About Me

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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

G is for Gold Gargants and Great-'kin-shields

Possibly the worst version of Deetail knights came Blasting out of Britains' Hong Kong factory in 1986 (while I was off being a grown-up!...I totally missed these at the time), the Shield Knights, also known as the 'Gold' knights or 'Golden Shield' knights even though there was no gold involved with the shield or the shield-designs!

Chunky lumps of fully-armoured beefcake, or at least the foot figures were...

...and none chunkier than this chap, clearly on illegal anabolic steroids, the worn examples show that the underlying PVC could be a creamy white or flesh-pink. The shields were ridiculously large and they all had a plug-in black plastic sword hanging at the belt along with whichever of the standard weapons they had in their ring-hands.

The right-hand figure in these line-ups are the latter ones who get black helmets and 'panzer' grey mail highlights. They also lost the additional belt-hung sword.

The right-hand line-up is about the best figure of the six as far as anatomy goes and he had a nicely dynamic pose, based on one of the older silver knights.

Two more poses, again the latter issues to the right in each frame, both poses are also chunker-monks! The orange split-crested guy looks like he's wearing a nappy of some kind (early version) or cycling shorts (late version) - unknown member of the Village People?

The final pose and a shot of the various shield designs, the shields were poorly finished polyethylene mouldings. The lower image shows what the shield designs would look like if they missed the colour phase of the printing process, as the six were probably on one sheet, the others are likely to be out there waiting to be found with the blue artwork only?

Mounted figures - the majority were based on the pop-together figures (which will appear above in a day or two!), although some were based on the standard silver knights. The horses caparison got a little slit to take the lance/standard, and the earlier versions of the figures were adapted to take the giant shields and the waist sword.

Horses were limited to black or white and the standards (or pennants...or whatever!) followed the designs of the shields, but you didn't necessarily get two matching with each figure. Also - as the group shot shows - the pallet was limited for caparison colours as well.

Mercifully these had disappeared by the end the 1980's. I know - they're only toys...but these are rather tacky toys! Still it helps you to understand that not all the reasons for a company's demise can be put down to demographics or changing taste...sometimes low sales are a result of not following descent tastes!

B is for Bulgaria

Just a quick one today...these were purchase of the day at the Plastic Warrior show in May, although I didn't have to hunt them out as Peter Evans (PW's roving reporter) brought them to my very hands! Thank you Peter!

He was informed that they were Bulgarian, and there's definitely something 'eastern' about them, although, they are quite unique so may be from Hungary or Romania? The ties between Bulgaria and Russia were much closer than some of the other Comecon countries, and their production tends to mirror Soviet stuff, with twin factories in both nations, mould-share and mould-copy.

28-30mm, swoppet-style, Napoleonic era or (ceremonial?) troops, one with plug-in weapon, the weapon has detail on one side only, almost as if it's stamped-out of a sheet, yet the detail on the sculpted side is clearly injection moulded. I have tried to track down some more to no avail, but will soon have a spy in Sophia looking out for them!

Bases for the foot figures also have yet to be tracked down, but the horse has an integral base and ends up looking very much like (and is the same size as...) Spencer Smith, who - of course - had integral riders! There's still so much out there to be discovered...

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

S is for Swivel Like Swoppet!

One of the final innovations in the Deetail range, these are quite good fun, four points of articulation with rigid legs meant you could get them into some awkward poses, like an Action Man (GI Joe) with lose elastics, but they can also be posed with the minimum of thought into very realistic fighting positions.

Called Champion Knights, they appeared in 1993 and ran until about '98, alongside various late production of the older ranges and the short-lived Robin Hood set. Currently still around on feeBay and the like, they were never as numerous as the silver knights or Turks, and it's worth sourcing a good sample and laying it away like fine wine!

A general shot or two to give a feel for the figures, in a massed mêlée they do look rather good, although the simplistic shields were a total let-down!

There were four torsos, each available for the longer time in two (reversed) paint schemes, gold on silver or vis-versa. See last frame below for the coloured versions.

I never did a shot of the helmets (but another shoot was pending once the book took shape), so I'm not sure how many mouldings there are, but it looks like six heads were available?

Four leg mouldings were attached to the torsos, these only had the one style of decoration, gold highlights on silver.
The running with foot on tuft of grass was a rather clumsy throwback to the days of lead horses!

Six designs of plug-in crest (3 feather-plumes, 3 'designs') were randomly glued into a hole in the helmets and given various paintings, with Friday-afternoon and Monday-morning figures added to out-workers differing treatments of the paint, there are a fair few variations to track-down, and these are just a taster.

The highlight of this range has to be the weapons, I really like them, particularly the battle-hammer. It's a pity the people who make replacements from time to time don't copy these instead of the dirt-common ones that ran from the 1970's through to the 2000's

The disappointing shields, only half of them pay any attention to the rules of heraldry, and even then not terribly convincingly...this is what happens when you leave the fine details to your Chinese manufacturer, instead of holding on to the design-reigns!

The mounted figures were not only all-new mouldings, but they got an all-new horses and a new design of base, although the old bases were used as well, whether this was early in the run or at the end I don't know.

Colour variations - although there were only the two horse poses, the variation in decoration meant they still looked good together, or even in numbers.

Right at the end they got a 'simplified' paint scheme of coloured surcoats, with grey detailing on what had been the armour plates, mail neck-protection etc...

Because this was such a short-lived series, the final boxes often had both types in at the same time. The helmet crests also become single colour every time.

Monday, July 28, 2014

News, Views Etc...Robin Hood Update and Other Bits...



Robin Hood Update

I've added the images needed to the Robin Hood post; Here

As they were part of another of the cancelled book projects, there will be more Deetail Knight stuff appearing in the next few days, it's mostly an exercise in box-ticking as it's not rare, but strangely the more modern (and less rare) stuff always gets the most hits!


Other Bits

The usual round-up of cultural and other toy soldier related links from around the web. Starting with more Prieser (or - these days - possibly Noch?) figures as extras in artworks;

Kendal Murray

Then nut-cracker soldier Washi Tape...whatever that is [Stickers!];

A Cherry on Top

Some exquisite Architectural Modelling from Tom Eichenberger and a deliverable SEAL-team from Dominator Fireworks - how cool is that? There are other similar 'cakes' out there...


If you find odd placements of toy soldiers, or the toy soldier theme out there on the Wibbly Wobbly Way, let me know and I'll share it with the wider readership.

Saturday, July 26, 2014

T is for Trojan Trooper with Tennis Ball

In the Plastic Warrior special on Trojan there is was one item still waiting for a positive ID; the 'Red Devil Paratrooper...

...it's been ID'd!

Although I don't buy much on evilBay (the odd bag of naptha moth balls when I see them!), I do keep an eye on it for research purposes! The other day I spotted this, it had a high BIN price (£45), three watchers and a failed offer.

I thought "Wow, better download the images before they disappear!", but then spent a couple of days thinking I was ignoring the number one rule; if you don't get it when you see it you'll regret it.

As I have saved about forty-quid giving-up smoking in the last three weeks I decided that if it was still on-line the following morning, I'd buy it; it was, I did...

So, here is the elusive chap, not mint but in bloody good condition for something last listed in a 1960 catalogue (to PW's knowledge), so it's older than me and I'm not exactly in prime condition myself!! I dare say they will start to come out of the woodwork now, it often happens that once something has appeared once it turns up again, a few more times in the next few months.

A typical rack toy or pocket-money item, it makes you wonder why people like Britains didn't do more of this kind of thing, Timpo did, and it's an easy money-spinner.

By coincidence, Adrian (Mercator Trading) had let me have this 'unknown' figure about a year ago and he's been sitting in the paratrooper box (it's a side collection) for some time, we both knew it was a 'cut above' but suspected Italy (which seems to have produced a lot of these paratroop toys) or Japan (it's a blow-moulding, with the looks of an over-fed Japanese super-hero character).

Like all the khaki infantry, there are paint variations; one has the boots painted, the other doesn't, one has green goggles, the other silver, one has the quick release buckle silvered, the other doesn't, and there is a marked colour difference in the plastic, so there must have been a fair few made in more than one batch.

He seems to be a 'Red Devil' not because of any association with the German's nickname for British paratroopers in World War II, or the eponymous display team, but because he is a devil...check-out the hat/head? I love the suggestion you should wrap him round a tennis ball for maximum height...not something I remember any other paratroop toys advocating when I was a kid.

I took the figure straight round to Paul Morehead's, so he could photograph him for the next edition of the 'special', and we had a bit of a chat about Trojan, some of the points from which I'll dwell-on quickly. Quite apart from the known, suspected or unknown relationships between Trojan and the rest of that cluster of small, 'early', British plastics makers round London (Kentoys, Speedwell, UNA and VP), there is also first; the fact that Trojan was possibly only one of three 'names' coming from this house, the other two being W. Shipton 9earlier) and - probably - AJ Novelties, with secondly; additional brands being Lilliput (typewriters) and Tiny Trojan. So while their works may have been small; a mews stable in North West London among others, they were clearly quite prolific for a short period.

This figure may well have been from the AJ Novelties branch, although in Trojan packaging, as they were marketing "A wonderful range of tea sets and plastic novelties" which sounds like the sort of unit likely to have an ethylene blow-moulder? Equally they could have been bought-in, even from Italy or Japan!

When I bought the 'mother load' back in October 2010 (which got me 'into' large scale, and early British), from the Priddy's, Bill told me that his uncle and him had actually been to the factory in the Granville Mews...one of the things he was adamant they had seen there was a 'large vat of liquid' in the middle of the stable.

Now - I said it couldn't be plastic, that's not how it's handled - he thought it was, but couldn't remember much else, just that there was this vat of 'stuff' being dipped into. If Shipton's model aeroplanes had die-cast or lead/white-metal parts, or if the Lilliput typewriters had alloy parts, this may explain the vat, as they are all (relatively) low-temperature melting metals?

It may - equally - be that one of these names/brands is also responsible for some of the otherwise unidentified hollow-cast figures kicking-around in the late 1950's or '60's, and that the vat was for producing such figures?

So, there is still a lot to discover about these companies, their relationships and wider ranges, however, we now know what the Red Devil looks like.

Friday, July 25, 2014

M is for McMystery Figures

Back in 2009 a member of the Treefrog toy soldier forum asked the assembled experts if they could identify his Mystery Figures, sadly, the experts were all off for the day (I'm joking!)...and it's taken me a while to track down the images I took in 2007 of an eBay lot I'd just bought.

If someone on that forum could direct the chap to this post, his query can be answered...to an extent!

They are made by a company called Highlander, not - as one might expect - from Scotland, but Boca Raton, Florida! How a swamp came to be associated with the crags of Caledonia is anyone's guess....I know, I know...I've got Google...it's the beach!

I'm guessing this was a short-lived venture, probably launched off the back of the 1968 movie 'The Green Berets', short-lived because A) they don't appear often on feeBay and B) the popularism of the Vietnam war would soon become the silence of the war that dare not speak its name, and selling any war toys, let alone specifically Vietnam War related became an uphill task! Probably issued in 1972 as US troop numbers in-theatre were already being reduced, the pull-out being completed in '73, these would have been a heavy-sell.

A 3-page commercial catalogue (Build Profits While Your Customers 'Build Battlefields' with Highlander) was published in 1978, and later sets were issued unpainted, unassembled and - judging by one recent feeBay listing - missing the MG! they do appear on feeBay regularly, usually with ridiculous BIN's. Look out for the A/T gun released without figures as code; HT-105 and the 2-man MG team as HT-106 (painted or unpainted).

I'm not sure how many Pak. 40 75mm Anti-Tank guns the US special forces employed in Vietnam, but my guess is none! However, toys is toys, and this is not a bad little model of one. Of far more interest are the approximately 40mm figures, some painted as African-Americans and all wearing the green beret.

I don't know how many poses there were in total, or whether there were ever any North Vietnamese 'enemy'? The cards apparently cost 25C back in the day and both the vehicles and figures are in a hard styrene plastic - another reason for their rarity?

I had an SPG as well, also carded but it had no figures included and I gave it to Paul for PW, but he seems to have misplaced it - one of the reasons I've held-off on blogging them was the hope of a photograph of it! It was - if I recall correctly - one of that 1950's family of M53, 54, 55 vehicles, but I can't remember which one and didn't think to photograph it at the time; I'd only had a digital camera for a few weeks (these start at photo number 148, from zero). Another reason for the delay, as I'd yet to suss-out the 'tulip = macro' rule and was hoping to get them out of storage and re-shoot them better...one day I might!

There is very little about these on the 'net', and a bit of research from someone in Florida might reap a list of products, or a better company history? There is a Highland Toys in Scotland....they make stuffed animals!

Saturday, July 19, 2014

News, Views etc...Posting Elsewhere! (rant alert)

I know my posting rate has dropped-off this year, but with real life stuff and the fact that I'm running out of stuff in the attic to blog, while everything else is still in storage have both affected what I can post, but there will be a steady'ish trickle of new'ish stuff...

This week I was also posting on another site - the STS Animal Collectors Forum;

Airfix

 JK of Hong Kong

 Tudor Rose

If you collect things other than military figures I would recommend it, they are a friendly bunch without the out-and-out competitiveness or bitchiness you get on some forums. And they have an animal-wiki attached;

Toy Animal Info.



I've also been posting original content elsewhere without my knowledge or permission....



This little shit;

Jimdo

...has copied all the documentation and most of the other images from my two EKO articles, presumably this means he doesn't mind me taking his stuff and putting it up here in English? As he seem to have stolen a lot of stuff from other people/books, I shall refrain!



While this plagiarist thief;

 Ghislain Oubreyrie

...has taken the diver images from the Kellogg's post and carefully cut round them! He's also cut round the Toysmith divers regularly found on eBay and is passing them off as Kellogg's originals, but the Toysmith ones have aluminium alloy plugs while the originals were tin, which tended to rust. Again, the little-dick has lots of useful stuff I could take reciprocally and post here in the universal language - if I chose to?



All you thieving pirates (Henk, Rudik, Ward as well) need to understand one thing...if/when I can afford it I will engage legal representation in your own countries and sue you (or your web-service provider/publisher/printer) for the price of a small house!

I publish original content, OR I credit fully with permission/link-backs, OR I flag up dodgy origin with a caveat, I also understand the law of copyright both off and on the internet. You don't; you're all inadequate, poxy little neuro-typical, farty-arsed fuckwits relying on others to do your 'work' for you.


So....lots of 'Smallscaleworld' on the web, just not all of it published here in the last few days, and not all of it original!

S is for Sultan Saladin of Syria's Saracen Subjects

Repeat three times quickly whilst eating a water-biscuit!

Bit of a box-ticker today; not rare, not uncommon, but they have had a fair few decoration variations over the years so I thought we could look at some of them...the Deetail Turks/Saracens.

The one I always assumed was supposed to be Saladin / Salad-in / Sala'hadin....[Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb (Righteousness of the Faith, Joseph, Son of Job)] with his wicked curved scimitar lunging at the effete King Richard! "Drink my coffee with milk will you, you apostate Euro-swine!"

Chain-mace guy, some of the poses suit more than one of the weapons Britains provided, but this guy always looks best about to separate a crusaders head from his shoulders with a spiked boulder on a loo-chain!

Lance-throwing guy, his helmet has always suffered from the notorious 'easily detachable crescent-moon shaped crest syndrome'!

Other spear/lance guy...he's the guy with the other spear/lance.

Can have most weapons guy. I prefer the late painting on most of these figures, and his last version (a few years ago now 2007'ish) was particularly pleasing on the eye.


I'll take any weapon I'm given as well guy, but the axe works best! Illustrates the development of the base style well, in all the line-ups I've tried to go oldest to the left, newest to the right.

That's it; tags added, box ticked! Definite thanks to Mike Melnyk for some of the figures.

Friday, July 11, 2014

News, Views Etc...Plastic Warrior 155

Only a few weeks behind this time, a quick look at PW 155 which - as the editor points out - ended-up being a bit of a 'Cherilea Special', more by accident than design...

Keeping us interested this issue;

* Cherilea desk-calender girls.
* Cherilea spacemen follow-up by Marx (No; by Jim Lloyd!).
* Cherilea in Vereston clothing.
* Giant Cowboys and Indians (but not Giant; Bang Bang Kid).
* Colin Penn covers Tri-ang Spot-On's 35mm figures in depth with the help of a new book (reviewed in issue 154).
* Fontanini stauettes are looked at by PW's roving reporter Peter Evans.
* Fred Barrett explains the building of a Roman Mile-fort.
* My personal favourite this month (I love a thematic 'round-up') - Brad DeSanis looks at musicians in uniform, and over two pages covers 34 figures from a couple of dozen makers.
* This issue's Book Review studies the latest in Alain Thomas's growing oeuvre; Clairet, co-authored with Daniel Trombetta, the review (raveing advert?) provided by Andy Partridge.
* Fellow blogger Brian Carrick visits the larger figures of Rodeo riders and clowns from New Ray.
* What the !&*$? has question marks on a seated 'flyboy' (Tri-ang Mettoy/Minic?) and early British 'Khaki Infantry'.
* Coverage of new products includes... A Call to Arms and some unknown Chinese pound-shop blister-card civilians.
* Reader's Letters  is very busy this issue with correspondence on Engineer Bassevitch, Bookends, Flats, and Elastolin's 40mm medievals (all illustrated), a question on Bentalls (that needs answering), feedback on 154's What the !&*$?, and someone lost on a transport network.
* While  cover images this quarter are a shot of the Cherilea calender girl set on the front and the Marx Spacemen on the back.
* Plus all the usual small-ads, news and views, including Birmingham Show update and Pathe newsreels.

All still in glorious technicolourfulness!

S is for UNA, U is for Speedwell?

As well as the welcome additions to the Khaki Infantry page he's made, Barney Brown also sent these eight images from his website's sales page (you've missed them but he does keep adding nice bits as he finds them!).

The last time we looked at these...

U is for Usurpers

They were generally believed to be Speedwell, having previously been pencilled-in as Charbens, Kentoys or Trojan, they are now suspected to also be the figures listed in an UNA catalogue/advert.

The 'Good Guys'; Little John with his staff, Maid Marion and her Beau; Robin of Loxley, there was also a figure of Friar Tuck, who can be seen in the previous post.

The 'Bad Guys'; The horrible Sheriff of Nottingham and two of his goons. As far as I know a boxed set has yet to surface by either Speedwell or UNA, so which was which is open to question, as there are only two or three paint variations or plastic colour variations for each figure - that might be a clue - but when you look at the variations each company had in its Khaki Infantry range, I suspect it may one day be clear that while they both listed Robin Hood figures - only one actually got them to market, or that they both sold common stock and there's nothing to tell between them?

Barney's Website/Shop (and he's just listed some nice ACW sets!)

Herald Toys and Models

Saturday, July 5, 2014

C is for Cavendish (Listing)



Cavendish Miniatures / Cavendish Novelties


EC1, London, UK - Then;
Little Buntings, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 4DD

Circa 1950-1976 (Michael Martin)
1976-Circa 1995 (Tony Kite)
Originally a London based company owned/run by Michael Martin, the name and assets were bought by Tony Kite in 1976. He had been running the souvenir shop outside Windsor Castle since 1966 and had stocked Cavendish previously. He seems to have inherited the Kentoys / Kenway Cycles range/stock/moulds (?) soon after. As some plastic moulds wore-out they were replaced/re-tooled for metal production, plastic continued for some time however and around 1996 he found the moulds to a range of Nazi parade figures and personalities of unknown origin and in approximately 1997 began to resurrect the Garrison 54mm moulds. The resin models were probably re-badged to Cavendish, having been bought in via the wholesale/mail-order side of his business. In the same way he ‘inherited’ the tail-end of the Britains ‘Eye’s Right’ range factory stock and some Timpo and Lone*Star castings/moulds along with the remaining stock of Crescent's Silver Jubilee Coach.

Known Listings (loose and boxed)
Earlier 54mm Plastics (from 1961 list - Stadden designs, all soft ethylene plastic)
Loose Figures
- Lifeguard (standard)
- Lifeguard (sword)
- Lifeguard (trumpet)
- Horseguard (standard)
- Horseguard (sword)
- Horseguard (trumpet)
- Beefeater (integral partisan/pike)
- Queen's Bodyguard [or] Gentleman-at-Arms
- Grenadier 1756 [1st foot Guards] (blue facings - by 1997 called Marlborough’s Men)
- Officer 1756 [1st Foot Guards] (blue facings - by 1997 called Marlborough’s Men)
- 'Royal' Drummer 1756 (by 1997 called ‘Marlborough’s Men)
- Grenadier 1756 [59th Foot] (yellow facings - by 1997 called Marlborough’s Men)
- Officer 1756 [59th Foot] (yellow facings - dropped from lists by 1997)
- Sentry [or] Guardsman (at ease)
- Guardsman (marching)
- Guards Officer (short, fat bearskin)
- Guards Officer (tall, slimmer bearskin)
- Guards Officer with Colour-belt (may never have been issued)
- Bandsmen [Euphonium] of the Coldstream Guards (beyonet and cartridge pouch, integral base)
- Bandsmen [Oboe] of the Coldstream Guards (beyonet and cartridge pouch, integral base)
- Bandsmen [Saxophone] of the Coldstream Guards (beyonet and cartridge pouch, integral base)
- Bandsmen [Tuba] of the Coldstream Guards (beyonet and cartridge pouch, integral base)
- Bandsmen [Horn/French Horn] of the Coldstream Guards (beyonet and cartridge pouch, integral base)
- Bandsmen [Trumpet] of the Coldstream Guards (beyonet and cartridge pouch, integral base)
- Bandsmen [Euphonium] of the Coldstream Guards (plain belt, separate base)
- Bandsmen [Oboe] of the Coldstream Guards (plain belt, separate base)
- Bandsmen [Saxophone] of the Coldstream Guards (plain belt, separate base)
- Bandsmen [Tuba] of the Coldstream Guards (plain belt, separate base)
- Bandsmen [Horn/French Horn] of the Coldstream Guards (plain belt, separate base)
- Bandsmen [Trumpet] of the Coldstream Guards (plain belt, separate base)
- Drum Major of the Coldstream Guards
- Base Drummer of the Coldstream Guards
- King Henry VIII (painted and - later - unpainted)
- Catherine of Aragon (painted and - later - unpainted)
- Anne Boleyn (painted and - later - unpainted)
- Jane Seymour (painted and - later - unpainted)
- Anne of Cleaves (painted and - later - unpainted)
- Catherine Howard (painted and - later - unpainted)
- Catherine Parr (painted and - later - unpainted)

Other/Later 54mm Plastics
- Policeman (walking - Norman Tooth design for and ex-Kentoys)
- Policeman (walking - HK, polystyrene)
- Policeman (directing traffic - George Musgrave design for and ex-Cavendish)
- Sentry [or] Guardsman (at ease - Norman Tooth design for and ex-Kentoys)
- Sentry [or] Guardsman (at ease - George Musgrave design for and ex-Cavendish)
- Sentry [or] Guardsman (at ease - HK, polystyrene)
- Beefeater (separate metal partisan/pike, ex-Kentoys)
- Beefeater (separate plastic partisan/ pike, ex-Kentoys)
- Beefeater (separate metal 'Castle', ex-Kentoys)
- Beefeater (separate plastic 'Castle', ex-Kentoys)
- Beefeater (separate metal executioner's axe, ex-Kentoys)
- Beefeater (separate plastic executioner's axe, ex-Kentoys)
- Beefeater (partisan/pike, 54mm, HK, polystyrene)
- Beefeater (partisan/pike, 60mm, HK, polystyrene)
- Yeoman Warder (partisan/pike, 54mm, HK, polystyrene)
- Lifeguard (sword, 54mm, HK, polystyrene)
- Lifeguard (trumpet, 54mm, HK, polystyrene)
- Lifeguard (sword, 60mm, HK, polystyrene)
- Horseguard (sword, 54mm, HK, polystyrene)
- Horseguard (sword, 60mm, HK, polystyrene)

Knights (ex-Timpo and Lone*Star solid foot and Timpo Swoppet mounted, carded bag of 3/5 foot and/or 1/2 mounted or similar sized mix of figures, header card artwork by Peter Harris)
- Foot Knights (ex-Lone*Star)
- Foot Knights (ex-Timpo solids)
- Mounted Knights (ex-Timpo 'swoppets')

Known Boxed Sets (Based on 1961 List, Stadden designs)
No.1 - London Set (Beefeater, Policeman, Guardsman - Stadden designs)
No.2 - London Set (Lifeguard, Policeman, Guardsman - Stadden designs)
No.3 - London set (contents unknown)
No.4 - London set (contents unknown)
No.5 - London Set (Five different figures - Stadden designs)
- Beefeater Set (3 Beefeaters -Stadden designs)
- Lifeguard Set (3 figures? - Stadden designs)
- Horseguard set (3 figures? - Stadden designs)
- The queens Bodyguard (Gentleman -at-Arms, Lifeguard, Beefeater)
No.1 - Sentry Set (Beefeater, Guardsman, Lifeguard - Stadden designs)
No.2 - Sentry Set (Policeman, Sentry, Horseguard - Stadden designs)
No.1 - Band Set (contents unknown)
No.2 - Band Set (contents unknown)
No.3 - Band Set (2 bandsmen and Drum Major)
- Mounted Lifeguard (standard)
- Mounted Lifeguard (sword)
- Mounted Lifeguard (trumpet)
- Mounted Horseguard (standard)
- Mounted Horseguard (sword)
- Mounted Horseguard (trumpet)
- Cavalry set (1 mounted and 1 dismounted Lifeguards)
- Cavalry set (1 mounted and 1 dismounted Horseguards)
- The Grenadier Set (4 figures 1751)*
- British Regiments (2 Grenadiers, 1 Officer, 1 'Royal' drummer - Stadden designs)*
- British regiments 1751 (Stadden designs, may be same as above listed set)*
No.515 - Presentation Box (5 figures and Sentry Box; acetate lid)
No.1751 - Presentation Box (4 figures 1751 Grenadiers - same as the 'Grenadier Set' but higher price?)
- King Henry VIII His Wives [and his 6 wives] (7 figures, Stadden designs)
* May all be the same set

Other Boxed Sets
- London Souvenir (Lifeguard trumpeter, Policeman, Beefeater, Guardsman, Horseguard - HK)
- Scots Guards (ex-Britains, 2 mounted officers 1 piper)
- Scots Guards (ex-Britains, officer, drum major, bass drummer, piper)
- Lifeguards (ex-Britains, mounted with Colour, mounted with sword, ensign on foot)
- Yeoman (4xI pose - 2 black-painted as Yeoman Warders ‘Ceremonial Dress’, 2 red-painted as Yeomen of the Guard ‘Everyday/Working Dress’, HK)
- Souvenir Set (Policeman, Lifeguard, Beefeater, Guardsman - HK versions)
- Souvenir Set (4 Cavendish guards bandsmen, assorted)
Souvenir Set's Combinations/Make-ups Seen;
- French Horn, Tuba, Euphonium, Saxophone
- Oboe, Tuba, Saxophone, Drum Major

Other Items (Items for which Cavendish were the last/previous holder of stock and or parts)
54mm Plastic
Ex-Britains
- Guards – marching and band (ex-Eyes-right range)
- Marines – marching and band (ex-Eyes-right range)
- Marines – standing band (ex-Eyes-right range)
- Lifeguards mounted band (ex-Eyes-right range)
- Highlanders – marching and band (ex-Herald range)
- Lifeguards (ex-Herald range)
- AWI gun-crew (ex-Herald range)

Spare Parts (ex-Britains, all remaining stock sold-on to PTS, 1990's)
- Guards heads (polyethylene, ex-Eyes-right range)
- Saddles. Stirrups, Horse-furniture (PVC)
- Lifeguards Band - Stirrup Reins (PVC)
- Bandsmen’s arms (polyethylene)
- Instruments (die-cast metal, gold finish)
- Instruments (die-cast metal, silver finish)
- Flags, Colours, trumpet-banners (printed paper or printed self-adhesive paper)
- Flags, Colours, trumpet-banners (printed self-adhesive faux-silk)
- Kettle-drum banners (printed paper or printed self-adhesive paper)

Ex-Charbens
- Guardsmen (?)
- Policeman (?)
- Beefeater (?)
- Lifeguard

Ex-Timpo
- Cowboys or Indians on foot (bagged in fours)
- Mounted Indians (bagged in twos)
- Mounted Napoleonic's (ex-Action Pack)
- Indian Canoe
- Cowboys on log
- Guards (now with Toyway)
- Ballista
- Catapult
- Arabs (ex-Action Pack)
- 8th Army (ex-Action Pack)
- Waterloo on foot (ex-Action Pack)
- Eskimos
- Mounted Guards Officer (in tear-drop window-fronted gold box)

120mm Plastic Models
- Her Majesty the Queen, Queen Elisabeth II (full colour decoration)
- The Prince Consort, The Duke of Edinburgh (full colour decoration)
- Her Majesty the Queen, Queen Elisabeth II (chrome-silver finish)
- The Prince Consort, The Duke of Edinburgh (chrome-silver finish)
- Her Majesty the Queen, Queen Elisabeth II (plain cream/white polystyrene, ex-stock)
- The Prince Consort, The Duke of Edinburgh (plain cream/white polystyrene, ex-stock)

120mm Resin Dickens Caricatures (Limited edition)
- Artful Dodger
- Beagle
- Bill Sykes
- David Copperfield
- Fagin
- Little Nell
- Mr. Macawber
- Mr. Pickwick
- Oliver Twist
- Peggoty
- Sam Weller
- Scrooge

32mm Metal Models
- Coronation coach with horses and riders (after Johillco? or Crescent Jubilee Coach - see below listing)

54mm Metal Models
Royal marines (present-day ‘Blues’ uniform)
- Standing at-ease
- Marching with rifle shouldered
- Officer with sword marching
- RSM marching
- Ensign of the Colour marching
- Drum Major marching
- Trombone marching
- Euphonium marching
- Tuba marching
- Cymbals marching
- Cornet marching
- Fife marching
- French horn marching
- Saxophone marching
- Bassoon marching
- Clarinet marching
- Side-drummer marching
- Bass drummer marching

Guardsmen
- Standing at-ease
- Marching with rifle shouldered
- Officer with sword marching
- RSM marching
- Ensign of the Colour marching
- Drum Major marching
- Trombone marching
- Euphonium marching
- Tuba marching
- Cymbals marching
- Cornet marching
- Fife marching
- French horn marching
- Saxophone marching
- Bassoon marching
- Clarinet marching
- Side drummer marching
- Bass drummer marching

Black Watch Highlanders
- Officer with sword marching
- Rifle at slope, marching
- Drum Major marching
- Piper marching
- Side drummer marching
- Bass drummer marching

Cameron Highlanders
- Officer with sword marching
- Rifle at slope, marching
- Drum Major marching
- Piper marching
- Side drummer marching
- Bass drummer marching

Policemen (ex-plastic moulds)
- Marching
- On Traffic-duty

Household Cavalry (ex-plastic moulds)
- Lifeguard marching with sword
- Horseguard marching with sword

Chelsea Pensioners
- Officer/Gentleman at arms (No.1 Dress style uniform, feathered bi-corn hat)
- Sergeant at arms (blue frock-coat, tri-corn hat)
- Pensioner (red coat with tri-corn hat)
- Pensioner (red coat with pill-box hat/shako)

Personalities
- Beefeater (ex-plastic mould)
- [Henry VIII] (probably 65mm figure listed above)
- [Shakespeare] (probably 65mm figure listed above)
- [John Bull] (probably 65mm figure listed above)
- [Richard the Lionheart] (probably 65mm figure listed above)

British Regiments of 1751 (ex-plastic moulds)
- Grenadier 1st Foot
- Officer 1st Foot
- Gentleman-at-Arms (same as Chelsea Pensioner Officer with different paint?)
- Grenadier 59th Foot
- Officer 59th Foot
- Royal Drummer

German Troops 1933/42, National Socialists (available as sets, singly or unpainted kits, further details needed)
- Adolf Hitler (single figure matt-painted or unpainted kit)
- Herman Goring (single figure matt-painted or unpainted kit)
- German Police band
- German Police Colour Party
- Luftwaffe Band
- Luftwaffe Colour Party (as set with Herman Goring)
- SS/Gestapo Band
- SS/Gestapo Colour Party
- SA/Brown-shirts Band
- SA/Brown-shirts Colour Party (as set, with Hitler)
- Kriegsmarine Band
- Kriegsmarine Colour Party
- Wermacht Band
- Wermacht Colour Party

Knights of the Garter (ex-Garrison, unpainted as metal kits)
- Pose 1
- Pose 2
- Pose 3
- Pose 4
- Pose 5
- Pose 6
- Pose 7

Mounted ‘Blues & Royals' (ex-Garrison, unpainted as metal kits)
- ?

Mounted Life Guards Band (ex-Garrison, as unpainted metal kits)
- ?

Other Ceremonials (ex-Garrison, as unpainted metal kits)
- Queen Elizabeth II, mounted side-saddle
- Life-Guard Band-major on foot
Modern British/Argentinean Soldiers, Falkland Range (ex-Garrison, as unpainted metal kits)
- British Naval Gunner
- British Pilot
- British Soldier
- Argentinean Soldier
- SAS (‘Embassy siege’ gear)

RHA Gun Team (ex-Garrison, as unpainted metal kits)
- Gun with six horses and three riders
- Gun and four gun-crew

Boxed Sets
- Henry VIII and his six wives – 7 figs (ex-plastic moulds)
- Chelsea Pensioners – 4 figs
- British Regiments 1751 – 6 figs (ex-plastic moulds)

Parts Accessories
- Marine Heads
- Peaked-cap Heads

65mm Metal Character Range
- King Richard 1st
- Edward, the Black Prince
- Henry VIII
- Shakespeare
- John Bull

Miscellaneous
- Tower Bridge (Cavendish Novelties - die-casting)

Mixed Media Models - No Specific Scale (around 1:50, Metal/Plastic/PVC)
- Queens Coach (ex-Crescent 1977 Silver Jubilee boxed set)

[This is very much a work in progress and any corrections, details of additional figures/ranges or the old Garrison codes would be greatly appreciated]

Stadden = Charles 'Chas' C. Stadden (sculptor)
HK = Hong Kong manufactured product

C is for Carded Combination, from Cavendish

Another bag/card combination from the recent Plastic Warrior show, and another bag/card combination which is considerably more substantial than the contents, although the ratio of spare space to packaging is not as wide as it was with the Tudor *Rose set we looked at the other day!

I had in my listings for Cavendish an entry which read;

Knights (ex-Timpo or Lone*Star?)
- Knights


It now reads;

Knights (ex-Timpo and Lone*Star solid foot and Timpo Swoppet mounted, carded bag of 3/5 foot and/or 1/2 mounted or similar sized mix of figures, header card artwork by Peter Harris)
- Foot Knights (ex-Lone*Star)
- Foot Knights (ex-Timpo solids)
- Mounted Knights (ex-Timpo 'swoppets')

The artwork for this card was actually designed by Peter Harris...those close to the hobby will know that Peter is a well known collector/dealer most famous (perhaps unfairly) for a couple of landslides involving his stock tables a few years ago! An indication of the amount of stuff on his tables! Sadly; I believe he was 'only' a graphic designer back then and failed to ask the questions of the client he might do today, such as "Can I have one of everything and what are you going to do with those moulds in the corner?"!

I suspect that the early silver swoppet knights by Timpo may also have been issued in these bags, as Toyway seem to have inherited all of them together?