exhibition of 1951 - in competition with German and French toy industries - through the 20th century and the great depression of 1929, to postwar commercial ascendancy in consumer goods. Decline began in face of US and Asian competition.and with Britain's post-war economic problems; and, the nature of family business contributed, with the passing of generations and loss of drive and tenacity. It is a family business story of the Lines Brothers Ltd, the world's largest manufacturer of children's toys with the household name of Triang, with model railways, Minic and Spot-on toy cars, soft toys, 1918-29 Pedigree prams, dolls' houses, Cindy dolls. It is a serious economic, industrial and business, history, full of personality and rivalry from supreme Victorian entrepreneurship to modern international decline, but a social and cultural story intimately linked history of childhood.

Play & Culture Studies is a bi-annual, peer-reviewed series published by the Association for the Study of Play. For forty years The Association for the Anthropological Study of Play (TAASP), now The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) has served as the premier professional organization in academia dedicated to interdisciplinary research and theory construction concerning play. During that time TASP has promoted the study of play, forged alliances with various organizations advancing the cause for play, organized yearly meetings to disseminate play research, and produced an impressive catalog of play research through a variety of publications. Volume 13 of the Play and Culture Studies Series highlights contributions that reflect upon the rich forty-year history of TASP, that explore current research examining the field of play, and that advance future directions for play research.