Nursery World - Media watch (9)

Thomas the Tank Engine inspired a five-year-old boy to take himself on a 60-mile journey in search of his hero, reported The Guardian. Ben Ford, who is autistic, sprinted half a mile to Teignmouth station in south Devon and then jumped on the next train, which took him to Taunton in Somerset. His father David said, 'Ben ran off as we were going to the car. He is only little, but he is a very quick runner. Ben is mad about Thomas the Tank Engine, so he probably thought he was in the middle of a Thomas the Tank Engine adventure.' The world's biggest collection of Barbie dolls is to go under the hammer at London's Christies auction house next month, reported the Metro. A Dutch collector built up the phenomenal stash of more than 4,000 Barbies, starting with the very first 1959 model, which is expected to sell for between 800 and 1,500. The entire collection is said to be worth Pounds 100,000. A free display of the dolls will take place three days before the auction, from 23 September.

The world's biggest collection of Barbie dolls is to go under the hammer at London's Christies auction house next month, reported the Metro. A Dutch collector built up the phenomenal stash of more than 4,000 Barbies, starting with the very first 1959 model, which is expected to sell for between Pounds 800 and 1,500. The entire collection is said to be worth 100,000. A free display of the dolls will take place three days before the auction, from 23 September.

Parenting guru Gina Ford is so up in arms over comments made about her and her babycare methods by mothers contributing to the website Mumsnet that she is trying to get the site shut down, said The Times. Ms Ford is claiming that there is a campaign of serious and offensive libels against her and said, 'I know what I write is controversial, but what surprises me is the vitriolic and personal attacks that people make.' One of the few extreme comments posted on the site was that Ms Ford 'straps babies to rockets and fires them into south Lebanon'.

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