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.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

News, Views Etc...Plastic Warrior No.165



The Ink's barely dry on the last issue, there must be something wrong with me; three prompt in a row! Anyway - Issue 165 brings the following Toy Soldier stories to your doormat, if you subscribe . . . and I know of at least one new subscriber!

Also - I thought that with only the one image in this morning's post you'd all be feeling slightly cheated!

Articles

* The first article is a fascinating brain-food theory on the likely origins and appearances of Dan Dare toy figures, involving Thomas/Poplar, Tom Smith, Eagle, an outfit called Mead & Field Ltd., and something called a Jollibom! All pulled-together and mused-on by Gerald Edwards. In addition he rounds-up the other suspects with Crescent, MG Southall and Kentoys nodded-to - if that doesn't prick your imagination into subscribing and you still aren't - you probably never will!

* An editorial piece on the board-game 'Market Day' by Holdfast Enterprises is equally interesting

* Alwyn Brice also ponders, in his case on Trojan, but with less success than Mr Edwards I fear!

* A lovely journey of discovery by Peter Watson details his life-long uncovering of Cherilea's production, one set at a time!

* Robert Newson (die-cast expert and co-author of the FIM's) looks in detail at the various versions of Lone Star Landover - and who knew there were so many - along with the figures/accessories that sometimes accompanied them

* The well known German collector and regular contributor Andreas Dittman returns with an overview (and call for more information) of little-known Berlin maker Miniplast

* Another editorial looks at some lovely Crescent clones from Hong Kong

* Tony Sowerby explains his diorama of a Landsknecht gun position using Elastolin figures

* Robert Mackenzie contributes to coverage of Simon Tonge's animal collection, Simon is the numero uno at Paignton Zoo, so knows what he's looking at!

* Colin Penn tortures me with a Blind Bag set from Frozen just in time for Christmas - sorry Colin but I have a sore point over Frozen merchandise, having listened to the bloody woman's doll sing the Frozen theme all day long, on Christmas Day, in SPANISH two years ago . . . I live in trepidation of seeing a Moana doll round my Brother's in two weeks time!

'What The !&*$?' has three items this month, all ladies, one 1940's looking in a nightdress (or fur coat it's not clear!) pencilled-in as 'maybe Spanish', a rural granny type (early British plastic?) and a more medieval-looking, French-looking, rural wench, help needed on all three.

Finally news of the forthcoming ACOTS convention looks forward to their thirtieth anniversary five-day toyfest next Easter.

Regular Features

* 'NEWS and VIEWS and other stuff ' consists of an obituary for Dave Scrivener, reprised from this Blog, news of James Opie's next three C&T-scheduled auction-sales and news of a HäT crowd-funding experiment (which I believe failed while the issue was at the printers).

* 'Book Review' looks at 'Britains Toy Soldiers - The History and Handbook 1893-2013' by the above-mentioned James Opie

What's New covers the following this issue:
·         Chintoys - Sharp's Rifles (with mention of Nappy's Staff)
·         Expeditionary Force - Zulu War Redcoats
·         Mars - US Marines (Vietnam)
·         Replicants - British C17th (?) Dragoons


 All available from Steve Weston's Toy Soldiers

* 'Readers Letters' is four packed pages this time with two from yours truly (Gordy Int. & Noki) and other submissions from:
·         Barney Brown who passes-on a paint-stripping tip
·         Musings on Hornby/Airfix's plans from Peter Watson
·         James Peter Young on possible Aussie pirates (of Hilco)
·         More on Cherilea Baronial Knights from Malcolm Cotton
·         More on the state of the hobby from Pedro L. Cunha re. modern production
·         Happy Feedback on the Chicago Toy Soldier Show from the organisers (Jan and Roger Garfield)
·         'a person' has something to say about Stuart Marconie - who's he?!!
·         Brian Heape shows more smooth-based Crescent knights
·         Thomas Korecek shows rack-toy modern GI's from Prague
While finally; Erik Critchley and Dennis Donovan add to the clown-type from PW 164's What The !&*$?

Plus all the usual small-ads

Both Cover pictures are further shots of Tony Sowerby's diorama

Remember also; for subscription details or to 're-up', for contributions, letters or queries, Plastic Warrior is now on-line through various platforms:

And they are on Paypal.

The old website is to be run-down/retired.

And if anyone thinks the inclusion of my Blogs URL in the obituary was a little 'off colour', they're probably right, but it wasn't in the submitted piece and in his defence - the editor adds URL's to any contributor's piece when he knows of it, has to fit everything round a deadline and had probably already sent the smaller pieces to the printer; as I sent them in a while ago. So maybe unfortunate, but no eggs broken.

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