Toy Fair 2007 Freebies Part 1

Last week I expressed my sadness at seeing so many wonderful toys at Toy Fair 2007 and knowing that they wouldn’t hit store shelves until anywhere from the Summer to Christmas. Thankfully while I was there I did manage to get my hands on a number of small toy samples which are now scattered around my desk reminding me of the wonders that this year has yet to bring.


While I was on the K’Nex stand I managed to earn myself some street-cred by proclaiming that I had built the entire K’Nex rollercoaster as a child. For those who haven’t seen it the rollercoaster is a giant £100 kit with a small car that goes up a giant incline and loops. Although impressive back in the day K’Nex have now introduced new smaller pieces and bricks as shown by the blade and base on this helicopter. The 15-piece set I received took a mere 5 minutes to build but gives some indication as to how those new pieces can be used.


One of the most traditional toys I tested out was Mega Bloks Dragons. No doubt unofficially helped by the release of the Eragon movie these tiny figures can be built up with play sets in to dramatic fiery battle scenes. While you won’t get much of an idea from the small figure I received (which also had to be hand painted to get the full effect) the idea behind these sets is to build up, so the more you get the better they are!


Although card games may not be at the heights of addiction as they were during the Pokemon craze there is one card game that has gone from strength to strength over the years: Magic the Gathering. My free sample included 15 beautifully illustrated cards including raging goblins, horned turtles, thieving magpies and an “Elvish berserker”. Although not enough to play the game I was taken aback from the range of rules on offer and who knows maybe I’ll get to post my opinions on a starter set some day.

Check back on Friday for the second part of my Toy Fair 2007 free stuff roundup including bubbles, teddies and the revival of Play Doh!

Little Miss Naughty Mug

And so we come to the last of my Kerrang blags: a Little Miss Naughty mug. Based on the popular idols Mr Men and Little Miss’ these cute little characters will no doubt be the basis of existing memoirs of your own childhood or future memories of your children. As those memories fade over time it’s likely we’ll lost track of Mr Rush and even Mr Bump but there’s one character that will remain with little girls till the end of time: Little Miss Naughty.


It’s no surprise then that one of the listeners of Kerrang wanted to revive that childhood whimsy with a classic piece of memorabilia. Whilst I could have attained a new Little Miss Naughty mug I decided that to better encourage her childhood memories I would try my best to attain an original mug in mint condition. After wondering for a while where I could turn to for antique mugs in mint condition I found myself in the one place everyone turns to for old memories: eBay.

Having never tried to get a product through eBay before I was curious to give it a go and to see if blagging skills work just as well here as they do for huge toy firms. Not wanting to email individual sellers (as realistically they would have nothing to gain from sending me a product for free) I turned to the eBay shops and preceded to search for this lost piece of childhood memorabilia.


It didn’t take me long to stumble across Vera Orlov (veritability) .With 100% positive feedback and a wide selection of china, mugs, cake stands and butter dishes I knew I was in the right place. After a quick email (and a very quick reply) it turned out she was happy to help and mere days later I had completed another leg of my challenge. In return for her fantastic assistance I advise you all to visit her eBay shop and take a look around by clicking here and selecting “Items for Sale” on the right hand side. Without her help this update would just be white noise…

As I’d hoped the mug was in absolutely perfect condition and really reflected the era it was produced. Cast in a simple white mould with a solitary heart and Little Miss printed on to the mug it’s sure to captivate fans of the books and children of that generation. Although it took more effort to find, the extra time in tracking down a rarer product really paid off and if you ever fancy a piece of your childhood then eBay really is the only place to go.

Blagman at Toy Fair 2007

Remember when you were a child and you dreamt about practically every single toy that was advertised on TV? Each new advert became something of an addiction and was more than enough to get you salivating in some bizarre Pavlovian response at the mere prospect of one day owning a 6ft Barbie or Megazord. Well just be glad your parents never took you to a Toy Fair. Because after spending a whole day there I’m a day dreamer all over again….


Yes this is a place where all your wildest toy dreams can come true. Where you can watch people getting excited by a talking parrot, watch mascots walking around like people and where you can even play a quick game of steal the dogs bone with the manager of a toy company. Really they should rename the fair Dream Factory 2007 and inject all the toy memories directly in to your brain instead.

It doesn’t help the dream response that many of the toys on offer won’t be on store shelves until this Summer or Winter, especially those based on forthcoming movies. Toys for Pirates of the Caribbean 3, Transformers, Ghost Rider, Fantastic Four 2 and Disney Fairies all cleaned up the show and also offered tantalising glimpses in to the movies themselves. Spiderman 3 however was the overall king of the movies and thanks to the toys on offer I now know three major locations from the movie including some tidbits on the final battle.


Children’s TV favourites also took to the stands with Spongebob continuing his uncanny ability to look funny on any product be it a baseball bat or soccer ball. Aside from Mr. Squarepants, Dr Who clearly was the overall king and it seemed nearly every toy company at the fair had something to offer for the BBC cash cow. Bet they must be kicking themselves that Torchwood isn’t fit for kids…


In amongst the new toys were some surprisingly innovative variations of old classics. Monopoly for example will return in a number of new forms including “My first Monopoly” (a 20 minute long children’s version), a Simpson’s Monopoly with credit cards instead of cash and strangest of all “Monopoly Tropical Tycoon” (which uses a board and DVD to create new chance cards and events such as typhoons blowing away all your hotels!). Other new variants included Super Scrabble, a Game of Life where you can choose to backpack around Europe or a version of Operation with ailments such as “texting thumb”.


Another old favourite to return from the dead is Eternity II which is ready to take fill the hole Perplex City is soon to leave in our lives. Essentially a jigsaw puzzle which is notoriously difficult to do, it also has the added benefit of a $2 million prize for the first person to complete it. Don’t expect a genius to crack it in a day either as Eternity I was solved by a student in a mere 18 months for a cool £1 million (which is probably more than the current prize if today’s exchange rate is anything to go by…)

Aside from the shelves press releases revealed more interesting news such as the availability of a new Star Wars video game in September 2007 and the news that the Ghost Rider movie isn’t far away from our cinema screens. Elsewhere there was news of more Evel Knevel toys including a new figure and bike, which will once again remain faithful to the classic moulds and figures. And there’s also a variety of new arts and crafts toys to look out for from the teams at Flair, Tomy and Mega with even a few themed at getting boys involved too.


My toy of show would have to be the above Legend of Zelda figure which was so finely crafted it caught my attention the second I entered the show and will stay in my memories for weeks to come. As for my prediction of Christmas number one it has to go to the Transformers figure I saw which transformed from the Death Star in to an Optimus Prime styled Darth Vader! Clearly there will be some sweet dreams in store for the kids of the world soon…

Check back next week for my opinions on some of my freebies from the show and more reviews of products you won't see anywhere else.

Cuddly Giraffe

Honestly…. You wait ages for a cuddly toy to review and then two turn up at once…. And they’re both giraffes….


The first one I opened (and therefore earning itself the first half of the review) was the above cuddly giraffe and cuddly ball combo from John Crane. Instantly reminding me of Mamas and Papas and all those amazingly soft toys you wish you had as a child, it’s definitely a very well presented gift. If you know anyone with young children and you’re stuck for a gift then be sure to look this up.

Once you’ve finished eyeing up the box with its tiny rendering of a baby’s foot, inside you’ll find two finely presented cuddly toys tied in to place with delicate silk bows. Untie the bows and you’re left with toys that are incredibly soft to hold and great to look at. Which is a shame because as soon as these beauties go in the hands of a child they’ll be sure to use them to practice their chewing before they move on to your fingers. Thankfully the toys are nice and resilient so will cope with all manner of nibbles and teething.



Next up there’s the more traditional cuddly giraffe from Disney which was kindly provided by Kapow Gifts.co.uk. It’s based on the Disney movie “The Wild” which most of you will know as ‘the one which wasn’t as good as Madagascar but earnt itself some points by casting Keither Sutherland as a lion…’. Thankfully being a Disney toy what it lacks in presentation it makes up for in being every bit as cute and appealing to children as the movie itself.

Sure it may not have the ‘softness of an angel’, presentation box or silken bow ties like the John Crane set but if all you want is a ‘cuddly toy’ then this is the option for you. As you’d expect the toy is well made and finely stitched so there’s no risk of the stuffing popping out straight away. As for unique features the giraffe’s back legs are longer than its front causing it to lean back in a very relaxing position when you place it on a flat service.


Who’d have expected cuddly toy shopping to be such a complex process? Whether it be the pitfalls of presentation or the loyalty to on-screen cuddly characters there’s a lot of things to factor in. So my advice to you? Just pick the one that makes you “oooh” the most and whether that’s due to softness or a giraffe that can sit down(!) you’ll know you’ve made the right choice…

Confidence Stepper

While searching for a stepper machine for the Kerrang challenge I was probably about two companies away from giving up when I reached The Sports HQ.com. After confusing one of their online customer support staff by asking if they had any free stepper machines I received an email from their managing director simply asking:

“Does it need to work?”


Intrigued I typed back a response eager to find out more about this mystery free item. It turns out they had a spare ex display model and all it had was a few scratches on it. Keen to relieve them of their spare stock, and with them eager to shift it we arranged for postage and a couple of days later I was in possession of one hundred pounds (RRP) worth of stepping goodness.

Expecting a dusty store used model I was pleasantly surprised to receive a perfect condition stepper. A quick scan over the unit and I couldn’t spot a single scratch, defect or problem with it. Clearly ex display models are the blagging of the future. After all companies no longer have a use for them so there could be a potential blaggers gold mine sitting in the store room of your local shop just waiting to be thrown away...


Although I only got a few quick goes on the stepper before handing it over to Kerrang I was very impressed. The whole unit was very heavy duty and given that it had previously enjoyed months of use in a shop the fact it still looked near perfect quality when I received it should speak volumes for the build quality. On using the unit there were also no annoying grinds or squeaks which often plague exercise equipment after you’ve used them a few times.

Compared to the full-scale stepper machines in your local gym this is the perfect home alternate. By attaching handles to the side of the machine you get an added work out for arms as well and given that they’re simply attached you can go as fast or as slow with them as you like. Lastly there’s an electrical display to track your time and calories burnt.


The Sports HQ also stock a smaller model for an even lower price of £19.99 which although not as heavy duty has almost the same feature set. At the time of writing the larger model I received was no longer in stock so the mini stepper is your next best bet. The Sports HQ.com also stock a range of golf, poker and indoor gym equipment which if my stepper is anything to go by will be nothing but the best quality. For more head over to The Sports HQ.com

Sharwood's Lighter Curry Sauce

If I do an award for best packaged product at the end of the year then I have no doubt that this will win hands down. Not only did the products come in a padded box but they were also wrapped to the gills with bubble wrap. Apparently presentation is everything…


After unwrapping the sauces for 20 minutes I figured I’d see what makes them different to Sharwood’s usual curry sauces. A quick glance at the front of the packet reveals reduced salt, fat and sugar, now making each serving 6% of your daily calories, 9% of your daily fat and 15% of your daily salt equivalent. Those figures are based on sharing the sauce between three people so if you decide to share with less or go the whole hog yourself be sure to adjust the figures.

Once you’ve performed the maths/ calculated the weight watcher points / worked out the GI ratio / compared this to the food doctor diet / Atkins diet / 90-10 weight loss plan / or Slimming World group then you’re ready to start preparing a meal. With all that hard planning out of the way all you need to do is simply fry up some chicken till golden, add the sauce and some veg if you fancy it and simmer for 15 minutes whilst occasionally stirring.


Heaving already sampled Sharwood’s regular Korma sauce I can safely say that there is very little change in taste for this new healthier model but that’s not to say there haven’t been any modifications. The sauce is now less creamy and also seems to contain more spices or a higher concentration of them. Having said that the sauce still tastes great and it’s a small price to pay for a healthier option.

A few last tips before you all dash off to buy the sauce. Firstly when cooking the sauce make sure you stir constantly otherwise it'll start to lump together and by the time you come to serve it you’ll notice half the sauce has mysteriously vanished. Secondly If you want to make the chicken extra tasty marinate it in the sauce for a good few minutes before adding it to the pan. It’ll still cook the same but you’ll get far more of the taste when you’re done.


With those parting tips I leave you with my pitiful attempt at presentation. Thankfully in this case taste is everything, and it tastes goooood.

Kerrang Radio Challenge The Result...

Aaand my time is up. For those of you that haven't been following the story so far, last week I was tasked with hunting down a number of items for the Ugly Phil show on Kerrang Radio. In the end I succeeded in collecting 50% of the items including two cuddly girraffes, a dog ball, a little miss naughty mug and a £100 Stepper machine. Sadly Ugly Phil never did get his trumpet :(

In any case I've listed the kind people and companies who donated items below and I'll be posting reviews of each of the items in the next few days so you can learn whether they're much cop. Next week should also see the start of a brand spanking new feature which could be my biggest challenge yet.

Girraffes - Kapow Gifts.com / John Crane
Dog Ball - Dog-Toy.co.uk
Stepper - The Sports HQ.com
Mug - Vera Orlov (veritability) on eBay

Stay tuned...

Boingo Ball

Who says Blagman.co.uk lacks variety? Today I bring you a special update intended for the Blagdogs of the world as they deserve to hear what’s hot and what’s not in the world of chew toys today. Thanks to the kind folks over at Dog-Toy.co.uk I can tick one item from my Kerrang Challenge and I do hope you’ll pass this review on to your canine friends.


Unfortunately trying to review a toy designed for mans best friend can be a little tricky if you have no best friend to hand. It’s similar to the time I persuaded Marie to review lip glosses so I wouldn’t have to go through the embarrassment of trying them out myself. In this case with no nearby helper to hand I did the only thing a dedicated reviewer could do, I sunk my teeth in to the side of the toy. On a side note after biting I did find I was left with a layer of something on my teeth, so I'd advise you don't attempt this experiment at home...

Any dog owners out there will be pleased to know the toy is incredibly resilient, and that despite having trained my teeth on wham bars as a child I barely made an impact. Which is probably good news for the winning Kerrang listener as I really doubt she would like a great big set of teeth marks in her new found toy.


Realistically I can hardly think of any possible way to improve on the design of the Boingo Ball. Simply put, it has everything a dog could wish for, well aside from being meat flavoured but you can always wrap some meat around it if you so wish. It bounces, it rolls and it even makes a neat rattling noise perfect for getting your dog in a fighting mood ready to try and rip the toy to shreds. As anyone who has pets will agree there’s nothing more fun than watching them go absolutely carnal on a toy like this and for £7.99 you’ll get a lot of entertainment value.

It’s times like this I wish I had a dog, or a pet, or even a stupid person who I could watch playing with toys like these. Naturally if you are lucky enough to have a pet or moron to hand then you owe it to them to get one of these. Check out www.dog-toy.co.uk for more toys like these, after all best friends deserve a present every once in a while.

Kerrang Radio Challenge Part 1

“Impossible to find I am”. At least that’s what I expect the talking Yoda requested for the Kerrang breakfast show to say when I manage to track him down. So far the closest I’ve been able to find in stock has been a talking Yoda mug and as for the doll even Hamleys are sold out. No wonder they wanted me to find one, it’ll probably be on eBay within the hour!

Then there’s the Olympus LT stepper which so far has also been an absolute nightmare. Not only did I email the wrong Olympus (unsurprisingly it’s not the one that makes cameras) but the real Olympus don’t even seem to even exist online. No scratch that, they don’t even seem to exist at all. Which should make getting one of their products interesting.

As for the rest of the items emails have been fired off, and a few ums and ahs have been stirred up but there’s no guarantee I won’t walk in to the Kerrang studio on Friday with egg on my face. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring you photos of a blag or two in my next update but it seems for today as least I’ll have to lay down my cape in shame.

Lego Star Wars II (Mobile)

I'll be posting an update on the Kerrang quest tonight but for now here's a review of something entirely different:

As anyone who has played Lego Star Wars 2 (LSW2) on Xbox, PS2 or Gamecube can testify it’s without a doubt one of the best kids games ever made. By recreating classic moments from the original trilogy with comedic twists and lego styling’s the team at Travellers Tales managed to recapture the fun and awe we all felt when seeing those movies for the first time. It’s for this reason that the mobile phone spin off has a lot to live up to.


In many ways LSW2 on mobile seems to evolve as you play it. For the first couple of levels it’s your typical action shooting game as you run around corridors shooting Storm Troopers as Luke Skywalker. Then after a few levels the game transforms in to a puzzle game, now tasking you with pushing lego bricks around the levels and using them to create bridges. Lastly as you add R2-D2 and later Princess Leia to your team the focus is on team work and using the best of each character's ability to reach the goal.

This variety is surprisingly generous for a mobile phone game, the majority of which simply take one idea and run with it till the end, and will have you coming back for little short blasts until you reach the end. To make everything friendly for mobile play levels are relatively short, which means quick load times and the ability to have a quick go while you’re waiting for the bus.


Once you’ve completed the game’s 18 levels (which should take just over an hour) there’s the added option of going back and collecting lego stubs that are hidden throughout. This adds a couple more hours to the playtime especially when the majority of the levels have a few hidden stubs tucked away in hard to reach corners.

As for downsides the save file on my review copy was a little unreliable and always seemed to delete my save file on exiting the game, an especially annoying problem if you’ve just collected 100% of the lego stubs. Hopefully this was just a bug on my review version but if you experience similar issues then please leave a comment below.


Just like its bigger version this mobile phone offering is perfect for kids thanks to its quick load times, easy gameplay and as the movie posters inists on saying ‘mild comical peril’. Of course that’s not to say adults won’t get a kick out of the lego storm troopers or simple logic puzzles on offer here as well. Now go kick some brick!

To buy LEGO Star Wars 2 for your mobile - text LSW 2 to 88188

Kerrang Radio Challenge Day Zero

Anyone got a fluffy girraffe?

That's what I'll be saying for the next week as I attempt my latest challenge set down by Ugly Phil and Rachel over at Kerrang Radio. For those that didn't hear the show my challenge is to acquire as many of the below nine items as I can by next Friday. I'll be posting updates on my progess as well as reviews of each item next week so be sure to head back and find out how I get on. Naturally if you'd like to donate something for me to review then get in touch at mike@blagman.co.uk and I'll be happy to post your details on the site and say a big thank you on air next Friday on Kerrang Radio.

So without further ado the list:

A Trumpet,
An Olympus 'LT Stepper'
A kettle
A talking Yoda
Ann Summers perfume 'Ravish'
A Fluffy Giraffee
A little Miss Naughty Mug
A play ball for a dog
And lastly a Toyota Supra Turbo Exhaust... (good luck!)

Check back on Monday for my progress so far. And if nothing else at least I got a free mug...

The Big Cold Turkey

Broke your New Years Resolution already? Got a craving to grab a pack of cigarettes/ six pack of beer or 1 kilogram of Dairy Milk chocolate on the way home? Or have you simply spent a few more hours on World of Warcraft that you planned? Well if you feel like changing your life there’s a much easier solution than living with Gillian McKeith for a month or being tied to a chair: All you need to do is stop being a ‘flakey turkey’ and become a ‘fresh turkey’.


Before you all start ‘begging my pardon’ allow me to explain. The Big Cold Turkey is a cigarette-box sized kit containing a marathon themed challenge to help you give up absolutely anything. It’s designed ideally for those people who find themselves wanting to give up but never getting round to it (‘Flakey Turkey’s” as the manual calls them) but is just as useful if you fancy making a few small improvements to your life. Should you choose to embark on the quest within the kit you will earn the title of “Fresh Turkey” and begin your marathon sprint.

The ‘sprint’ in question is attempting to go 5, 10, 21 or 42 days without giving in to temptation. To help you stick to your goals there’s a tiny booklet where you can record your progress one day at a time. The book also encourages you to attempt the challenge with a friend quitting something too, which could be a blessing or a curse depending on their willpower and ability to tempt you with Krispy Kreme donuts….


Remember how 2005 was the year of the wristband? Everyone and their baby could be seen sporting charity wristbands, fashion wristbands and the must-have Nike “kick racism out of football” bands. Unable to let go of this fashion trend the folks at Big Cold Turkey have taken the humble wristband, cross bred it with a charm bracelet and come up with their own fashion icon for 2007. Although at first it seems like just a wristband you can actually add small trophies each time you hit a key stage on your personal marathon. Keep going all the way to the end and you’ll have eternal proof of your achievement attached to your wrist.

It’s just as easy to flip the concept on its head as well and start something new rather than simply giving up. In my case I’m currently using the band to track my revision for an exam and just today received my first trophy which was a great feeling. And that’s sort of the point, although the Big Cold Turkey is merely comprised as a few small booklets, a wristband and a couple of badges it still has the ability to make you feel like you’re making real progress. It’s no substitution for willpower but instead acts as a giant turkey stood on the sidelines edging you on to victory.


Putting preconceptions away about something like this can always be a bit tricky but if you’ve tried everything else or simply want something to track your progress rather than teach you ridiculous new techniques then you should find out more at Big Cold Turkey.co.uk and grab your own starter kit for under a tenner.

The Search for a Sidekick!

Fancy blagging something from Blagman? Well today marks the start of my quest for a Blagman sidekick and for one day every month I'll be giving a lucky reader the opportunity to receive a mystery product and share their thoughts with the world. If you've ever wanted to try something new or simply wanted to show me up this is your chance. To enrol as my 'sidekick of the month' simply send an email to mike@blagman.co.uk describing the best thing you've ever blagged and how you got it. This could be anything from a freeby on a magazine to managing to wangle £500 off a HDTV, either way I want to hear from you.

UK entries only and I'll be contacting each winner at the end of each month.

Up first is Michael Rossell of Britxbox.co.uk fame who has been awarded sidekick of the month because he was the first person to ask to write for the site. Remember the first rule of blagging is if you don't ask you don't get! Anyway it's over to Michael:

Bob Monkhouse "3 Great Shows" DVD


This generation probably remembers Bob Monkhouse for his witty and slick game show presenting skills on favourites like Family Fortunes, Wipeout and Bob's Full House while his notoriety as a stand up comedian is a little less pronounced.

Monkhouse, who sadly died in 2003, was one of the few remaining variety talents that were so popular in working men's clubs during the sixties and seventies. Preamble aside, I blagged myself one of the latest Bob Monkhouse DVDs and, with some apprehension, sat down to watch them.

The latest DVD boxed set, simply entitled Bob Monkhouse, features three discs. Stand up shows 'Exposes Himself' and 'Live and Forbidden' are featured on the first two discs while the third is called 'Way Over the Limit' and is a selection of the best clips from the first two shows.


Both 'Exposes Himself' and 'Live and Forbidden' were filmed in front of a live, eighties reject audience at the large working men's club style Lakeside venue in Surrey in the mid-ninties. Playing spot the criminal hair cut or far-too-large glasses among the audience is almost as entertaining as watching Monkhouse himself.

All three DVDs open with the same little skit in which Monkhouse parodies an AA meeting except with joke telling as his addiction. Like the rest of the DVD, it looks and feels a little dated but, bearing awful shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Robin Hood in mind, ends with a decade old joke about the BBC that still seems quite relevant.

Of course, being a comedian, presenter, writer and singer means that Monkhouse has a wide range of experience and skills to draw upon. Both shows kick off with a comedy musical number, both of which are themed around the amount of profanity that may or may not appear in the show. They include a couple of slightly "stand up political" jokes against the likes of Jim Davidson or the equally unfunny and profane Roy Chubby Brown. They sound apologetic which is never a good start.


Regardless, Monkhouse soldiers on through a selection of jokes that your Gran might find rude and slightly offensive but occasionally his jokes stand the test of time and I found myself having a good solid belly laugh at witty lines like: "My friend is in prison. He's in for his beliefs. He believed he could wank on a bus."

Other particularly funny moments are when he starts talking about his career in game shows, and while at first it seems he's kind of grabbing straws for material, the ribbing he gives to some of the dumb contestants seen on Family Fortunes is a good giggle.

Also, kudos must be given to Monkhouse for including a little titillation in his shows as we get to enjoy a comedy timed topless stripper which certainly gets things a little rowdy.


Monkhouse does spend a little time chatting with the audience and tells some genuinely funny, off the cuff jokes and doesn't simply treat them like a bunch of retards to be verbally abused like some comedians do. Which is nice.

Of course, questions have to be raised about the point of the third DVD as it's simply a collection of the best bits from the other two and all together rather pointless. Another thing which is disappointing, but not surprising, is that none of the DVDs are in widescreen.

Monkhouse's latest DVD boxed set would certainly make a bang on present for your Dad or Grandparent who'd remember Monkhouse's heydays and while a majority of his jokes seem tame and unimaginative compared to comedy talents like Peter Kay or Eddie Izzard there are a selection of genuinely funny quips that make the shows more rewarding to watch than I expected.

When not discussing the merits of jokes for your gran and criminal haircuts Michael also spends his time poking fun at Xbox 360 games over at his blog and at Britxbox.co.uk which I'd thoroughly recommend you all go and check out right now. Go on, they've even got a chance to have a go on Halo 3 in the spring....

easyWatch.com

You have to admire Stelios of easy group. In 11 years his ventures have included easyJet, easyHotels, easyCinemas and even easyPizza, all draped in his trademark bright orange. Well except for maybe the pizzas. His latest venture is easyWatch.com, a partnership with Zeon Ltd designed to bring affordable watches to the market. Wanting to learn more I fired off an email (Sadly not to Stelios himself) and soon found myself in possession of a smooth new timepiece.


The model I received is the “Classic Black’ style which costs just £9.99, with other watches around the £7.99, £9.99 or £15.99 mark. The cheapest watch on the site comes in at the pound saving price of just £5.99. Other watch designs include a ‘Globetrotter’ watch with a map of the globe (yes in orange), a “stylish’ watch which wouldn’t look out of place in the pages of GQ and a “Sailor” watch which tells the time using various flags from around the world.

So we can safely say that easyWatches certainly offer good value and that there’s a wide range of options but how about the quality and the inevitable worry of online delivery? Well in terms of post my watch came packaged in a bubble wrap envelope and inside was protected by a hard orange cocoon. This helped ensure the watch arrived without a scratch or dent and later made a handy spare glasses case.


In terms of watch quality I didn’t encounter any real problems with my watch. Hoping to replicate some serious wear and tear I dropped the watch a few times and everything kept ticking. The whole thing feels nice and sturdy and as I’m not going to win strongman of the year my attempts to break the strap by tugging it all ended in failure.

So are there any things to beware of? Well prices are advertised without vat so be prepared to pay a couple of quid extra once you’ve found the watch of your dreams. Also make sure to plan a trip to your nearby jewellers or watch shop when your watch arrives as you’ll probably need to get the watch strap reduced to fit your wrist size, well unless you’re strongman of the year, in which case you’ll be fine.


So if you’re a man who wants a new watch for every occasion or just someone looking for a bit of a bargain easyWatch.com should be your first stop. To visit the site click here and tell them Blagman sent you. After all a free easyJet flight or a stay in an easyHotel couldn’t hurt…

Update: It seems easyWatch.com are in the middle of a 48 hour sale until Sunday 7 Jan so for a short time you can grab the classic watch and others for £7.95. It's almost like they knew I'd be writing this today. Spooky.

Munch Bunch Squashums

As I found out last week going on the scrounge after Christmas is a nightmare. With all the new products released in time for Santa there’s nothing that needs promoting in early January meaning no need for Blagman… Worse still with every company away on ‘festive leave’ until yesterday I knew I’d need to blag something quickly in order to make today’s update. Booting up the Internet I visited everywhere I could to try and secure that one blag to make today’s update and that’s when I saw this:


Tucked away in a corner on Tesco.com’s grocery section was a small banner for “Munch Bunch Squashums” and better still it included those four little letters every blagger longs to hear F-R-E-E. Fantastic. After booking a delivery slot I added the ‘squashums’ to my order with my weekly groceries and clicked submit. A few days later the ‘squashums’ arrived and were very fittingly squashed under the rest of my shopping.

In keeping with the nations new found obsession with repackaging and reselling yoghurt in different sized containers (such as Yoghurt drinks like Actimel and 'Ski up and Go') Squashums have the shape of oversized strawberries and as you’d expect are pretty much strawberry yoghurt in new squeezy shells. On face value this appears to be nothing more than a marketing gimmick aimed at getting people interested in yoghurt that have already migrated to the more fascinating world of Muller Fruit Corners and Mullerice.


Putting my inner cynic to one side for a second (don’t worry he’ll be back) there are two benefits to this repackaging. The first is that you don’t need a spoon to eat these yoghurts; all you need to do is peel off a small foil lid and drink. When you’ve finished a few swigs you can reach some of the leftover by squeezing the strawberry whilst the rest remains trapped forever, a waste for those who like to get every milometer of yoghurt from pots normally.

The second supposed benefit is that the new shape makes these yoghurts more appealing to children thanks to their eye catching shape and a design which is easy to hold. The problem is that consumers with children will have travelled this road before with Frubes. For the uninitiated Frubes are rectangular tubes that also contain yoghurt. They too have a child friendly shape and are also easy to squeeze, so much so that they practically invented the bizarre ritual of drinking yoghurt in the first place. Frubes also have the added benefit of simply being easier to fit in a lunch box thanks to their bendy shape. Squashums on the other hand are bulky and curved meaning they take up a bigger area then they should and leaving less room for a lettuce sandwich...


Whilst I would hardly consider myself a Yoghurt connoisseur it is clear to me that everything Squashums bring to the table has been done better elsewhere. While I recognise that Yoghurts don’t have to be a constant source of innovation, when there are already better alternates available on the market with identical tastes, simply having the shape of a giant fruit just isn’t enough.