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, October 25, 2019

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events; Saturday 26th October - Friday 1st November 2019

Boris is blackmailing Parliament, Trump is sending his goons in to break-up cross-party hearings, Bolsonaru is advising the Italian right, and all 'Tabloid Britain' wants is some poor cow from the 'States to be extradited for a traffic accident?

Let's get things into perspective here peep's, the kid was 19, and on a motorcycle, about the commonest combination involving death after 'Driving hatchback aged 21 with three drunk girls on the backseat'?

The 'diplomat's' wife (he was a spy and his career is almost certainly over if not seriously curtailed) was on the wrong side of the road, a situation I've found myself in every-time I've left the Autobahn at Herne - I didn't kill anyone; so nobody's after me!

She had offered to cooperate, and the finding would have been 'accident' or at the worst 'misadventure', but the US spooks panicked and whisked her away, yet it's not a major diplomatic spat, it's only a Tabloid over-reaction and miss-representation, which the boy's - understandably heartbroken - parents are being encouraged to ride to the max, with both Boris and Trump trying to get capital from it - the pair of turds.

There is no guilty party, ergo; there are no 'winners', only losers.

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 26th October 2019

Brentwood - J&J Fairs (John & Julie Webb)
International hall, Brentwood Centre, Doddinghurst Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9NN
Tel. - 01522 880 383 (J & J Webb)
10:00 - Approx. 14:30hrs
Admission £3, seniors £2.50p, 1st child £2

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Clocks change back to GMT prior to Sunday morning

Sunday 27th October 2019

Doncaster - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Doncaster Racecourse'
Doncaster Exhibision Centre, Leger Way, Doncaster, DN2 6BB
Web. - www.bpfairs.com
Tel. - 01604 846 688
Mob. - 07966 527 177
10:30-15:00hrs
Admission - Adults £4, Seniors £3.50p, Children £1, 'Early Bird' (from 8 a.m.) £10
Plenty of free parking

Orpington - SRP Toyfairs
Crofton Halls, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8PR
Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)
10:00 - 14:00hrs
Admission charge unknown

Reading - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs - Toy Fair & Exhibition
(Incorporating 'Reading Vintage Toy Fair')
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' (from 08:30hrs) £10.00, 'lazy bird' (from 09:30hrs) £7.00
Parking, refreshments, full facilities
Layouts and displays
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}

Seaford - Robert Horsecroft - Toy & Antique Collectors Fair
Downs Leisure Centre, Sutton Road, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 4QW
Internet presence unknown
Tel. 1 - 01323 899 879
Tel. 2 - 01424 846 676
10:00 - 14:30hrs
Admission £1.50p, children under 12 free

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Tuesday 29th October 2019

Elsecar - Newcomen Fairs Ltd. - 36th Elsecar Toy & Train Fair (evening fair)
Elsecar Heritage Centre, Elsecar, Nr. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 8HJ
Tel. - 01226 744 425
19:00 - 21:00hrs
Admission £1.50p, children 50p

Garstang - Janet Pearson - Garstang Evening Fair
Kirkland & Catterall Memorial Hall, PR3 0HR
Web-presence unknown
01282 439 009
18:00 - Finnish
Admission fee unknown

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Thursday 31st October 2019

Theydon Bois - Joe Lock Fairs (evening fair)
Village Hall, Coppice Row, Theydon Bois, Essex, CM16 7ER
Internet presence unknown
Mob. - 07866 641 215
19:00-21:00hrs
Admission £1
(expect needy children with buckets)

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Auctions

Tuesday 29th & Wednesday 30th October 2019

Newbury - Special Auction Services (SAS) - Two-day Auction
81 Greenham Business Park, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG19 6HW
Tel. - 01635 580595
Fax. - 0871 714 6905
Toy trains and model railways

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Wednesday 30th October 2019

Warrington - Warrington & Northwich Auctioneers & Valuers
551 Europa Boulevard, Westbrook, Warrington WA5 7TP
Tel. - 01925 658 833

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Thursday 31st October 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (2-day sale)
Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Tel. - 01642 750 616
General toy sale

"The General Toy sale to be held on the 31st of October features boxed and unboxed groups of Matchbox, Corgi, Dinky, Solido, Sunstar, Lledo, Minichamps, Vanguards and many others. Plus, British Touring Car Champions groups, Piccolino boxed white metal vehicles and kits, Matchbox Super Kings Tankers, Tekno and WSI trucks and trailers; and Corgi Forward March groups, gift sets and Aviation Archive. The sale will also include TV and Film related models, modern tinplate vehicles, Hot Wheels re-carded and boxed set groups and Matchbox of Yesteryear collections. There is also a good selection of Football memorabilia, board games, jigsaws, pictures, book and magazines, Videos, Scalextric, Mega Bloks and Lego, plus a number of soft toys and Steiff Jolly Golly and Bear sets."

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Other Events

Clocks change back to GMT prior to Sunday morning

Thursday 24th (yesterday) - Sunday 27th October 2019

Glasgow - Stitch & Hobby - The Creative Craft Show
SEC, Glasgow, Scotland
(If you are near or passing it might be very useful for tools or materials for modellers or figure painters)

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Saturday 26th October 2019

Lyndhurst - Wendy Hobday - Dolls & Doll's Houses
Community Centre, Main Car Park, Lyndhurst, Hants, SO43 7NY
Internet presence unknown
Tel. - 01895 834 348
Hours unknown
Admission fee unknown

Holt - MGM Fairs - Dolls & Doll's Houses
Holt Community Centre, Kerridge Way, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 6DN
Tel. - 07818 462448  
Hours [probably] - 10:30-15:00hrs
Admission [probably] - adults/seniors: £2.50, children: 50p

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Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th October 2019

Farnham - Maltings - Festival of Crafts
Farnham Maltings, Bridge Square, Long Bridge Road, Farnham, Surry, GU9 7QR
Saturday - 10:00-17:00hrs (approximately)
Sunday - 10:00-16:30hrs (approximately)
(This is more of a general show (I've been) and among the pottery and glass-blowers there is dolls stuff, novelty stuff and Christmas stuff - worth a punt!)

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Saturday 26th October - Sunday 3rd November 2019

Cardiff - Museum of Wales - Traditional Fairground
St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff, Wales

In addition to the above the whole period will be knee-deep in Halloween stuff, Diwali stuff and 'Half-Term' stuff, some of which may have useful stalling-out or novelty/trinket purchasing opportunities! So check your local-press, local library or 'High Street' notice-boards for the next week or three? And then we'll be into the Christmas Market season . . . eight weeks to go!

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Overseas Events

Clocks [UK Time] change back to GMT prior to Sunday morning
 - should only affect you if travelling from Britain over-night

Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th October 2019

Friburg (Switzerland) - Retro Technico - Toy, Music and Technology Fair
Forum Building, Friburg FR, Switzerland
Tel. - ++0793 283 200
(Toys, trains & railway, musical instruments and vintage PC/gaming gear)

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Sunday 27th October 2019

Feytait (France) - CAJAF - 20th Old & Collectable Toy's Fair
Incorpoating the '1st Limobricks' Lego event
Espace/Salle Georges Brassens, Salles du pastel et Pierre Louis, Place de l'Europe, Marie de Faytiat, Faytait, Limoges 87220, France
eMail - limobricks@gmail.com (brick event only)
Tel. I - ++0636 979 667
Tel. II - ++0682 226 138
Tel. III - ++0683 495 908
Admission free
Free parking

Genval (Belgium) - 68 Art - Toy Auction
Manoir du Chateau du Lac, Au Matin's Manoir, Avenue Hoover 8, 1332 Genval, Belgium
Tel. - ++0486 382 054
Tel. - ++026 449 767
Auction 10:00-15:00hrs
Viewing Friday 25th (today) & Saturday 26th 10:00-19:00hrs

München (Munich, Germany) - Automania - Toy Fair
MAN-Truck-Forum, Munich, Germany
Tel. - ++06221 786 422
Die-cast and general toys

Steinsel (Luxembourg) - Module-Club Luxembourg - Train & Railway Show
Centre de Loisirs Norbert Melcher, Steinsel, Luxembourg
Tel. - ++0661 682 404

Thann (France) - Thierry Dungler - 34th International Toy Exchange
Centre Sportif, Collège Charles Walsh, Rue Jean Flory, Thann 68, France
Tel. I - ++0033 / 6 / 85 550 046
Tel. II - ++0389 372 686
09:30-17:00hrs

Troisdorf (Germany) - Jürgen Hörner - Toy Fair
Stadhalle Troisdorf, Troisdorf, Germany
Tel. - ++0210 351 133

Wanze (Belgium) - AMAF - Toy & Train Fair
Salle Binamé Spirou, Wanze, Belgium
Tel. - ++085 713 343

Zürich (Switzerland) - Ursula Alber - Toy Fair
Kunsthaus Vortragsaal, Zürich, Switzerland
Tel. - ++00436 644 041 926

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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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H is for How They Come-in

Two bears! That was it this week; two bears for a quid, or beyahs as Arnie would call them -

"Gim'me your beyah, noowww, or'hy blowyouwaayyy!"

That's how the cookie crumbles sometimes, you get good weeks and we've just had a few in a row, and you get quiet weeks, this was one of those, but I did get those gliders for next time - another quid!

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Links


Army-men-girls-gate reaches The Times of India! It had hit the Daily Wail the day before.

Headsup for a forthcoming event in South Africa, a first for Small Scale World!

Wargaming in Bahrain - wear something sensible, don't take booze and try to say something intolerant of women, gays, or Sunis or should it be Shia's?

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Staff Stuff

Parcels' cometh there, two . . .

"I think there's something in this end boss, but it's a bit tight!" (Loyal readers - it was empty)

"I'll try the other ennnn..?!?..d"

"WHUMMP!"

"Wheeeeooowww!"  (Loyal readers - cat; head-over-backwards, polystyrene baton, empty-box-one and empty-box-two all disappeared over the side of the bed before this shot was in the camera! They are supposed to be good at balance?)

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Other Stuff

Walnuts, gathered from over the tracks, the same day I shot the Rosemary beetle, drying under the fire after I left them too long in the bag and their cases turned to a heap of quid-ink black-jelly mess! But I ate five after this shot was taken and the nuts are fine!

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