There may still be some amongst you that are unaware of the BeyBlade phenomenon. Apparently they emerged in the earlier part of last year, but with little input on the young male population until just before Christmas when they became the present that every boy wanted and no shops had. Essentially they are a spinning top but unlike anything that you've seen before. They have a metal wheel within the top, the weight of which enables the top to spin for longer. They also have a top ring of various designs which are interchangeable. Simple isn't it?

Unfortunately Father Christmas, who provided most of the BeyBlades in current use, did not see fit (or have time) to assemble them and they 'arrived' in kit form with a schematic assembly leaflet in several languages, including bad language. At least that was the one I was following when I tried to assemble two of these beasts on Christmas Day. Perhaps it was the excess of food and alcohol on that day although I preferred to believe it was the inadequacy of the instructions. Finally they were both assembled and the battles could commence.

Yes, they are battling 'tops'. The interchangeable tops have various aggressive and lethal projections and you launch your BeyBlade by pulling on a 'ripcord' which shoots the blade into an arena where it competes with another for survival, the loser being knocked out of the arena.

So if you see boys walking to school (yes some do walk) with what looks like an oversize dog's bowl under their arm then this is their 'arena' and in the boys' pockets will inevitably be his personal battling 'blades'.

Such was the demand that Chris Jones, the Headmaster of the School, allocated special BeyBlade areas in the playground where the battles could take place. (It is not known whether Mr Jones is a regular 'blader' himself.) As well as battling with their 'blades' against others, the boys (and possibly girls) also swap the various pieces that make up the blade in an effort to improve their stock! Therein lies the issue that I can't understand.

At Christmas it took me approximately 1 hour to assemble one of these blades. Ben now strips them down, swaps pieces and reassembles them in seconds. How can this be? It's not fair but at least he's not asking me to do it for him.

M D