News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

It's that time again! Quite a lot on this week and we have the first auction of the New Year, it's only bloody 2019 'aint'it! Where the f**k did that come from? Ahhhh! Someone glued it to the arse-end of 2018 . . . and what a shitter that was, one would hope this one will be better, but the omens aren't good, not good at all!

I can remember wondering if I'd ever see the year 2000, and that's years ago - at this rate and with the wonders of technology; 2100's looking good for a death-bed scene, not sure the early Cherilea will make it that far, so better get them all on t'Line!

2019 may see more activity on the A-Z Blogs and/or the Airfix and Hong Kong Blogs, but I haven't really got a plan yet . . . while I think . . . ok . . . while I watch the LoTR boxed set (over six hours of extras!), here's the show list for the coming week, and as it's not yet 12th Night, the Christmas Star column-dividers can have one more outing!

Note - Some price rises.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Toy Fairs

Saturday 5th January 2019

Cardiff - Chris Dyer Fairs

Penarth Leisure Centre, Andrew Road, Cogan, Cardiff, CF64 2NS.
Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk
Tel. - 01643 702 757
Mob. - 07966 694 579

Admission [probably] £2

Romford - SRP

North Romford Community Centre, 32 Clock House Lane, Collier Row, Romford, Essex, RM5 3QJ

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

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 12:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Sunday 6th January 2019

Bolton - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Macron'

The Premier Suite, Macron Stadium, Bolton, Lancashire, BL6 6SF

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

[Probably] 10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £4.00 (up 50p), early-bird £8, (from 08:00hrs, up £1), OAP's £3.50 (up 50p), children £1

Free parking

Eastbourne - Robert Horscraft - Eastbourne Toy & Model Collectors Fair

East Dean Village Hall, East Dean, East Sussex, BN20 0DR

Internet presence unknown

Tel. I - 01323 899 879

Tel. II - 01424 846 676

Hours unknown

Admission £1.50, under-12's free

Free Parking, refreshments,

Falkirk, Scotland - McLaren Models

Tel. - 01324 624 102

(All other details here)

Midhust - SRP Fairs

The Grange, Bepton Road, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9HD

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

[Probably] 10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Potters Bar - Toy & Train Fairs (Peter Levison)

Elm Court Centre, Mutton Lane, Potters Bar, hertfordshire, EN6 3BP

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01282 051 518 (Peter or Diane)

10:30 - 14:30hrs

Admission charge unknown

Spalding - J&J Fairs (John & Julie Webb)

Springfields Events & Conference Centre, Camelgate, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE12 6ET

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383

10:00 - 14:30hrs

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

Swindon - Retro Ronnie

Swindon Town Football Club, County Ground, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 2ED

Web - www.retroronnie.com

Mob. I - 07708 385 061

Mob. II - 07900 266 427

Hours unknown

Admission charge unknown

Walsall - Transtar Promotions (Geoff & Linda Price)

Oak Park Active Living Centre, Coppice Road, Walsall Wood,, Walsall, West Midlands, WS9 9BH

Web. - www.transtarpromotions.com

Tel. - 01922 643 385

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £1.80p, seniors £1.50p, child £1

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Tuesday 8th January 2019

Hook - Steven Clements Fairs - Hook Evening Fair

Hook Community Centre, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9NN

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

eMail: clementfairs@aol.com

18:30 - 21:30hrs

Admission £1

Free parking

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

 

Wednesday 9th January 2019

Hertford - Joe Lock Fairs (Evening Fair)

Richard Hale School, Hale Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 8EN

Internet presence unknown

Mob. - 07866 641 215

19:00-21:00hrs

Admission £1

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Auctions

Monday 7th January 2019

Lewis - Wallis and Wallis

West Street Galleries, Lewis, Sussex, BN7 2NJ

Web. - www.wallisandwallis.co.uk

eMail - toys@wallisandwallis.co.uk

Tel. - 01273 480 208

Fax. - 01273 476 562

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Other Events

Croydon Airport - Military, Aviation and Model Collectors Fair

Hallmark Hotel, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 4LT (venue - near IKEA)

27A The Grove, Biggin Hill, Kent, TN16 3TA (organiser)

www.hallmarkhotels.co.uk/our_hotels/croyden/location/ (directions)

eMail - davidsutton16@aol.com

Mob. - 07973 885 754 (for traders - Aviation Antiques)

10:00hrs - Finish

Admission price unknown - children under 10 free

Control tower visits, aviation memorabilia & militaria, books, toys & models

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

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!

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

The. Best. Christmas. Present . . . since the last one! It's a soap-on-a-rope Imperial Stormtrooper from Star Wars! I didn't even know they still did soaps-on-ropes! Too cool for Starship School. It's from the same Firefly/Grosvenor Consumer Products (High ridge Brands in the USA) as the 'Trooper tooth-brush Peter Evans sent the Blog's way, back in May . . . or was it May '17? The dork force is strong in this one!

To be said uttered in a guttural voice by Tommy Vance's ghost . . . or Morgan Freeman . . .

"I am become the Sudth Lord, destroyer of dirt, look upon my works ye mucky-filth and despair!"

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

T is for Toy Fair '18 Reports - GaleForce Nine - Own Products

As well as carrying the D&D stuff, GaleForce Nine also carry three gaming systems from Battlefront, but we'll look at them under Battlefront in a day or three, however they do develop their own games and they are rather special, 'cos they've got figures, and we like figures at Small Scale World!

These were the two on show at the London Toy Fair, Firefly and Dr. Who, you see those two on the same shelf and you know something magic this way comes . . . and you're not wrong - Sir or Madame!

Lovely, role playing 28mm, D&D style with shipping containers as the 'dungeons', lovely figures sort of Wild West meets Steam punk meets Blade Runner! Didn't enquire as to games mechanisms, it's about the scenery isn't it! And the figures!

Dead counters are card flats which is a good idea as it makes them less intrusive to continuing play, but they can build-up in  a gory fashion as the mayhem progresses!

Unit six looks like a rather unpleasant screened field-latrine I once knew in Kenya - yes - 'intimately'; the whole battalion was queuing-up for them, we'd been given some scaled fish when we landed in Nairobi the day before, which looked, cut (read 'sawed' or 'didn't cut') and tasted like gone-off, coelacanth might, I imagine!

Another shot and the catalogue 'flyer'. I've missed Firefly, and I think there was another mid/late-1990's late-night sci-fi serial along the same lines (sentient talking ship?), I'd catch the odd episode, but never stuck with the first and missed the other altogether, but I can see the appeal of this game, with its clear elements of several genres. It reminds me of a few favourite graphic novels too!

Ahhh! More NSD's and quite well detailed ones at that, along with that pesky K9-unit! If I understood the sales-rep correctly, there are four Doctors in the game box, with more planned as separate figures or figure sets, with other 'enemies' to be added or with extension-packs if this does well?

Again; the flyer from the catalogue, no inappropriate memories triggered this time, just me cowering behind the sofa while a giant spider clung to the back of Sarah Jane and a bunch of cultists taught me a Buddhist chant! Ohm-Mani-Padme-Hum, Ohm-Mani-Padme-Hum!

I don't think this was on show in London, but it looks fun for Trekkies (or are they Trekkers?), there even seem to be a few figures among all the micro-space ships, but not enough for me to get excited-about until I see it in a charity shop, and games like this never (or rarely - he says; remembering two Golden Compasses in two weeks!) turn-up in charity shops!