Toys were so popular

Paisley pensioner Eileen Smith was just a child at heart.

And she spent most of her spare time in making cuddly toys, we reported in June 1979.

But her furry creatures – born of a fertile imagination – or super replicas of animals, from tiny chipmunks to giant pandas, were in great demand by adults and youngsters alike.

Eileen, aged 60, of Esk Way, Foxbar, took up the hobby 10 years previously after a holiday in Guernsey.

She bought toys as presents – and was shocked by the workmanship and the high prices.

She recalled: “I never had a sewing lesson in my life, but I knew I could do better, and set out to make toys by trial and error.

“And now I give demonstrations on toy-making to women’s organisations and other groups.”

News of Eileen’s artistic talents travelled quickly, and orders flooded in.

Eileen, a widow, could scarcely cope – she also worked shifts as a nurse at the India Tyre plant, in Inchinnan.

She said: “I always seem to have orders, but I don’t make much profit for the work is so time consuming. “It’s my hobby and my social life. “I’m just a big kid at heart – and I love making toys.”

The materials, usually best furs, were obtained locally, and Eileen had a contact at the Paisley Sunday open-air market.