T is for Tom's Vineyard

Like Martha's, but smaller, much, much smaller! These wing'ned their way here from the Antipodes last week at the same time as yesterday's Mecki cards were being wung-over from the big apple, with more from Chris arriving on the same day, a sort of Autumn toy-harvest!

Tom Clague spotted this window display for 'Bolly' Bollinger in a wine shop in Oz, and managed to get a few shots off in passing for the readers of Small Scale World; a full-on HO-gauge compatible diorama of a vineyard . . . after a fashion - I'm not sure how many 'Chateau' look like semi-detached, Victorian railway cottages!

I think we looked at the Preiser version of the little motorised horse when I covered the carts and wagons (and nudes - as I predicted; the post with the most traffic out of the series!) a few years ago, but there's some pretty violent pruning going on - it has to be said, the lady on the right has clearly taken against some sour-looking samples and is despatching them like the grim reaper, with a scythe!

While Tom pointed-out the less than orthodox pruning being employed by the chap in the centre here, indeed with the exception's of the driver and 'bo-peep' with her rake, all the workers are wielding scythes - clearly this is the new laurel-privet school of grape husbandry!

I had to cut someone's head off for this image, but as he claimed to be 'no 007' he'll probably be relieved at the retained anonymity. Although, if Bond's main role was spotting toy and model figures while out and about, you'd be a shoe-in for the role Tom; thank you very much, for a charming if anachronistic glimpse at viticulture Down Under!

I'm guessing Hornby resin for the cottages, Preiser or Noch for plastic figures and accessories and people like Noch, Beka, Heki or H&M for the trees and landscaping?