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.

Friday, April 12, 2019

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events - Saturday 13th - Friday 19th April 2019

Brwreakshit's going so well now; I don't know whether to laugh or emigrate!

Netanyahu's 5th term got off to a good start with the dumping of more rubbish on the moon! Did you know there are 120 tons of human shite on the moon? Some of it in self-seal bags and without the 'e', one small dump for a man, one giant headache for the man in the moon! Will they name the new crater? Mare Israelius Follyii?

Meanwhile The Trouser-trump seems to be looking to a third-term - as a dictator! The way he's just hijacked the security services, sacking anyone who won't do what he says or say what he wants to hear, really is Third-World, Banana-Republic stuff . . . but welcoming Assisi, a military dictator as a 'friend' sums up the golf-cheat; nes't pas? And having used Wikileaks to his advantage in the election campaign, smearing Clinton, he's now going to hang the idiot Assange out to dry! Rotten - they are all rotten.

Toys aren't rotten! Pretty evens between Saturday and Sunday this weekend, a Tuesday evening show and a bunch of auctions through the week, should be something for everyone, and there's tons of Easter Holiday stuff . . . happy hunting!

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 13th April 2019

Faversham - SRP Toy Fairs
Bysingwood Road, Faversham, Kent, ME13 7PA
Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)
10:00 - 14:00hrs
Admission charge unknown

Henfield - David Parsons - Toy & Train Collectors Fair
Henfield Village Hall, High Street, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9DB
Mob. - 07742 609 865 (David)
10:00 - 14:00hrs
Admission charge unknown

Nottingham - Townsend Toy & Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend) - Nottingham Toy Fair
Bluecoat Academy, Nottingham, NG8 5GY
Mob. - 07951 072 790
10:00 - 14:00hrs
Admission unknown, accompanied under-16's free
Light refreshments
Free Parking

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Sunday 14th April 2019

Birmingham - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'NEC'
Hall 18, National Exhibition Centre, Birminham, B40 1NT
Tel. - 01604 846 688
Mob. - 07966 527 177
Admission £7.50, early-bird (from 08:00hrs) £12, OAP's £7, Children £2
Free parking

Haltwhistle - Jim Corr Fairs - Toy, Train & Sci-Fi Fair
Haltwhistle Leisure Centre, Greencroft, Haltwhistle, Northumberland, NE49 9DP
Mob. - 07504 035 955
10:00 - 15:00hrs
Admission £3, children/senior citizens £2, 'Early Bird' £5

Rayleigh - SRP Toyfairs
Sweyne Park School, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9BZ
Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)
10:00 - 14:00hrs
Admission charge unknown

Reading - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs - Toy Fair & Exhibition
Rivermead Leisure Centre, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8QE
Internet presence unknown
Tel. - 01270 652 773
Mob. - 07825 631 323
10:30 - 15:00hrs
Admission £4.00, accompanied children under 16 free, 'early bird' (from08:30hrs) £10.00, 'lazy bird' (from 09:30hrs) £7.00
Parking, refreshments, full facilities
Layouts and displays
Incorporating 'Reading Vintage Toy Fair'
Dateline show - dealers should carry stock up to 1995 only.
{If you've never been you should give it a go, it's one of the better shows in the year's calendar}

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Tuesday 16th April 2019

Wootton Basset - Steven Clements Fairs - Wootton Basset Evening Fair
Memorial Hall, Station Road, Wootton Basset, Wiltshire, SN4 7EN
Tel. - 01380 725 322
Mob. - 07958 101 891
18:30 - 20:30hrs
Free parking, café

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Auctions

Saturday 13th April 2019

[Runcorn] On-line Auction - British Toy Auctions
Tel. - 01928 579 032

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Tuesday 16th April 2019

Newbury - Special Auction Services (SAS)
81 Greenham Business Park, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG19 6HW
Tel: 01635 580595
Fax: 0871 714 6905
'Glorious Trains' sale

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Wednesday 17th April 2019

Warrington - Warrington & Northwich Auctions
551 Europa Blvd, Westbrook, Warrington, Lancashire,  WA5 7TP

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Thursday 18th April 2019

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;
Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions
Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
01642 750 616
General toy sale

"The General Toy sale to be held on the 18th of April features over 400 lots of cars, commercials, buses and military vehicles from manufacturers such as Corgi, Dinky, Matchbox, Vanguards, Lledo, Oxford Diecast, Rami, Solido and EFE. Plus, Lansdowne and Brooklin, Jaguar Model Club, and Atlas Editions, including aircraft, with further models from Corgi Aviation Archive and Sky Guardians. Other lots in the sale include WSI Collectables, Tekno and other Trucks and Trailers; Scalextric, Railway related, and Plastic Kits from Revell, Tamiya and Airfix. The sale will also include reference books, comics and annuals, pottery, vintage games, F1 figures, and Trade Packs from Star Wars modern collectables, "Stig" and Thunderbirds figurines, and "The First Real action" game system."

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Other Events

From Now

London (Kensington) - Lindt (sponsor) - Gold Bunny Treasure Trail
Kensington Palace Gardens
Tube - High Street Kensington (Circle & District), Notting Hill Gate (Central, Circle & District).
Ages - 3-12
Duration - Approximately 90-minutes
Runs until April 22nd

From Now - Sunday 14th April 2019

Whitby - Whitby Goth Weekend
Whitby (all of it), North Yorkshire

Saturday 13th April 2019

London (Central) - London Games Festival - Free Family Day
Trafalgar Square
Web. - http://games.london/ (odd URL, but that's it!)
"Free, fun, family-friendly"
Seem to have missed the first 11 days - blame the promoter!

Saturday 13th April - Sunday 14th April 2019

Manchester - 'Animecon'
Sugden Sports Centre, 114 Grosvenor St, Manchester, Lancashire, M1 7HL
Cosplay, manga artists, panel discussions &etc.

Saturday 13th April - 23rd April 2019

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;


Basingstoke - Festival Place Shopping Precincts - Lego in Space

From Saturday 13th April 2019 - 'till . . .

Windsor - Legoland - New Ride; The Haunted Monster Party
Web. - https://www.legoland.co.uk/explore-the-resort/land-views/adventure-land/rides/the-haunted-house-monster-party/ (beware of pop-ups)
"Lord Vampyre invites you and your family to the ultimate fang-tastic celebration at The Haunted House – Monster Party!"

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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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Competition - Just for Fun!

Tom reveals the answer to last week's little quiz question - while I must apologise as I had said I'd give a further clue on Monday and then didn't! It was another time-poor week! The clue - which would have confirmed the Oracle at Smithii was 'It's waterproof to 600-meters below sea level!'

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;
Seiko Prospex Diver's Watch!

Handing over to Tom . . . "With our guessing game, I’m pleased to say Chris ‘the master of suspense’ Smith has largely nailed it first post!

The figure is indeed a mascot for Seiko divers watches. But here, the plot thickens. Assuming you could afford the $700 AUD entry level price for one of these watches (that is a million Brexit pebbles to you guys) ~ you do not get the figure with the watch :-(

I asked in the shop, and the woman there explained to me that the figure is part of Seiko's ‘VM’. So I stood there and smiled awkwardly, and she elaborated – their ‘visual merchandising’. Which for you and me means – you can’t buy him!"

But please - less of the 'Brexit pebbles' Mr [consummate] DJ; I'll have you know the crazies wise old Etonians on the Tory's back-bench have assured us we will be signing very agreeable trade-deal's with you and the neighbouring Kiwi's any day now!

Burkina Faso is already in the bag, and talks with Mongolia are quite advanced, I believe! While you can almost smell the artisan whale-blubber candles winging their way here from the Faeroe Isles; firmly packed in guano - The Little Englanders' Brave New World, who needs Gibraltar huh?

And anyway, some of the pebbles in those Welsh streams 'round Brecon have little silver and gold flecks in; they must be worth a tanner or two, or at least a swap for a couple of sardines?

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H is for How they Come In

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;
Bought some stuff this week for Easter posts which I'm not showing now, sorted artillery and tracked vehicles, shot some of the Russian die-casts, found the [storage] totem poles but haven't combined with the newer ones yet and combined the Roco-Minitanks' stuff, both vehicles and figures - who have separate, different sized boxes.

The above was an odds bag from Blue Cross the animal charity; three ELC medieval/fantasy giants, a late Britains Petite knight and a Kinder mole, not just any mole, no common-or-garden mole, but a sexy, busty, Baywatch beach-babe mole!

You can't make this shit up anymore, with TJF and Sell spouting their shite at one end of the hobby and Funko-superdeform-Star-Wars-Angry Bird-Lego-Minecraft-Pencil Top mash-up's at the other end; it's Warhol's 'pop eating itself' writ-large!

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;
I actually purchased these as I was posting last week's 'Events' post and have since acquired four more for a forthcoming post (or 'update') on Jada's Nano-Metal figures, here from the Halo gaming franchise and on clearance at The Works.

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Toys in the Media

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;
Two this week, large Duplo-compatible bricks of unknown (but likely Duplo) origin are being used to illustrate an educational story in the 'i', while UK readers will be familiar with the IKEA ad. (here in Metro), as I seem to remember it being used a few times now, but for loyal readers further afield, it pertains to a 'real' chariot (flat-packed - of course) but very-much channels the pictures on the backs of old Airfix 'Blue Boxes' or the Atlantic ancient sets!

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A is for Archive - So Called Joggers!

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;
The man the PSTSM and their French friends would have us believe is a 'connoisseur' of toy soldiers, knew - in 2016 - absolutely nothing about the previous 70-odd years of the US Toy industry's history or its relationships with Europe, Japan, Hong Kong or domestic wholesalers!

One would also hope we'd all be a little less flippant about ivory production now!

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Sorting!

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;
The 'Treasure Chest', or one of them! Spencer Smith's combat infantry and a few plastic Authenticast copies, some Japanese blow-moulds, Tiny Trojan's and Springwood's Napoleonics; all together now except the blow-moulds which have outgrown the tray and will be moved when I've found somewhere to put them and the others, still elsewhere.

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Spring!

Announcements; Atlas Railroad Stuff; Diver Figure; ELC Fantasy Figures; Halo; Kinder-egg; Lego Bricks; Lego Duplo; Mixed Figures; Mixed Lot; Mixed Model Soldiers; Mixed Novelties; Mixed Playthings; Mixed Toy Figurines; Mixed Toys; Nano Metalfigs; News; News Views Etc; News Views Etc...; Newspaper Clipping; Pepys Card Game; Seiko Prospex; Seiko Watches; Show Dates; Show Promoter; Show Reports; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Spencer Smith Miniatures; Springwood; Toy Fairs; Toy Show Dates; Trojan Toy Soldiers;
The mild winter and sudden cold-snap in February followed by a mini-heatwave has produced a mass of wild, native violets in among the strawberries, there's always a few, but this year there's a mass of them! They won't pose a threat to the strawberries and - as their flower seasons overlap - may help get the strawb's pollinated, ergo; more strawb's - bargain!

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