Like many unwashed, barefoot children of pre-SUV Ireland, the Late Late Toy Show was (far more than the birth of a certain Nazarene) what Christmas was all about for me. Uncle Gaybo & Star Wars merchandise (yay!), Wooden Toys, Billy Barry Kids & Educational Board Games (boo!).

By my mid/late teens, however, a combination of "Fuck the man!" cynicism, and Pat Partridge's tragic defeat of Gaybo in a steel cage death match (thus winning the right to sit on his throne), meant that the Toy Show no longer defined the festive season in quite the same way. The priority now was bush drinking and getting rat-arsed.

The sad decline of this once proud institution was recently documented by Copernicus, as he bravely took one for the team and "live blogged" this year's offering. Given that his text descriptions were, almost certainly, far more entertaining than the real thing, the thought occurred to me that I could try and offer my own alternative to RTÉ's annual disappointment.

And so I give notice. Tomorrow (Sunday) night - from 9-11 p.m. (roughly) - I will present the first ever "Manky Toy" Toy Show. Reactions will be "live" and unscripted. Wine will flow. Toys will (probably) break. Festive mirth and good cheer will be unconfined.

I encourage any and all of the blog's readers to go forth and purchase their own Manky Toy. They can then send me images and comments of same to the email address in the sidebar. These offerings will be woven into the post as the night goes on, as will any amusing observations added to the comments section. Though the rules of "Manky Toy Monday" state that no more than 2 Euro can be spent on each item I think, given the season, that we can let this restriction slide just this once. Anything up to a (grossly ostentatious) 5 Euro is fair game.

It may be fun. It may be rubbish. But, sure, we'll give it a go.

See you then and there (i.e. here).

Sunday, 23rd December 2007, 9.00 -11.00 p.m. (ish).