P is for Potted Plant Problems and Phuqing Phungus Phlies

We haven't had as much garden or insect stuff as I'd imagined I'd post, but that may change at some point, as it's all piling up on the PC, but here's one I've been battling with which might be of some help to some of you.

 

One of the most depressing things of the last few years has been the loss of the garden, which will obviously go to the new owners of the house, and while I managed to get as much as I could to Mum's friends and neighbours, I've ended-up with 20-odd pot plants which are down the bottom of a neighbour's garden, but they need to sell now, too, so I may lose them, unless someone knows someone in North Hampshire/Surry with a quiet corner of a farm or estate where I could leave them for a few month 'till a year or so?

 

In addition, there were houseplants and cacti which wouldn't survive down the bottom of someone's garden, so I gave away as many as I could, and brought the rest to the flat, where I have one of each I think, with a few duplicates where the flowers or foliage are different, like the Geraniums which apparently aren't Geraniums (Pelargoniums), I think one of the Cacti has finally died, and the Amaryllis is looking poorly, but I think they always do at this time of year, and I should cut off the floppy old leaves and wait for it to go-again, later?

 

But in the biggest pot was this thing, I think it's some kind of Iris or Lily, but a non-hardy one, it may be perfectly happy outdoors though, I don't know, however it was in the 'summer-room' (a fancy kit of plastic panels and oversized Meccano I built for Mum, with Mimi's help, about 14-years ago), so it came here, and as you can see, a week ago it was not looking very happy.

 

Six months ago this pot was full of greenery, up to 8-inches tall in the middle, but shortly after I moved it here, one of the last to arrive, I started noticing these little flies, and took great delight in dealing with them every evening after work four, one night, eight, another, Ohh, more than ten, I've lost count!

 

However, I soon noticed that the plant was dying off slowly, and I'd water it, it would put out a few new shoots, but a dozen old ones would die-off! Google revealed the problem was these little fruit flies, called Fungus Gnats, and I re-started my efforts at eradication with more earnestness, getting dozens every night, and a bunch in the mornings before work (my PC table is next to the plant, so I was 'on site'), days-off were fly-carnage!

But still the plant ailed, as you only have to miss a couple of adults long enough for them to get together and do the jiggy-thang, get the eggs in the pot, and another batch of grubs has to be waited for, until they hatch, meantime they are eating the roots of the plant! So war was declared, more Googling done, and the little yellow thing above is part of the campaign.

The first purchase was these sticky pads, from the cheapie-hardware store up in town (Fleet Essentials, previously Ziggy's, but with one of the Ex-Baker's staff now helping them get in the right stuff), and this was the 'right stuff', look at it!

 

You have a single line of sticky on the back, which you peel to stick the sheet down, then you peel the backing sheet off the front (almost an oxymoron there?), and all the little flies go "Wha-hay a sunflower", and die, slowly, and quietly, producing little guilt as you can see what they and their kids have done/are doing to your precious plant!

Yet, it was a slow process, and I was still killing lots of flies by hand, every day (f'ousands of 'em since December Sah! F'ousands!), so after a return to Google I spent £4.50 on this at B&Q, chemical warfare had come to the flat!

Ladies and Gentlemen, two months later, and it hadn't killed a single fly, the plant was looking as it does in the first shot, and I was clearly losing the war . . . against phuqing flies! Indeed, the only use I will ever get from it is as a possible rocket-engine on a scratch-build!

The apparently non-toxic (and non-attractive to Fungus Gnats) liquid went down the drain, revealing seven glass beads? The magic ingredient in this complete rip-off of a fake solution (in both senses of the word) is the remains of some shot-blasting, sunk in snot? Somebody should go to jail for this scam!

Yeah! In the spares pile they go, they're not even the same size - so not much use for anything!

I then took the pot back to the old house, took it down to the bottom of the garden, and dug-out the remains of the plants with a desert-fork, carefully, as the greenery is very snappy. And with two bits of root (Holmes, Rhizomes?) and three plants, drowned them while I was at work, to kill any hidden larvae or eggs.

 

You wouldn't believe the pot-sized ball of dried, hollowed-out, root remains, that tumbled out, it had been fighting the grubs for years, and while looking OK on top, was being absolutely decimated underneath. Another couple of weeks and it would have been gone.

 

Heading off to Redfield's garden centre, which I discover has become not a garden centre, but a multi-function, high-end, leisure-destination/tourist-facility, mall, restaurant and day-care centre, for the young and old? 

 

Almost single-handedly responsible for the death of half the shops in the High Street, including the aforementioned Bakers (another post for another day), they even have a clothes section, not out-door or garden apparel, but chic, fashion and everyday-wear? A toy shop and grocery store, it's like the world's most expensive Trago Mills!

AND, you are forced by shelving, and displays, and phuqing little-phences, to go round 9/10th's of it! Fortunately, a fifth-columnist in the houseplant section let me go through her secret passage, direct to the tills, so I got a fresh-bag of compost, and saw a surface layer, expressly for Fungus Gnats!

This was all last week, and I re-potted last Thursday-night, after washing the pot (and crocks) with bleach, and drying thoroughly, before the remains of the plant drowned as well as the larvae/eggs, and after pay-day last weekend, I went back for the surface treatment, a crushed pumice, which I applied as above, about a centimetre deep (that's about half a banana stalk for our N. American readers), on Saturday last.

 

As you can see, three fresh shoots are already up/out, and I'm hoping the two little pieces will germinate in a few days, they are buried at 4 and 7 if you know what I mean; on the clock face as viewed. There will be a follow-up photo' if anything happens!

 

Now to maybe being of some help to you - 

• Don't buy the liquid traps, they are just another capitalist rip-off.
• Do buy the sticky-traps (there were four in the pack, about a fiver), the second is now on the window, just in case!
• Understand the sticky-pads won't cure the problem, but they'll hold it in check for a few weeks while you work-up the will for the serious bit of faffing!
• The pumice would make ideal model-railway ballast, and there's a lifetimes supply in one 9-quid bag, ten times cheaper than modeller's scatter, and probably the same stuff?
  

Over the next few days I killed another four flies, which were probably lone operators who'd meandered to other parts of the flat, and came back looking for a feed, or somewhere to lay their eggs, but since last Monday or Tuesday, it has been fly free!

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

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.

www.juliashouse.org 

www.chsw.org.uk

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).

https://www.teddytrust.org.uk/

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

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

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.

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

The Torygraph? - Twice in one week!

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Beer and soldiers - what's not to like!

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Toy Soldier's in new museum; 830 Kipling Street, Lakewood, Denver, Colorado

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H is for How They Come In

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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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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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

The sunflower has done a brave job of striving to look . . .      

                                  . . . like a daisy, I'm sure you'll agree!

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News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events Saturday 3rd - Friday 9th August 2019

So Boris the Clown got off to a good start by going to Scotland to 'save it' for the Union and being told where to get off by just about everyone he met, he then went to Ireland sorry; Ulster where he tried to convince the Nationalists, Liberals and Unaligned/Independents that he was totally neutral, the day after having dinner with three senior members of the Tory-propping DUP! He then went to Eire, where he was told where to get off by just about everyone he met! Go Boris - Churchillian saviour of humanity! Not really saving the pound though, is he?

Still, as least he probably knows we didn't have an RAF in 1776 . . . that Trump huh? What a card!

Anyone looking for toys of Washington's airborne glory will need a Toy Fair and sadly they are in short supply this week, but there's a four-day Vectis sale to make-up!

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Toy Fairs

Sunday 4th August 2019

Porthmadog - Chris Dyer Fairs

Y Ganolfan Community Centre, High Street, Porthmadog, North Wales, LL49 9LU

Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01643 702 757

Mob. - 07966 694 579

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2

(used to be a couple of really good army-surplus stores in Porthmadog High Street; all my German-army shirts came from there and a Russian t-shirt with a darned-hole and slight stain that might have indicated the demise of its original owner in Afghanistan?!)

Burton-on-Trent - Burton Railway Society / Chris Eaton - 4th Annual Toy & Train Collector's Fair

National Brewery Centre, , Horninglow Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1NG

Web. - www.nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk

Tel. - 01283 532 880 (National Brewery Centre)

Tel. - 07877 346 371 (Chris Eaton)

10:30-15:00hrs

Admission £4, children £1 - includes entry to Brewery Museum

Falkirk, Scotland - McLaren Models

Tel. - 01324 624 102

(All other details here)

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Auctions

Tuesday 6th - Friday 9th August 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (4-day sale)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Tuesday 6th

" The Specialist sale on the 6th of August starts with The Andy White Collection of Smaller Diecast, over 240 lots of Matchbox Regular Wheels, Accessory & Major Packs, King Size & Super Kings and Superfast. Plus Corgi Rockets, Husky & Corgi Juniors, Benbros, Morestone, Lone Star, Fun Ho!, Dinky Toys and Miscellaneous Items.

The sale also features further Matchbox models including Regular Wheels, Superfast, and Super Kings, plus others, and over 200 lots from an Ex Matchbox Employee. This collection features predominantly models from the 1980s-90s and includes many rare, never come-across models, the ones that collectors knew existed but people rarely kept! One not to be missed for the Matchbox collector."

Wednesday 7th

"The Specialist sale to be held on the 7th of August features five private owner collections plus Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys, British, Continental & Foreign diecast and TV & Film Related. The Swiss Collection features boxed and unboxed cars and commercials from Dinky, including French models. The French Collection offers 27 lots of Corgi Chipperfield Circus models plus TV and Film related vehicles, and The Dinky Military Collection features over 30 lots of French Dinky. The Hampshire Collection features further Dinky models including French Dinky and The North London Collection offers Pre-War Dinky (Hornby Series), John Hill & Co aircraft and road vehicles, Tootsietoys and cast-iron vehicles. Further items in the sale include Dinky and Corgi empty boxes, Haulage, Military, road and racing cars, buses, French, trade packs, pre-war and Dinky (Nicky Toys), Corgi Rockets, Corgi (Husky Models), pre-production vehicles, Gift Sets, ephemera, shop displays and awards."

Thursday 8th

"The Specialist sale to be held on the 8th of August starts with a Private Owner Collection; over 90 lots of predominantly Matchbox Models of Yesteryear, including Code 2 issues, plus Matchbox Collectables.  Part 2 of The Ex Matchbox Employee Sale offers a further 115 lots including Matchbox games, ephemera and novelties, plus Superfast, including Gift Sets, Action System, Pack Sets, team Collectables and promotional sets. The collection also includes Matchbox originals, Premier Collection groups and shop displays. Further private owner collections include The Kent Collection, - large groups from Hot Wheels, Corgi and mixed diecast, and The Pontypool Collection, original and re-painted groups of Triang Spot-On, Corgi, Dinky and others plus lorry, truck and haulage groups."

Friday 9th

"The General Toy sale to be held on the 9th August starts with over 40 lots from the Lincolnshire Lead Collection; featuring Britains and similar boxed and unboxed figures and sets.  Further items in the sale include John Barnett "Ancient Warrior" swords, and Koto Katana Samurai swords; plus, vehicles from Corgi, Dinky, Lledo, Matchbox, Hot wheels, Franklin Mint, EFE, Vanguards and many more. The sale also includes a selection of Tekno Trucks, Corgi Modern Trucks Hauliers of Renown, military aircraft and vehicles, Airfix, Revell and FROG kits, plus tinplate and plastic, white metal and resin models. Further items include jigsaws, games, Lego, Scalextric, books and magazines; vintage video games and consoles, football programmes and ticket stubs, plus Palitoy and Mattel teenage Dolls."

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Wednesday 7th August 2019

Warrington - Warrington & Northwich Auctioneers & Valuers

551 Europa Boulevard, Westbrook, Warrington WA5 7TP

Web. - www.warringtonauctions.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@warringtonauctions.co.uk

Tel. - 01925 658 833

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Friday 9th August 2019

Spalding - M&M Auctions

Unit 4, Plover Court, Stephenson Avenue, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 3SW

Web. - www.mm-auctions.com

eMail - info@mm-auctions.com

On-line (www.the-saleroom.com)

Tel. - 01406 422 848

Viewing - 29th May and mornings of sale days from 08:30hrs

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Other Events

Saturday 3rd - Sunday 11th August 2019

Ropely - Mid Hants Railway/Watercress Line - Day Out with Thomas

Mid Hants Railway/Watercress Line, Ropely, Hampshire, SO24 0BL

Web. - www.dayoutwiththomas.co.uk

Tel. - 01962 733810

Admission £20, child (2-16) £14, family ticket (2+2) £60

Ticket includes; train rides with Thomas, meet the Fat Controller, temporary tattoos, entertainment show, vintage [fairground?] rides, etc...

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Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th August 2019

Beeston - English Heritage - Legendary Joust

Beeston Castle & Woodland Park, Chapel Lane, Beeston, Cheshire

Web. - https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/whats-on/beeston-castle-legendary-joust-3-4-aug-2019/

10:00-17:00hrs

Bury - East Lancashire Railway - Day Out with Thomas

East Lancashire Railway, Bury Bolton Street Station, Bolton Street, Bury, Greater Manchester

Web. - http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/2019/5/day-out-with-thomas.aspx

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Sunday 4th August 2019

Biggleswade - Shuttleworth Collection - Family Airshow

Old Warden Aerodrome, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire

Web. - https://www.shuttleworth.org/events/familyairshow/

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Minor Stuff

Some sites mention aToy & Train fair in Morley/Leeds on Sunday, organised by Dualco, but as far as I can tell it's a proper vintage/antiques fair and unlikely to have more than the odd piece of overpriced hollow-cast or tin-plate novelties? Morley Leisure Centre, Queensway, Leeds, LS27 9JP

It's Beaulieu Supercar Weekend 3rd/4th, down there on the edge of the New Forrest, if this is anything like the big auto-jumble meet I went to about fifteen years ago, it's great for plastic vehicles (and die-casts etc.) up on the hill between the venue-proper and the car park. I filled-my boots with cheap, esoteric tat over the week - on that occasion! I suspect this is a more prestige event - www.beaulieu.co.uk

And there a children's bookswap in Newcastle for those of you with more bookish offspring, up that way - the National Centre for Children's books, Line Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle-upon-Tyne - www.sevenstories.org.uk

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Overseas Events

Saturday 3rd August 2019

Dallas (Texas, USA) - North Dallas Toy Show

Dallas Events Center, 4343 Sigma Rd, Suite 600, Farmers Branch, TX 75244, Texas, USA

Web. 1 - www.northdallastoyshow.wix.com

Web. 2 - www.northdallastoyshow.wixsite.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/northdallastoyshow/

 Tel. - +12 148 937 726

09:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission $2.00, children under-12 free

Located between Midway Road and Welch, take 'Welch Road' exit off 1-635

Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th August 2019

Concord (North Carolina, USA) - CCC - Charlotte Comicon Summer Show

Embassy Suites Concord, Charlotte-Concord Convention Center, 5400 John Q Hammons Drive, North West Concorde, NC 28027, North Carolina, USA

Web. - http://charlottecomicon.info/

Admission $5.00 per day, children under-9 free

10:00-18:00hrs - Saturday 3rd

10:00-16:00hrs - Sunday 4th

Comics, toys, collectibles, cosplay etc...

Macungie (Pennsylvania, USA) - Das Awkscht Fescht 2019 - Outdoor Toy Town / Indoor Toy Show

Das Awkscht Fescht, P.O. Box 193, Macungie, PA 18062, Pennsylvania, USA (organisers)

4062 Brookside Road, Macungie, PA 18062 (parking)

Eyer Middle School, 5616 Buckeye Road, Macungie PA 18062, Pennsylvania, USA (Indoor Toy Show)

Shoemaker and Macungie Elementary Schools' Parking Lots (Outdoor Toy Town, behind and accessible from Eyer Middle School)

Web. 1 - https://awkscht.com/ (main event pages, starts today; Friday 2nd)

Web. 2 - https://awkscht.com/toy-show/ (toy shows)

eMail - info@awkscht.com

Tel. 1 - ++6109 672 317 (hotline)

Tel. 2 - ++6108 235 033 (flea market)

10:00-17:00hrs (3rd - Outdoor Toy Town)

07:00-14:00hrs (4th - both events/toy show sites)

Admission charge unknown

Sunday 4th August 2019

There's supposed to be a Hotwheels show in Chicago (USA), but I can't find anything on it* so while it may well be a Mattel toy-related convention, it may equally be downtown gang-bangers playing with souped-up 1970's sedans to loud music and the smell of melted-rubber, while oiled, tattooed-babe's in hot-pants, hang-out (in all senses of the word), either way; sounds like fun!

* This is not an insult of all Mattel Hotwheel sites, just an aside! That Standinger, he's as daft as a brush up a badgers arse, how is my not finding something an 'insult' to anybody? Stoopid man!

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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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Hestair Kiddycraft Brick-News

Art

Tate Modern in London has an interactive art 'installation' in the main turbine hall at the moment consisting of a ton** of white Lego, with which little fingers (or bigger ones) can make what they like, the aim is to construct elements of one's ideal 'future City' but expect to see various attempts at space-ships and genitalia (or genitalia-shaped space-ships!) left in the pile, still, I suppose that by limiting it to one colour they have greatly reduced the chances of rude words also being left!

** It's not clear if it's a literal ton or a figurative one?

Comedy

From the Evening Standard (28th June) by 'Adams' and summing the situation up a month-ago nicely I think! Lego had just been voted most annoying toy to step on . . . toy soldiers came-in at number 7 I think? Number 5?

Entertainment

Lego have bought-up Merlin Entertainment, clearly realising that the writing is on the wall for their ocean-filling polymer-product, it looks like they might be planning to get out of toys and into theme parks?

The purchase brings them Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, Thorp Park, Chessington World of Adventure and Sealife . . . among other well-known and successful attractions. With the Legoland theme parks the new group (Kirkby) will be the world's second largest high-end, low-brow, event-destination, tourist-trap operator after Disney.

Not so Entertaining?

Yet today's paper has Merlin reporting a drop in sales at Legoland after the last Lego movie failed to deliver, or drive enough customers to the site . . . you win some, you lose some!

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Toys In The Media

Have we had this one before? Another example of the kit-runner trope, illustrating an article on 3D-printing in medicine I cut-out, but rather spoiled by the components being 'painted' on the trees! And why would you be made to glue every bone of the hand together if the spine comes in long-section mouldings - and a different scale!

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A wooden car being used to promote public transport over privately-produced pollution

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Argos took it's toys to 'PRIDE' the other week!

My question is - why the f**k has the potato-head family been given a plastic potato? Surely the whole point . . . the whole fun; is in finding an odd-shaped root-vegetable to make a funny face, with four-eyes and multiple hands. Or, ruining a banana or courgette, an apple or a water-melon for a Mr Bloody-fat Head? Mr Lemon, Mrs Orange?

The plastic heads have set holes and therefore set positioning and a limited number of configurations, once you've tried all the obvious ones and placed the ears where the hands should be and vise-a-versa, there's nothing left but to get bored? Never mind PRIDE . . .

"Down with plastic potatoes! Freedom for funny fruit! Vary the vegetables!"

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Other News

Hassenfeld Brothers

Hasbro have posted strong second-quarter results which they have credited on sales of Marvel Avengers and Magic The Gathering licensed merchandise. I though MtG had died a death, I still have an un-played-with set of the original two-pack card set somewhere!

Revenues are up 9% on last year, by they are warning that if the Trumpton puts tariffs on Chinese imports; prices will have to rise, that's from their no-shit-Sherlock department - which Trump clearly hasn't spoken to!

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Danger Mouse

Is to return with fifty-two new episodes from next year, on BBC (CBBC) rather than ITV, but Brian Cosgrove (originator) will be consulting with Boulder Media who have the gig.

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Follow-up to Foreign Fellow's Fate

That skandie-carved Lewis chess man I mentioned a while ago in a 'News, Views . . .' sold for £750,000 in the end, I don't know who bought it or whether it will join either of the bulk samples at the British Museum or the National Museum of Scotland? But I do know if any of the other - still missing - four ever come-up for auction, they won't be joining my collection!!

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TJF

His post today is priceless and will be responded to in due course, but there is now a queue of rebuttals of the nonsense coming from that stable of 'tards, so it may be a while before I get round to his latest fuckwittery. 'John' - yeah, he's a real person!

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Links

Jenny Éclair in defense of hobbies

New Toy Museum for Denver, Colorado

Interesting reminiscences on Soviet-era toys

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H is For How They Come In

Busy week this week; I'd already found two lots by the time I posted last week's News, Views Etc..., since when three more purchases have been made, all of them charity-shop buys.

A simple rack-toy, probably seen (and ignored) a few years ago in the now-defunct Poundworld or 99p Stores (PMS? I think that was 99p Stores?) and probably originally for offer at the same money! But now the deal is - I save two each of the figures and the hanger-card/labels for the archive and send the rest to recycling.

As mentioned it's a PMS import, the Wizz Toys being a short-lived phantom-brand, new to me and probably only used for a season, to graphically tie various disparate toy lines into a 'corporate' range.

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Minutes before the rack-toy bag, I'd shelled-out the grand total of 50-pence for this 'light & sound' Panzer IV, around 1:50/60th and getting the lines of a late spaced-armour vehicle (Ausfklarung M/N?) quite well for a cheap toy.

I needed to remove the silly, out-of-scale M1 helmet from the turret because A) it looked bloody silly and B) kept setting-off the tinny machine-gun noise (which seems to be the same as that used on Lego Space-ship bodies and Tiger Electronics Star Wars toys back in the 1990's). A few screws later and a small hole left in the turret and the job was done. I removed the batteries while I was at it.

Posed with those figures we've seen several times now (and ID'd now I think - but I can't remember where/when!), which happened to arrive in a lot from Chris Smith the same day and to be roughly the correct scale - about 28/30mm.

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A day or two later (Monday?) I picked up this rather fine kerthunkersaurus for pennies, it's marked China - 1992, which is pre-handover (1997) so an early example of the marking and it's as good as any Euro-saur (Schleich or Papo) and sized to match their output (quite 1:32nd compatible), lacking a bit in the decoration-department maybe?

As an aside, all five photographs were taken with the same settings against the same book-cover, the camera may never lie, but it struggles with the truth too! The middle-right shot is probably the colour-truest, with two washed-out and two over-warmified.

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This came in yesterday, but will get its own post, I didn't even know it existed, nor that Peter Pan lasted 'till the 1990's, needless to say - it has figures, nine of 'em, including a Ripley, but with long hair! Did she have long hair in 'II'?

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Finally; this bag turned-up in the same Farnborough charity shop as the bag of Germans the other week; £3.49p, I don't think they belong in a CTS bag? Six complete Revell DAK machine-gun crews; with tripod, MG34 in an SF-cradle with long-range sight, gunner, Nº 2 and base, times-six for less than four-quid beats those current Russian figures' pricing into a cocked hat . . . bargain! One of the guns was a different colour though!

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I've just picked-up two 50p vehicles - pictures next week!

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Why was I in Farnborough? Because B&Q are selling Venus Fly Traps for £4. And not the tiny little disappointing ones I saw at Kew Gardens (or Wisely?) a few years ago, but proper ones with clampy-pads bigger than a tuppence! I figured it was just what was needed for these tiny little black fruit-fly things which are becoming such a problem (they've made it onto Radio4, so it must be serious!), especially in the winter - global climate-change problems require global bio-solutions - It's already eaten . . . "Feed-Muh' Mama!"

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