About Me

My photo
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, August 16, 2019

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events Saturday 17th - Friday 23rd August 2019

So India is to brutalise the people of Kashmir, Pakistan won't help/can't help because the 'International Community' has tipped-the-wink to India, which conforms to our ignoring of the Uighur genocide; forced re-education in concentration camps and forced sterilisation with the exact whereabouts/status of up to a million people 'unknown' , as we've ignored the atrocities in Tibet for decades, which gives Israel and Burma the green light's they need to move against the Palestinians, the Karen and the Rohingya, as next-door Sri Lanka brutalises the Tamils!

Meanwhile Trump demonises his own congresswomen and has them banned from visiting Palestine by the illegal occupiers! The same Trump whose homo-erotic love-in with the leader of North Korea has ignored 65+years of US-lead UN demands for a unified Korea and hasn't stopped Kim firing missiles like they're conkers! A Trump who crossed the 'impossible' border - unprompted - weeks before Kim said he'd never speak to South Korea again!

And, at the exact moment they should all be getting closer, the US, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are singing from different hymn-sheets and arguing about each-others latest tweets or speeches! Leaving China free to look at brutalising the people of Hong Kong!

Bolsonaro kills Amerindians, everyone kills Kurds, Sunni and Shir kill each other and the weather is killing more of us than ever before!

In 1945 we said never again, we lied, or our representatives lied on our behalf, but it's not like many of us are holding them to account . . . what International Community? The rules-based international system build through trade and diplomacy, over the last seventy years, over the last 2000-years, is crumbling, and it's what Trump and Putin want!

50 years after Woodstock it's ironic to realise the Hippies were right about just about everything, yet it's too late to do much about it!

Let's pretend it's got nothing to do with us, the weather will be fine and go buy toys! I'll be ignoring the gathering signs of Armageddon and buying toys at Sandown this Saturday!

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 17th August 2019

Exeter - Ray Heard Train & Toy Fairs
Matford Centre, Matford Park Road, Exeter, EX2 8FD
Internet presence unknown
Tel. - 01823 480 097
10:00 -15:30hrs
Admission £2.00
Free parking, refreshments

Sandown Park - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'The' Sandown Park Show
Exhibition Centre, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ
Web. - www.bpfairs.com
Tel. - 01604 846 688
Mob. - 07966 527 177
10:30 -15:00hrs
Admission - Adults £6.50p, seniors £6, children £2, early bird (from 08.00hrs) £10.00
Tons of free parking
Note: Newish Date

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Sunday 18th August 2019

Bodmin - Chris Dyer Fairs
Bodmin Leisure Centre, Lostwithial Road, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 1DE
Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk
Tel. - 01643 702 757
Mob. - 07966 694 579
10:30-14:30hrs
Admission £2
New Venue/Show

Rayleigh - SRP Toyfairs
Sweyne Park School, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9BZ
Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk
eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk
Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)
10:00 - 14:00hrs
Admission charge unknown

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Tuesday 20th August 2019

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

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Auctions

Saturday 17th August 2019

Bury St. Edmunds - Lacy Scott & Knight
Web. - www.lsk.co.uk
eMail - oleggett@lsk.co.uk
Tel. - 01284 748 600 (general enquires)
Tel. - 01284 748 623 (Oliver Leggett - auction)
Toys and Collector's Models

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Thursday 22nd August 2019

01642 750 616; 24-26 Newport Road; 54mm Toy; 60mm Figures; Base-Metal; CAGC; Cardiff; Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con; CF24 0DD; Charlie Bears; Climate Change; Daisy; Fleck Way; Fridge-Magnet; Hasbro Star Wars; Little Rubber Guys; LRG; Mercure Holland House Hotel; Metropole Hotel; Micro-Machine Figure; Mini-Boglins; Model Railways; Monsters In My Pocket; Pet Aliens; Pewter Unicorn; Severn Towns; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Specialist Sale; Stockton-on-Tees; Studio Bears; Sunflower; Terracotta Birds; TFNation 2019; TFNation Plc; The Hilton Birmingham; Thornaby; Toy Camel; Toy Trains; Transformers; TS17 9JZ; Vectis Auctions; Whitemetal; Wooden Guardsman;

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (1st day of a two day auction)
Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Web. - www.vectis.co.uk
eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk
eMail - kathy.taylor@vectis.co.uk (for info. on the charity lots)
Tel. - 01642 750 616
Specialist sale - dolls, bears, soft toys &etc.

"Simply Stunning Studio Bears!

Started in February 2006 by Charlotte Morris and her husband William, Charlie Bears have had a meteoric rise to popularity over a relatively short period of time. Charlotte had built up a wealth of experience with customers, design and pricing having run a couple of successful Teddy Bear Shops in the North of England. Charlie Bears initially launched with twelve bears in the range, designed by Heather Lyell from New Zealand and Isabelle Lee from the US, today these are some of the most elusive and sought-after Charlie Bears on the market.

Currently, the range includes Plumo (mixture of plush and mohair), Isabelle Collection, Minimo (smaller bears), Secret Collection (not in the regular catalogue but for QVC or other country specials), Animals, Accessories, Plush and Baby collections.

The ‘Bear Studio’ designed by Isabelle Lee are the earliest produced for Charlie Bears. They include many of the trademark features including hand-sculpted faces, air-brushed muzzles, hand-embroidered noses and glass eyes. Some have white felt under the eyes to give them that soulful look. Current editions are generally between 200 and 500 pieces world-wide but early releases only included perhaps 100 editions in total.

There are over 450 Charlie Bears in the Sale with 50 plus being Bear Studio and many of the newer ones are ex-shop stock in brand new condition.

Just a few highlights are shown in the following link - https://www.vectis.co.uk/news/simply-stunning-studio-bears"

Please Note:

There are two sections of charity-lots within the auction:

Lots 4439-4487 inclusive are to raise money for Julia’s House Children’s Hospices and Children’s Hospice South West.

Lots 4542-4554 are to raise money for The Teddy Bear Trust - Never underestimate the healing power of Teddy!  (The more collectable and vintage bears they are selling, are to help with delivery and transport costs; rather than use them for the children, who get all the other toys donated).


Heathfield - Watson's Auctions
Heathfield Auction Rooms, Burwash Road, Heathfield, TN21 8RA
Web. - watsonsauctioneers.co.uk
eMail - auctions@watsonsauctioneers.co.uk
Tel. - 01435 862 132
Sale starts 10:00am
Toys & Transport Auction


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Friday 23rd August 2019

01642 750 616; 24-26 Newport Road; 54mm Toy; 60mm Figures; Base-Metal; CAGC; Cardiff; Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con; CF24 0DD; Charlie Bears; Climate Change; Daisy; Fleck Way; Fridge-Magnet; Hasbro Star Wars; Little Rubber Guys; LRG; Mercure Holland House Hotel; Metropole Hotel; Micro-Machine Figure; Mini-Boglins; Model Railways; Monsters In My Pocket; Pet Aliens; Pewter Unicorn; Severn Towns; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Specialist Sale; Stockton-on-Tees; Studio Bears; Sunflower; Terracotta Birds; TFNation 2019; TFNation Plc; The Hilton Birmingham; Thornaby; Toy Camel; Toy Trains; Transformers; TS17 9JZ; Vectis Auctions; Whitemetal; Wooden Guardsman;

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (2nd day of a two day auction)
Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Web. - www.vectis.co.uk
eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk
Tel. - 01642 750 616
Specialist sale - trains/model railways

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Other Events

Thursday 15th (yesterday) - Monday 26th August 2019

London (Central) - British Museum - Manga at the BM
British Museum, Great russle Street, London, WC1B 3DG
Web. - www.britishmuseum.org

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Thursday 15th (yesterday) - Sunday 15th September

London (Central) - Design Museum - Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition
Design Museum, Kensington High Street, London, W8 6AG
designmuseum.org

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Friday 16th (today) - Sunday 18th August 2019

01642 750 616; 24-26 Newport Road; 54mm Toy; 60mm Figures; Base-Metal; CAGC; Cardiff; Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con; CF24 0DD; Charlie Bears; Climate Change; Daisy; Fleck Way; Fridge-Magnet; Hasbro Star Wars; Little Rubber Guys; LRG; Mercure Holland House Hotel; Metropole Hotel; Micro-Machine Figure; Mini-Boglins; Model Railways; Monsters In My Pocket; Pet Aliens; Pewter Unicorn; Severn Towns; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Specialist Sale; Stockton-on-Tees; Studio Bears; Sunflower; Terracotta Birds; TFNation 2019; TFNation Plc; The Hilton Birmingham; Thornaby; Toy Camel; Toy Trains; Transformers; TS17 9JZ; Vectis Auctions; Whitemetal; Wooden Guardsman;

Birmingham - TFNation Plc - TF [Transformers] Nation 2019
The Hilton Birmingham Metropole, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, B40 1PP
71-57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ (promoters)
Web. - https://tfnation.com/2019
10:00-21:30hrs approximately (Friday 16th)
08:30-22:00hrs approximately (Saturday 17th)
08:30-18:00hrs (Sunday 18th)
Not affiliated to Hasbro Plc, fan-driven Transformers event

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Saturday 17th Augaust 2019

Old Warden - Suttleworth Collection - Flying Proms!
Suttleworth Collection, Old Warden Aerodrome, Bedfordshire
Web. - www.shuttleworth.org
Sounds like a recipe for disaster, but presumably it is a regular and practised spectacular?

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Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th August 2019

Bury - East Lancashire Railway - Sci-Fi in the Sidings
East Lancashire Railway, Bolton Street Station, Bury, Grater Manchester
Web. - www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk
Re-enactors (the inevitable Star Wars Stormtroopers et al!)

Cardiff - Cardiff Castle - Tournament of the Knights
Cardiff Castle, Wales
Web. - www.cardiffcastle.com
Knight's tournaments, re-enactors, living-history, family entertainment &etc.

01642 750 616; 24-26 Newport Road; 54mm Toy; 60mm Figures; Base-Metal; CAGC; Cardiff; Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con; CF24 0DD; Charlie Bears; Climate Change; Daisy; Fleck Way; Fridge-Magnet; Hasbro Star Wars; Little Rubber Guys; LRG; Mercure Holland House Hotel; Metropole Hotel; Micro-Machine Figure; Mini-Boglins; Model Railways; Monsters In My Pocket; Pet Aliens; Pewter Unicorn; Severn Towns; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Specialist Sale; Stockton-on-Tees; Studio Bears; Sunflower; Terracotta Birds; TFNation 2019; TFNation Plc; The Hilton Birmingham; Thornaby; Toy Camel; Toy Trains; Transformers; TS17 9JZ; Vectis Auctions; Whitemetal; Wooden Guardsman;
Cardiff - Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con (CAGC)
Mercure Holland House Hotel, 24-26 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0DD
Web. - summer.cardiffanimecon.com
Tel. - 02920 435 000
10:30hrs (prepaid)/11:00hrs (door) - finish?
Featuring exhibitors, performers, TCG'ing, game tournaments, talks, cosplay contests (nearly £1,000 worth of prizes), Smash, League of Legends (£100 cash prizes), talent show, parties, other activities &etc.
Limited on-site parking, £5 per day or £12 overnight

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Overseas Events

Saturday 17th August 2019

Florence (USA) - Pee Dee Doll Club - Doll & Toy Show
SiMT Conference Center, 1951 Pisgah Road, Florence, SC 29501, South Carolina, USA
Web. - http://www.dollsmagazine.com/locations/simt-conference-center/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/peedee.dollclub/
eMail - ahayek73@aol.com
Tel. - ++8437 312 107

Leinster (Republic of Ireland) - Prince August Factory - Making badges of Flags of the World
Prince August, 1 Kilnamartyra, Macroom, Co. Cork, P12 FN79, Ireland
info@toysoldierfactory.ie
Tel. - +3532 640 222
No other details known - sounds like fun for kids, with Toy Soldier casting tomorrow (see below) but the Prince August site has nothing on either event, and the Toy Soldier Factory site hasn't been updated for a year? Check before you travel

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Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th August 2019

Chantilly (USA) - Greenberg’s Great Train & Toy Show- Train Show
Dulles Expo Center, 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, VA 20151
Web. - http://trainshow.com/chantilly/
10:00-16:00hrs
Admission $10 both days, $9 Sunday only, under-11's free
Operating model train displays, free workshops and demonstrations, free door prize giveaways, free test track (test run your trains at the show)

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Sunday 18th August 2019

Leinster (Republic of Ireland) - Prince August Factory - Casting Metal Toy Soldiers
Prince August, 1 Kilnamartyra, Macroom, Co. Cork, P12 FN79, Ireland
info@toysoldierfactory.ie
Tel. - +3532 640 222
No other details known - sounds like fun for kids, with Bagde casting yesterday (see above) but the Prince August site has nothing, and the Toy Soldier Factory site hasn't been updated for a year? Check before you travel

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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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This Weekend

I've rather failed his week, other things and poor weather combined to produce an unproductive stasis over the last couple of days (and I've been headachy - blub blub! It's all these high/low-fronts blasting over) and at the time of writing there is nothing posting Saturday or Sunday and only a brief paragraph on Monday, now I dare say I'll shove something together, but it won't be much and with Sandown on Saturday and sorting (or gardening!) on Sunday, there may not be anything else substantial 'till Tuesday?

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Other News

Hamley's have opened another store, their second in Guwahti. Now it would be both an easy line, and slightly racist in that casual form of neo-colonial racism to add 'wherever that is', but the fact is I don't know where that is; I, a relatively educated man, don't know where a city (or county/state?) large-enough to support not one, but two Hamley's, is.

The point here being, this is Asia's century, Chinese money in Indian retail-empires; and we - through Trumpundbrexit; through white-right fascist minorities holding the headlines; through the resurgence of catholic intolerance in Central and South America, Eastern Europe and Iberia - are 'fiddling while Rome burns'; are ignoring the fact that 'European civilisation' and - yes! - liberal democracy, have been rather left behind. Sliding to the Right won't help, it will just make us more enemies, quicker!

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Links


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H is for How They Come In

01642 750 616; 24-26 Newport Road; 54mm Toy; 60mm Figures; Base-Metal; CAGC; Cardiff; Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con; CF24 0DD; Charlie Bears; Climate Change; Daisy; Fleck Way; Fridge-Magnet; Hasbro Star Wars; Little Rubber Guys; LRG; Mercure Holland House Hotel; Metropole Hotel; Micro-Machine Figure; Mini-Boglins; Model Railways; Monsters In My Pocket; Pet Aliens; Pewter Unicorn; Severn Towns; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Specialist Sale; Stockton-on-Tees; Studio Bears; Sunflower; Terracotta Birds; TFNation 2019; TFNation Plc; The Hilton Birmingham; Thornaby; Toy Camel; Toy Trains; Transformers; TS17 9JZ; Vectis Auctions; Whitemetal; Wooden Guardsman;
A couple of bits of 'heavy-metal' were the first items to join the collection this week, the little camel - pretty-much Airfix or Marx 'Miniature Masterpiece' Arab-compatible is a piece of base-metal tat, with a fridge-magnet, but fun nevertheless, and removal of the 'pearl' would render him slightly more useful, while the very heavy lump of quite hard whitemetal (probably proper 'mug' pewter) unicorn is a perfect fit for 54/60mm figures, but I couldn't find a suitable rider - in time!

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01642 750 616; 24-26 Newport Road; 54mm Toy; 60mm Figures; Base-Metal; CAGC; Cardiff; Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con; CF24 0DD; Charlie Bears; Climate Change; Daisy; Fleck Way; Fridge-Magnet; Hasbro Star Wars; Little Rubber Guys; LRG; Mercure Holland House Hotel; Metropole Hotel; Micro-Machine Figure; Mini-Boglins; Model Railways; Monsters In My Pocket; Pet Aliens; Pewter Unicorn; Severn Towns; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Specialist Sale; Stockton-on-Tees; Studio Bears; Sunflower; Terracotta Birds; TFNation 2019; TFNation Plc; The Hilton Birmingham; Thornaby; Toy Camel; Toy Trains; Transformers; TS17 9JZ; Vectis Auctions; Whitemetal; Wooden Guardsman;
Big score of LRG's! there were ten figures to a bag for a pound and I found eight, although I noticed a ninth a few days later (today - Thursday - as it happens!) which I left. Mostly they are Mini-Boglins, with a handful each of Monsters in my Pocket  and the Severn Towns thing - Pet Aliens - along with a set I'm unfamiliar with, but which I shall endeavor to find out about!

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01642 750 616; 24-26 Newport Road; 54mm Toy; 60mm Figures; Base-Metal; CAGC; Cardiff; Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con; CF24 0DD; Charlie Bears; Climate Change; Daisy; Fleck Way; Fridge-Magnet; Hasbro Star Wars; Little Rubber Guys; LRG; Mercure Holland House Hotel; Metropole Hotel; Micro-Machine Figure; Mini-Boglins; Model Railways; Monsters In My Pocket; Pet Aliens; Pewter Unicorn; Severn Towns; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Specialist Sale; Stockton-on-Tees; Studio Bears; Sunflower; Terracotta Birds; TFNation 2019; TFNation Plc; The Hilton Birmingham; Thornaby; Toy Camel; Toy Trains; Transformers; TS17 9JZ; Vectis Auctions; Whitemetal; Wooden Guardsman;
Today's minor-haul included two terracotta ('terricata'!) birds and a modern wooden guardsman, very similar to one we had as kids. I am looking out for the original (we had a policeman as well) and have seen two on feebleBay over the years, but both is a bit of a state! Finally a Star Wars figure which was lying in the street!

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Other Stuff

01642 750 616; 24-26 Newport Road; 54mm Toy; 60mm Figures; Base-Metal; CAGC; Cardiff; Cardiff Anime & Gaming Con; CF24 0DD; Charlie Bears; Climate Change; Daisy; Fleck Way; Fridge-Magnet; Hasbro Star Wars; Little Rubber Guys; LRG; Mercure Holland House Hotel; Metropole Hotel; Micro-Machine Figure; Mini-Boglins; Model Railways; Monsters In My Pocket; Pet Aliens; Pewter Unicorn; Severn Towns; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Specialist Sale; Stockton-on-Tees; Studio Bears; Sunflower; Terracotta Birds; TFNation 2019; TFNation Plc; The Hilton Birmingham; Thornaby; Toy Camel; Toy Trains; Transformers; TS17 9JZ; Vectis Auctions; Whitemetal; Wooden Guardsman;
The sunflower has done a brave job of striving to look . . .      
                                  . . . like a daisy, I'm sure you'll agree!

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