News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

Packed weekend this weekend, although for Toy Soldiers fans, particularly plastic collector's it's "Do I go to London or the Ruhr?" Not an easy choice, but with Mrs 'Maybe-Maybe Not' determined to push Brwreakshit through before the next one, it may be your last chance for a trouble-free trip up the coastal plain of the Low Countries and across to Happy Valley? And there'll be less new, over-priced, poured-lead in Herne!

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 1st December 2018

Bridgend - Chris Dyer Fairs

Bridgeend Leisure Centre, Angel Street, Bridgend, Wales, CF31 4AH

Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01643 702 757

Mob. - 07966 694 579

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2, child/seniors' £1.50p

Chalk Farm, London - Guideline Publications - London Toy Soldier Show

Haverstock School, 24 Haverstock Hill, Chalk Farm, London, NW3 2BQ

Web. - www.toysoldiershow.co.uk

eMail - kim@guidelinepublications.co.uk

Tel. - 01908 274 433

10:30 - 16:00hrs

Admission £6, early bird (from 09:30hrs) £10, late hares £4 - after 14:00hrs

Parking £5 (reasonable for London!)

Maidstone - Maidstone Vintage Toy Fair

Lockmedow Market Hall & Leisure Complex, Barker Road (Hart Street entrance), Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8LW

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01622 298 159

Mob. - 01732 840 787

09:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2.50p

Park & ride, pay and display parking, refreshments

Nottingham - Townsend Toy & Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend) - Nottingham Toy Fair

Bluecoat Academy, Nottingham, NG8 5GY

Web. - www.tttf.co.uk

Mob. - 07951 072 790

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission unknown, accompanied under-16's free

Light refreshments

Free Parking

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Sunday 2nd December 2018

Ashington - David Parsons - Toy & Train Collectors Fair

Ashington Community Centre, Foster Lane, Ashington, West Sussex, RH20 3PG

eMail - modelcarmart@gmail.com

Tel. - 01424 846 676 (Pete)

Mob. - 07742 609 865

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission unknown

Cirencester - Retro Ronnie

Bingham Hall, King Street, Cirencester, Glousecstershire, GL7 1JT

Web - www.retroronnie.com

Mob. I - 07708 385 061

Mob. II - 07900 266 427

10:00-hrs 'till finish

Admission unknown, early bird (from 08:00hrs) price unknown

Refreshments

Colchester - SRP Toy Fairs

Langham Community Centre, School Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5PA

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail - srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission unknown

Eastbourne - Eastbourne Historic Vehicle Club - Toy & Transport Collectors Fair

Polegate Community Centre, 54 Windsor Way, Polegate, Eastbourn, East Sussex, BN26 6QF

Web. - www.ehvc.co.uk

Telephone unknown

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission£1.50p, children free

Club event

Falkirk, Scotland - McLaren Models

Tel. - 01324 624 102

(All other details here)

Kempton Park - RM Toys Ltd.

Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, TW16 5AQ

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 02392 381 529

Mob. - 07957 823 507 (Russell Martin)

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission - £4, OAP's £3.50p, Children £1, early bird (from 8:30hrs) £10

Newton Abbot - Ray Heard Train & Toy Fairs

Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon, TQ12 3AF

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01823 480 097

10:00 - 15:30hrs

Admission £2

Free parking, refreshments

Wilton - Steven Clements

Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton, SP2 0JS

eMail -  clementfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission unknown

York - J&J Webb - 'York Racecourse'

The Knavesmire Stand, York Racecourse, York, Yorkshire, YO23 1EX

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383

10:00 - 14:30hrs

Admission £2.50p, seniors £2, 1st child £1.50p

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Wednesday 5th December 2018

Burton-on-Trent - Townsend Toy & Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend, evening fair)

The Town Hall, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, DE14 2EB

Web. - www.tttf.co.uk

Mob. - 07951 072 790

18:00 - 20:30hrs

Admission unknown, accompanied under-16's free

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Auctions

Saturday 1st December 2018

Honiton - Whittons Auctioneers & Valuers

The Fine Art Auction Rooms, Dowell Street, Honiton, Devon, EX14 1LX

Web. - www.whittonsauctions.co.uk

eMail - info@whittonsauctions.co.uk

Tel.1 - 01392 345 454

Tel.2 - 01404 517 000

Tel.3 - 01726 983 734

Toys, collectables and railwayana

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Tuesday 4th December 2018

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (1st day of a three day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Web. - www.vectis.co.uk
eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk
01642 750 616

Specialist die-cast sale

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Wednesday 5th December 2018

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (2nd day of a three day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Web. - www.vectis.co.uk
eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk
01642 750 616

Specialist die-cast sale

Wisborough Green - Bellmans Auctioneers and Valuers

Newpound, Wisborough Green, West Sussex, RH14 0AZ

Web. - www.bellmans.co.uk

eMail - sussex@bellmans.co.uk

Tel. - 01403 700 858

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Thursday 6th December 2018

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (3rd day of a three day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Web. - www.vectis.co.uk
eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk
01642 750 616

Specialist die-cast sale

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Overseas Events

Herne, Germany - PB Toys - 46th German Plastic Soldier Show

Kulturzentrum, Willi-Pohlmann-Platz 1, 44623, Herne, Germany (venue)

PB Toys, Wickeder Straβe 32, 58739 Wickede (promoter)

Web. - www.ksfb.de (venue)

eMail - peter@pbtoys.de (promoter)

Tel. - 02377 787 9322

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If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable or popular-/youth-culture type sale/exhibition/event listed here - FOR FREE - or linked to; please eMail me -

maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com

- stating the date/s of the event, address of event, contact details, opening/viewing times, admission pricing and any other relevant facts/details or features - parking, travel notes, disability access, availability of refreshments, event subject matter &etc.

And please mention any flyer-art or poster-/leaflet-scans but send by separate eMail, in case they go to the 'junk' folder, from where they can be recovered and marked safe, but only if I know they're there!

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Toys in the Media; Hamley's gear-up for Christmas with giant bears!

Sainsbury's have been running these sine the late summer, presumably trying (along with half the big names on the High Street) to get a slice of Toysaurus pie this Christmas!

W is for Wheelbarrow!

One of the smallest tracked-vehicle kits, yet possibly one of the largest 1:42nd scale model kits, as it may be the only one! 1:42nd, what were they thinking? Somewhere near but not quite O-gauge! Too small for 1:32nd scale figures, too big for 1:72nd - it's an orphan!

'Wheelbarrow', not a code name, not a stock designation, not a NATO reporting-code, but what the inventor bought from a garden centre (an electric wheelbarrow) as the basis for his live-saving remote-controlled bomb-disposal 'contraption' . . . could have called it that! That would be very 'steam-punk' wouldn't it . . . "Bring forth the Mark One Contraption, Caruthers!"

A six part kit, left on the runner which was slipped into the box for assembly at home and sold with Dinky's 604 Land Rover Bomb Disposal Unit. Assembly which while pretty simple still required the lining up of both pairs of wheels while attaching the track/running-gear parts.

More on 'wheelbarrow' at wikipedia;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelbarrow_(robot)

News, Views Etc . . . Abbreviations

I have added a few minor (mostly Internet / Social Media use stuff) Abbreviations to that page and a couple to the A-page.

That's it!

C is for C&T Auctions - Forthcoming 12th December 'James Opie' Sale - Delhi Durbar

The third pracie on the forthcoming C&T Auction sales covers the second part of the collection of the late Pat Campbell, including or specifically the Delhi Durbar, C&T Auction Lots 261-299 inclusive.

Lot 272

Article: PAT CAMPBELL’S DELHI DURBAR

The Mughal term Durbar, translated as a Court, was adopted by the British Empire as an occasion marking the accession of a new British Emperor of India. There were only ever three of them under the British Raj, in 1877, 1903 and 1911. The initial occasion was to announce the culmination of the process whereby the British Crown, in the person of Queen Empress Victoria, took power over India from the East India Company after the Indian Mutiny. The 1911 Durbar was the only one attended by a reigning British monarch, George V. The 1903 Durbar, which it had been hoped that Edward VII would preside over, was instead guested by the king’s brother, the Duke of Connaught. It was arranged under the authority of the viceroy Lord Curzon, and was by some way the most spectacular occasion of the three, hence the favourite for depiction by modelers.

It could be described as a giant party for the Indian princes, and 1903 lays claim to it being the most bejeweled occasion that has ever taken place. Fifty state elephants were scheduled to take part, although only forty-eight were fit to participate on the day of the grand procession. The world’s press descended in force, including one journalist intent on using a new process to take photographs  in colour. Mortimer Menpes took three photographs of each subject through colour filters, processing them into full colour images using a pioneering photographic colour printing process that he had co-developed with Carl Hentschel.

The resulting book, published by A & C Black in 1903 with a hundred full colour photographs, was printed in a de luxe edition of 1,000 copies. An example of this is one of the highlights of the Pat Campbell Replica Durbar Collection, part of C & T Auction’s 12 December sale of toy soldiers.

As the book shows, there is no better subject for toy soldiers. Probably the most comprehensive (and expensive) series of models is by the Argentinian maker Beau Geste. Marlborough also was famous for an extensive series in their own distinctive style. The models of Bill Cranston and Pat Campbell (Replica) seem much more akin to Britains hollowcast and Toy Soldier Collection, while the fairly limited Durbar selection issued by Britains rather later, while suitably spectacular, does not actually fit in with earlier Britains so well.

Now that so many collectors are switching to spectacle rather than collecting by set numbers, adding Durbar figures to British Indian Army displays seems more and more the natural thing to do. Certainly, this was the late Pat Campbell’s favourite, and the impact of his Durbar display on opening the door to his Garden Shed number One was considerable. 800 figures massed in front of 22 feet of background buildings and more than 100 spectators made an indelible impression. Not since the days of George Palmer’s Durbar Collection, sold at Phillips in 1992 has such a unique extravaganza been on offer, not least because nearly all of them are Pat’s own creations for his own pleasure, never duplicated for anyone else.

My own interest in India has always been enhanced by the service given to the Empire by my grandmother and grandfather, as private secretary to Lady Brabourne, the wife of the Governor of Bombay, and Medical Aide de Camp to the Governor himself.

Pat Campbell, with his Replica brand producing both closish copies of famous figures and original designs of his own, was for many years the go to man for castings and commissions for everyone in the British Model Soldier Society. The good news is that Andrew Stevenson has decided, with Pat’s widow Margaret’s blessing, to take on the masters and machinery of Replica. He intends to follow in Pat’s footsteps. He has already made a superb set of four Governor of Bombay’s dismounted Bodyguards for the family tribute group in my collection.

James Opie

More details on the lots available, including nearly all the pictures, at www.the-saleroom.com. They are also hoping to offer (being completed at time of press-release) an online ‘flick-through’ version of the catalogue on the C & T website www.candtauctions.co.uk.

Other Highlights

Thanks to Mr Opie

for article and images.

Y is for Yarn Bombers! Fake Cover!!

Believe me - the title's the best bit of this one, but at least we're at the end of my self-indulgent day and there are mice! Woolly mice.

A tree got yarn-bombed in the late autumn, the drunks and yobbos had pulled half the mice off by the first weekend, but someone came out and knitted them all back on or 'in' or whatever you do to lose mice in the medium of wool?

That's it, there was a notice but I didn't read it, I regard this stuff with curiosity and have a mixed view of it, it's fun, but it's become a bit formulaic . . . it was amusing to see a town in Kent, or Norfolk or somewhere (someone else's town) having all its bollards woollyfied a few years back on Faceplant, but realising your own town is victim to the ten-thousand-and-something'th yarn-bombing attack is more of a yawn than a yarn; if you know what I mean!

S is for Still in Fleet!

We do from time to time touch on art here, usually in connection with toy soldiers, but I was rather struck by these in a little boutique'y place here in town; minimal blurb - I'm indulging myself today!

How cools are these? To cool for the ice cream van that's for sure! Or not cool enough . . . they're resin alright! Only an idiot would take them out in an ice-cream van! Although when I say resin, they might be silicon; I didn't get to squidge them!

I shot these at the same time, they were not so striking, built up with glitter and the clear resin/silicon stuff, and some other stuff. The flowers probably worked better than the tree.

These were what actually drew me to the shop window; they look so real it's hard to credit them with not being luscious, fruity ice-lollies slowing melting in the sun!

Back to the jelly-babies, although they are more like gummibären! These work better with the 'splat' than the five with their nouvelle-cuisine jus-squiggles, if I had some spare cash I'd buy one of these, they are fun, quirky and you'll never get tired of looking at them, a naive landscape sinks into the background after a few weeks, a crying clown brings death to the house, rock-posters are for posers but splattered jelly-baby mirrors are brilliant!

This - like the plants - didn't work quite so well, but you can see with them all what the artist is 'working on' or trying to do!

That's it, weird 3D, jelly-baby art!

I is for It's a Local Blog for Local People!

All day! And I didn't burn the bodies officer!

Seriously, there are several less than toy-soldier related posts today; all centered on the 'teeming metropolis' of Fleet in Hampshire, but all with a cultural theme/element or some figural connection which lead me to take the pictures I'm now offloading on your unsuspecting ass!

We're starting with Fleet BID's follow-up to last Christmas's nutcrackers, with a summer season of large fibre-glass animal mouldings which were liberally chained-up round town to encourage people into the town when they wanted to go to the beach - or just melt where they lay!

Appearing over the weekend of the 21^st/22^nd of July, ready for the 23rd, I found this one first, and I recon it's the best, but if you're still reading you're welcome to disagree with me as we go down the page . . . it's a giant hippopotamus!

Placed behind a bench (to make climbing on it all the easier) it had a sign saying "Please do not sit on the animals"! That's the risk-assessor wonks at the town-hall for you; pathetic.

Another three hundred yards and I encountered King Kong's little brother! Scale's totally out with the hippo', and this one is clearly designed to have two children sit on him at once (and over the five or so weeks many did), one on his left knee, the other in his right hand; despite another of the idiot-signs.

Realising 'the game was afoot', I crossed the road and went into the mall, reasoning there was bound to be one or two in there - missing the parrots (four doors down) completely!

What we call the 'glass menagerie' anyway (Fleet's 'Mall') had a most disappointing thing pretending to be an elephant and called 'Elephant', showing no clear signs of Asian or African heritage/breed and a rather too-pink colour, even as a 'baby' elephant it's not very good . . . but ride-able!

Out the other end of the mall and back across the road I found this chap near the Library, he's supposed to be a grizzly, but looks quite amiable to me, and he - obviously - has the same seating arrangements for little people as the gorilla. 2nd best!

Nearby and almost opposite the Library I found a fine lion with a mane that was about as good as you can get with boat-building technology! I like the whiskers too!

I popped into the Town Hall to ask what was going on, and they said "Nothing to do with us, but they're fun aren't they, I've seen a Zebra in the Library and a big monkey by the traffic lights!", and sure-enough I found this chap hiding from the carpet-men round the back by the stage-entrance.

The 'big monkey' turned out to be a Mandrill, but he was behind a highly-reflective window and I never got a good shot of him, despite going back a few times!

The same was true of the parrots, which I found on the way back through town that evening. Very well done, possibly resin rather the fibre-glass, the deatil was finer and the painting, although formulaic was very effective - they would look good in a garden, say; half-hidden in a rhododendron?

After the refit in the café, the Zebra moseyed-on through to the front of the building so he could be seen from the car-park!

Meanwhile, the national press had an identical gorilla causing all sorts of upset hundreds of miles away . . . with his 'bare' arse and beady-eyes! I wouldn't call it a 'life-like' replica though, it's three times the size of the biggest gorilla ever known - I'll bet; they are big, but not that big!

Obviously these things can be hired for events or corporate 'stuff' and somewhere there's a warehouse or two full of 'em! I noticed the other day Basingrad has the nutcrackers, with new names - don't worry I won't subject you to them again this year . . . I've giant jelly-babies and woolly-mice lined-up instead!

News, Views Etc . . . 3D Scans

And, you see; once thay have been succesfully scanned, they can be turned into a '3D Solid' and sent to a printer!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3243073

Takes a while to load each image (big file sizes these scans!).

The link he refers to;

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:106504

While these are linked to/channelling at least three makes!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3054701

This doesn't say what scale it is, but scaleing is easy in 3D software;

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3242507

C is for C&T Auctions - Forthcoming 12th December 'James Opie' Sale - CJB

Continuing the overview of the forthcoming sale at C&T Auctions, we are looking at the section of the auction dealing with a small but important collection of inter-war AFV models - C&T Auction Lots 361-365 inclusive.

Lot 362

The CJB Convoy
From the Collection of Arthur Smith

One of the highlights of the Arthur Smith Collection is the small convoy of metal 1/32nd scale vehicles, manufactured by Colin Burkill of CJB.

A one-man enterprise based in Hull, CJB began as manufacturer of finely modelled parade figures of the Third Reich, but ‘changed sides’ in 1993 to diversify into British vehicles of the inter-war period. Colin was inspired by a restored Morris Commercial Forward Control 6x4 Lorry, displayed at the Museum of Army Transport in Beverley, where he worked as a volunteer. Seeking to improve on the old square-radiator-type lorries offered by Britains, Colin made some detailed first-hand studies, and then proceeded to make both masters and moulds.

The result was some of the finest 1/32nd scale metal models ever created, with rubber tyres, brass axles, tinplate canopies and lead bodywork. Very much a labour of love, each was hand-cast and hand assembled with a bewildering array of homemade jigs. Frequently finished to the customer’s paint specifications, and constantly modified as new ideas occurred, is it hard to find two models exactly alike. The range ran to around 20 types, with different bodies (both military and civilian) applied to a common chassis, together with distinctive drivers and crews.

Arthur was both a client and collaborator in the expansion of the range, suggesting vehicles to depict, and providing archive reference images and plans through his own research in London archives. Half of this very personal collection is offered here at auction, and it bears witness to the long and warm relationship, between a skilled craftsman and his client-friend.

Paul Cattermole

More details on the lots available, including nearly all the pictures, at www.the-saleroom.com. They are also hoping to offer (being completed at time of press-release) an on-line ‘flick-through’ version of the catalogue on the C & T website www.candtauctions.co.uk.

Other items in the auction

Many thanks to Mr Opie

for supplying the article

and images.

H is for Hollow-cast Highland Heroes

A couple of mysterious figures here, both painted in the same way, same colours, as Gordon Highlanders, both made of the same shade of the same very tinny or brittle, red polystyrene, both semi-flat (demi-ronde), both have very thin, oblong bases, but both completely different sizes. And both probably from hand-held, hollow-cast moulds, converted to injection-tools.

However; for all their similarities (identicallities!) there are some very striking differences, in addition to the size, are the facts that the second (smaller) figure, is almost childlike, with a'toy' gun and he has a huge red plum water-falling off his Busby, absent from the first (who's headdress is more like a Guard's Bearskin), he has more - the look of a Doll's House accessory? While the first figure - as well as having a 'bearskin' on his bonce - is lacking a sporan?

Using Joplin's The Great Book of Hollow-cast Figures (which also contains solids and composition) as a guide; Nobel make a 40mm one who's close to the figure on the left, but his legs are more at ease to this chap's at attention, there's nothing else close.

The one on the right ('Baldrick'!) is similar to a pose by Fry in hollow-cast, but it's more of a passing resemblance than the same tool, and while there are a couple of others in the Unidentified section, nothing really looks like this chap?

Can anyone add anything; they came separately, years apart.

P is for Pipes & Drums

Am I right in thinking Lowland Regiments have 'Bands' and Highland Regiments have 'Pipes & Drums'? Something like that, anyway; Hilco didn't bother with marching soldier types, but gave us some nice Pipes & Drums, seen here, although there are some colonial 'combat' types; I don't have any.

The pipes come in three versions which seem to all be from hollow-cast moulds. Now, there is a rule of thumb with these paint-simplified Tartans which - as plastics collectors - I guess we take from Britains catalogues, but it goes back to the hollow-cast era, which seems to consist of two main parties - The Black Watch and the Gordon Highlanders.

Above we have Black Watch 1st, 2nd and 5th figure, with something equating to the Britains Gordon's at the 4th stand. The 3rd figure is probably supposed to be a Gordon also, but the pale yellow, being almost a whitish hue, could pass for another tartan.

The Black Watch pipers actually wear Royal Stewart tartan for both kilt and plaid (the over-shoulder cloth), the soldiery wear the darker 'Regimental' tartan, which Britains did as a plain, darker (than the Gordon's) matt-green. If you get a bit of blue in the mix it's probably the Cameron Highlanders (the Sculptures UK figure we saw the other day?).

Two Black Watch on the left and three Gordons on the right. The Drum Major has an extra-long gold-painted dress-makers pin with the pin-head set into the little slot in his hand, for a staff/mace, I meant to put one in and photograph it before I posted these but forgot, I'll try and do it for the end of the (this!) 'Highlander season' . . . or next time we look at them - thematically by pose - but you can see how it should look, I'm sure.

I've seen these in an all-gold finish too, presumably as touristy items?

S is for Swivel not Swoppet!

Although the actual reason for these probably has more to do with sculpting limits vis-à-vis undercuts, rather than any desire for added playability, the bandsmen look silly dancing on swords, while the dancer is - frankly - mincing on the marching legs!

Three of the marching figures, all the 'Pipes & Drums' poses, although they all have the same legs, the Plastic Warrior magazine (link) 'Special Publication' on Crescent (for these are theirs!) makes clear that each figure is individually marked on the base, and the bases do differ slightly!

I didn't check mine before shooting the photographs, so you'll have to consult the above publication, especially as I am still missing a pose - gives me a chance to return to them one day!

The sword dancer; going back to the PW special; they suggest a surrendering pose is the result of the leg swap, and I can see it, my mincing comment was unfounded! Also I was going to use my favourite 'Dancing L....' phrase, but firstly, this isn't Cherilea and second, I don't want to be making enemies North of the boarder when I may be needing my McDougall credentials to seek asylum from a neo-fascist Bwreaksitian any-day soon!

Five of six; I'm missing the officer with drawn sword. This chap came in this year I think, can't remember if it was PW's show in Twicker's, Sandown or one of the boxes from Chris or Jim, so thanks to anyone it may have been! He is unpainted 'on top' but fully-painted 'underneath' which is a bit odd, until you realise . . .

. . . as a set/line they are shedding paint like there's no tomorrow! I can see a day, fifteen or twenty-years hence when I just strip them back to two-coloured unpainted figures, and that may be what happened to the marching torso?

 Crescent - especially late stuff - being not that chalky have always been bad at holding their paint and there's nothing you can do about it, short of adding a coating of something clear, which A) may discolour going forwards, or B) start flaking as well, bringing the paint underneath with it anyway!