There are certain topics of conversation that really spark our imagination and take us on a journey of nostalgia.

Childhood toys are one of those topics. The toys we played with as children shape who we become as adults and help young minds make sense of the world around us.

When we spoke to Jan Etches from the Brighton Toy and Model Museum on Radio Woking recently it certainly started a conversation with our listeners as those memories came flooding back.

The museum sounds like a brilliant place to visit under the concourse of Brighton railway station.

It contains more than 10,000 items, including tin-plate toy collections and model railways all lovingly looked after by founder Chris Littledale, who is a master tinsmith and restorer.

I wonder what would have been in your childhood toy box? For me, I remember playing marbles on the drain covers in the school playground.

I was also walking around the playground on these blue plastic bucket stilts (not sure why I felt I needed to be even taller).

Then there was the Texas Speak and Spell, a bright red plastic rectangular device with a computerised American voice that allegedly taught me to spell.

Thankfully I have spell check on my computer to do that for me now!

I still have some of my childhood toys, including a rather worn teddy from Mothercare that was given to me as a child and now lives on top of my wardrobe keeping watch over me.

Nowadays toys have become complex and more expensive. It is, however, refreshing seeing the old favourites such as Lego and Barbie still gracing the shelves of local toy shops as they have done for generations.

I was reading that sales of toys for adults are growing faster in some cases than the kids’ section. I think that Lego is partly responsible for this with us adults painstakingly piecing together the tiny bricks to make things like Lego flowers, radio sets or even a cat.

I know Emma is very much into her Lego and she's in her 30s - why should kids have all the fun?

During our conversation, Jan from the museum told me about plans for a special exhibition next year to mark the 60th anniversary of Captain Scarlet, a classic TV show from the late 60s, reinvented in the mid 2000s.

Jan and the museum team are keen to hear any stories or if anybody has any items or memorabilia related to Captain Scarlet. If you can help in any way, please email [email protected]

You can listen back to my chat with Jan on my podcast page at https://jonandrews01.podbean.com.

Find out more about the Brighton Toy and Model Museum on their website, brightontoymuseum.co.uk.

Let me know what toys you used to play with in your childhood. Send me a voice note – www.speakpipe.com/jonandrews or email [email protected]

Listen to my radio shows on Radio Woking, Sunday 9am – noon, Wednesday 7-9am.

You can hear Emma and I on Surrey Hills Community Radio every second Monday at 9pm, and Life on the Edge with Edge Disability Consultancy airs every first Monday at 10am.