Plastic scale model kit manufacturer Airfix may be more synonymous with aircraft and warships than little toy houses but in the early 60's they went head to head against Lego and produced their own building kit series.
Betta Bilda (often mistaken for 'Better Builder' or ‘Betta Builder’) was essentially a cheaper version of Lego. Although suitable for children of all ages, Betta Bilda sets were notoriously challenging and instructions recommended that you got used to how the bricks worked together to provide the best 'structural support' before endeavouring to set out to construct a bigger object.
At the time, Betta Bilda bricks were a little bit sturdier than Lego, so it was possible to make far more adventurous designs (although the huge Empire State Building design on the front of instruction booklet that was twice the size of the lad building it may have been a trifle ambitious).
The most popular Betta Bilda package was the housing set. The original 60's packaging was a cardboard box with a transparent blue tray inside. All of the various sized bricks were split into different compartments and included green tiles, windows and doors. The instruction booklet that came with the sets explained in great detail how you could gradually go from basic little huts to a more elaborate ‘country club’, ‘office block’ or even a ‘tudor house’. “Until you are familiar with the different components and their uses, start by making some of the smaller building illustrated in this folder,” explained the included booklet. “First set out the necessary bases and then begin building the walls, interlocking the bricks as shown. This is particularly important as it adds strength to the whole building and prevents a wall collapsing due to lack of the proper support. Before putting windows and doors in position don’t forget to snap in the correct size panes.” Although the Betta Bilda building kit didn’t go to great lengths explaining how to build the various designs from scratch, like some Lego kit books did, it did provide some good, clear diagrams of some of the bits of architecture you could only aspire to create.
The other kits in the series, including the vehicles were suitably impressive. However, as well as getting your head around the ins and outs of building the basic structures, you also had to master the mechanics of a ‘standard’ or ‘4-wheel drive motor’.
Betta Bilda trivia
Airfix was founded in 1939 by Nicholas Kove, a refugee from Hungary who originally manufactured rubber inflated toys.
Betta Bilda replaced Airfix’s previous building set from the 50's and 60's – “Airfix Builder”.
All the components in Betta Bilda were scaled so that they could be included in “HO” and “OO ScaleRailway Layouts – another series from Airfix.
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Graeme said:
My son found my old Betta bilda building set in some stuff I had stored in the roof, he asked me if I could find the instructions. I tried to tell him I last played with it some 40 years ago and for some reason could not recall where I put them. :-)
Sunday April 26, 2009, 01:31 PM
Jane said:
Still got the set my brothers & I played with, somewhere. I remember we had the castle drawbridge etc ...
Thursday July 30, 2009, 04:52 PM
Gabrielle said:
I loved the set but gave it away before I was ready to. I would like to get hold of a set again. Any suggestions as to how I could achieve this aspiration?
Saturday August 1, 2009, 07:51 PM
Lanky said:
Betta Bilda was one of my childhood toys. I had a housing set, but not a lot, so spent time building a small house or and flat roofed building- my friends and i loved playing with it..... for hours..days on the front lawn.
In the passage of time it was passed on to someone else to use and duely forgotton, until a few months ago when i found this site.
Those fun-filled memories promted me to look at buying some again
and I already have enough to build some much larger projects.
It costs more these days, however I am an avid fan and am finding a lot of differing coloured bricks, tiles, window frames, curved bricks and castle parts.....most of which i never knew existed.
HAving the time of my life....... are we all just big kids!!!!
Sunday August 30, 2009, 12:34 PM
Anderida said:
Oh how I loved my Betta Bilda (and so did my Dad!) I used to build planes fitted with hospital wards and operating rooms so you could provide mobile hospital care in places not served by the NHS!! I didn't have the castle bits but I did have the curved bricks and made forts complete with accommodation blocks and mess hall!
What I wouldn't give to have my BB set back!
Friday September 4, 2009, 09:38 AM
Fred Ledicott said:
Yes, I loved it, best toy I had as a child, Loved building castles curved towers firing slots, Betta Bilda had the lot, building the tiled roofs were great too, far better and more flexible than leggo at that time, (Mid 60's).
It was only a radio station phone in which reminded me today of my favourite childhood toy.
Didn't know you could still get it now so I'll be ordering some asap.
Wednesday October 21, 2009, 07:44 PM
Padraig said:
I got "building set no1" of Betta Bilda for my birthday back in the 60's
in england, and had hours and hours of fun making different houses, and drawing plans. We built houses and played with our matchbox and husky cars. I still have it today, and have kept it in the original box with
all the pieces. Compared to today's kids , we didn't have much, but we sure did have alot of fun with great products like Betta Bilda, i'd love to buy some more and show todays kids, how to have fun , if ever the power goes off :)
Sunday March 21, 2010, 12:57 PM
Joe said:
Can anyone remember a similar building system which used a series of metal rods inserted into holes in a base. Brick-effect 'tablets' were then slid into place between adjacent rods, and built up to form the walls of buildings.
Or maybe I just dreamed it!?!
Sunday June 6, 2010, 03:06 PM
Dennis said:
Probably my favorite toy ever. Built a Roman Villa with courtyard and underfloor heating system which had pride of place at school for whole term when I was about 8 back in '64. Always despised chunky babyish lego system, especially unrealistic roofing system!
Wednesday July 7, 2010, 10:54 PM
Shirley said:
Joe, the building system with rods fitting into a base with holes was 'Bayko'. My big brother had a set and I loved it when I inherited it. I also had lots of Betta Bilda in the 60's and would love to have both sets back today - all availalable on eBay I see. Yes, still kids at heart!
Sunday August 15, 2010, 01:04 AM
mark said:
I was lucky enough to have a set we weren't rich so my set was small.Still lucky enough to still have my set today still have an odd play when I can
Friday January 28, 2011, 04:49 AM
Dawn said:
Oh I loved my betta bilda set, definitely my favorite from my childhood in the 60's. I remember my mum having a clear out when I was @ school when I was about 14 & gave it away. Never forgave her!!
Monday February 28, 2011, 04:01 AM
John said:
Was given a bucket full of bricks by my inlaws for my children, inside was lots of lego and some other "curious looking" bricks, for some odd reason something clicked in my mind and the name betta builda suddenly came into my head, I can remember my older brother having a kit of this in the 70's so I just had to confirm my thoughts and found this site - relieved to think the grey matter is still working. Now tomorow I can dump the lego and play with a few hundred real bricks (might even let my kids join in!). Thanks for bringing the memory to life!
Friday April 1, 2011, 10:09 PM
I loved betta bllda as a kid! Mine had green tiles, white bricks, and red (I think) windows. I always thought lego looked really amateurish compared to it.
In the early 60's I also had a skyscraper type construction set with plastic 'girders' that you used to made up the building frame. then plugged in various panels into the frame. Can't remember the name of that one!
Wednesday June 8, 2011, 10:02 PM
BG59 said:
Ooh, I was starting to think that I was the only one who had this system, rather than the better-known Danish product.
The reference to the drawbridge triggered a long-forgotten memory - there were also the red triangular-section pieces for capping the crenelated battlements in your fantasy castle. Does anybody else remember the hinged garage doors? I used to enjoy making garages for my Matchbox motor cars!
We also had the electric motor - great fun with that!
Dad was amazed when we found ways of making things such as aeroplanes and spaceships - he'd been brought up on things like Bako, which could only be used for making models of buildings. He did find it tremendously therapeutic to assemble the green tile roofs, for which I lacked the dexterity and patience.
Saturday June 11, 2011, 05:22 PM
gill said:
What a trip down memory lane. I had a large amount as a child still have it in a box in the loft. today I found a bungalow set in its original box which led me to this site. no-one I know has ever heard of Betta Bilda.
Thursday July 21, 2011, 01:40 PM
Mike said:
As a child, I had Betta Bilda and loved it. Now, at the age of 60, I have begun collecting it again, thanks to Ebay
Tuesday September 6, 2011, 12:34 PM
BG59 said:
Mike - Can we all come round to your place, and play?
Friday September 23, 2011, 08:49 PM
Terry said:
BG59-
No need to go to Mikes I've decided to sell mine -its on ebay at present-none of my grandchildren are interested unfortunately so it may as well go-it was/is a cracking system-cheaper than Lego & I think more realistic although possibly more demanding
Tuesday October 4, 2011, 09:15 AM
Jimmy Preston. said:
I had Betta Bilda Blocks when I was a child.One of my favorite toys if you can call them that.I saw some on Ebay and am thinking about bidding on them.
Friday October 7, 2011, 10:34 PM
Daveco said:
Had betta builder as a kid, and taught myself about half and quarter bonding, hip and valley roofing. I never took to lego, buildings toys with bricks and wheels never made logical sense to me as a kid.
Sunday December 18, 2011, 10:02 PM
Lewis. said:
I agree with those who think Betabilda was far superior to the rather crude and unrealistic Lego. The tiled roofs and the windows were very convincing...... I am surprised that it is not being manufactured today. I hope that it will be resurrected one day!
Monday December 26, 2011, 04:32 PM
k elms said:
i have a betta bilda building set number 1 don't know whether to let my 5 year old have it - its complete i believe, didn't know if was valuable or not, any advice would be fab, thanks nickandkirsche@btopenworld.com
Wednesday March 14, 2012, 12:01 PM
Frances said:
Oh The joys and memories of Betta Bilda! I still think that it was far superior to Lego. I was given my first set in the early 60's as a Xmas present. Then every Xmas afterwards, I would find a small 'accessory box' in my Xmas stocking. One year, this little box contained a wheel shaped disc, that was threaded through in a hollow brick. This opened up new horizons for me. I built a windmill with sails that actually spun! Well they did when I pushed them. Fantastic! Bring back Betta Bilda I say.
Wednesday May 2, 2012, 06:05 PM
Frances said:
My Sister reminded me today of the 'garage doors'. They were red, and broke far too easily in our clumsy, childish, fingers.
Friday May 4, 2012, 05:57 PM
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