Barbara Toy.

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Barbara Toy is a legendary traveller and explorer, having written a series of books on her travels in Land Rovers through North Africa and the Middle East during the 1950's and 1960's. In her first book, A Fool on Wheels, she begs and borrows to acquire a short wheel base, soft-top, Series One Land Rover, Pollyanna, which she pilots across North Africa - this not long after WWII when money was tight and that part of the world was still littered with mine-fields and unexploded munitions. Her second book, A Fool in the Desert begins in Kuwait where she writes asking permission to visit the King of Saudi Arabia, who of course says yes, so she does, driving Pollyanna across the deserts.

4wd.sofcom.com/Books/Toy.html Pollyanna, 1998 The Rover company "made" Miss Toy trade Pollyanna for a newer vehicle in 1958/ 1959 because she coundn't be seen representing the company in an old 1950 model. Rover gave her a Series 2 and gave Pollyanna to a boys school. It was at the school that Mr.Shakespare(!) recognised Pollyanna and got hold of her, having read the `Pollyanna' books. Pollyanna is very original and has been kept well but never restored. There is a sad prologue piece in In Search of Sheba on the swapping of Pollyanna for the new S2 at the Rover factory - Michael Bishop

Although she paints herself as a naive traveller and a fool at mechanics, Toy obviously had true grit, excellent survival skills, easy-going charm and perhaps some luck. Recall that women were not, and are not, allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, and that there was some chance of her causing a riot and being injured or killed if she strayed too close to Mecca - as an infidel and a woman in a car. As a precaution she would often hire a local guide, although these were frequently of little help at navigation. At least one of her Land Rovers collected bullet holes. Careful reading also shows her doing more than just checking the oil and water.

Later she moved on to long wheel base series two Land Rovers. However a Land Rover enthusiast bought and restored the original Pollyanna and when he died Barbara Toy bought it back from his estate.

- Larry Stanley © 1998

• Barbara Toy, A Fool on Wheels
• Barbara Toy, A Fool in the Desert
• Barbara Toy, A Fool Strikes Oil
• Barbara Toy, Columbus was Right!, John Murray 1958
  Around the world trip
• Barbara Toy, In Search of Sheba
• Barbara Toy, The Way of the Chariots, John Murray, London, 1964
  Niger River - Sahara - Libya
• Barbara Toy, The Highway of the Three Kings, John Murray, London, 1968
• Barbara Toy, Rendezvous in Cyprus, 1970

See the Books and Land Rover pages