Almark Model Products Ltd.
They were also primary importers to the UK of the Armtec range of accessories from the USA. Charles Stadden was the sculptor, and cross-over exists with Triang/Lines, Waddington’s and others through the apparent use of the Minimodels plant in Havant, Hampshire for the production of the ranges, upon their demise; Micro-Mold took over marketing of the Armtec range.
Flybirds were obviously tripping on the coat-tails of Skyirds, when these came in they were with a load of the latter leading brand's 'planes and the difference between the two was marked, the Skybirds being altogether a superior product.
A nice now-clean group of 8th Army from Britains Detail, with the tricky bayonets still intactum! The Vickers needs it's 9 little ball bearings found but there's a hardware store in Camberley (AHC) that will have a shed-load for a few pence, so that's not a problem!
The Daimler Dingo Scout Car can be used with either desert or standard infantry, and while there was a desert version in the end; designed for the 8th Army figures, the crew were made of the same plastic in both cars so match up quite well, especially when your brother had...
...such a small selection of the British Infantry! These are in the European theatre garb and I've only included them as they show well the difference between the early semi-transparent wash over cream plastic (the two single figures) and the later solid-colour plastic of the mortar team, which also needs ammunition, but I won't be getting a sprue of 10 (or was it 12?) mortar bombs from AHC!
This rather grubby box was not a car-boot find, it came from the attic at Mums and consists of my Brother's childhood collection of Britains Detail, which as you can see is A) German heavy, and B) in a bit of a state brought about by 24 years or so in a poor environment, luckily they are PVC and will take a lot of punishment.
Before and after shower-gel shots of the US Infantry. These are all early types with the separate arms, some would later be redesigned to have integral arms. The very earliest had brown bases, but they changed to green - as memory recalls - within the first year or so, the early Brits and Germans also got brown bases initially.
Various arm-swaps, a paint colour variation (bottom left) and the rather tatty Recoiless-rifle given a new lease of life with a different figure. The rifle has been wedged in to the original slots! These guys are all missing their helmet stickers and while I know someone with German sticker sheets, I don't know anyone with the US stars (black on a red shield).
Better start with the British production, as stated; the Detail are yet to be collected (despite a false memory that I'd found some!!) and the exception that proves the rule is my one Speedwell Jap, who is not it the Japanese WWII box but rather the Kentoys/Speedwell/Trojan box!
These all seem to be the Spanish firm of Jecsan, I thought some (the UN helmeted troops) might be Comansi and had titled the image to that effect but a frantic search of the Spanish blogs in the early hours reveals that they are all Jecsan.
The Americans, having such a great role in the defeat of Japan, made quite a few, and some of the best, top in this collage of vintage makes are Marx, a mix of old figures and re-issues in various colours, with the very similar MPC set below them. The MPC figures are slightly gangly, but still quite animated.
The US has been responsible for more Japs in recent years and here are samples of two of them; BMC above and CTS below, sadly not very compatible with each other (one lot being closer to 60 mil and quite chunky, the other 54mm and of more oriental slightness), but in a rug-war joining with all the above; they just add to the display as they should...they're toys!
Edible rubberised Daleks in two colour/flavour packs with a cut-out and slip together card flat of a Fatlek, made by BonBon Buddies they are currently available in Walmart-call-me-Asda and other outlets fa'sure, and they taste nice! Click on Dalek in the tag-list to find the more sensible variations of these now-flying constant invaders of Earth.
That's it...it's by; Raco...a cow...54mm...hollow cast...lead...from the farm animal range...nothing else to see, move along now...tell your friends...
Fully assembled from a multi-media of parts including a composition/plaster cottage, flock, lichen and rubberised-horsehair matting, wood and cast soft-metal components like the green ladder. The whole arranged on a medium-card base and packed in a sturdy box.
Close-ups to give an idea of the amount of work that must have gone into the little vignette which is about 10 inches on a side. It has - as you can see - also been painted with all the techniques known to modern modellers such as dry-brushing, weathering, dark undercoats etc...and to a high standard.
Shots of the packaging reveal the range to be 'England's Fairy Toys', with B L Megland being based in Torrington; Devon. Was Megland an individual or a small company with employees? How many other items were in the set? What date would you put on this; it could be 1900 or 1950 from all the clues!!? Does anyone have any other information on the range or Megland?
The bright pink one had the Sun newspaper's logo down the side and was given away by them for some reason years ago, it started this rather small collection of - usually - Christmas novelties!
Checking out some old haunts (Esdevium Games - new owners, new name and the shop seems smaller?) after a few years in the wilds of West Berkshire; I found these little horrors.
Anyway; he/they're now making little PVC figurines around 28mm for a specific game of theirs, but still paintable and usable with other games/systems, then they give them away free, in sixes, with a relatively inexpensive Steve Jackson plastic bag!
Above shots taken looking through the Japanese Maple/Acer glade, the colours are quite breathtaking and will still be well worth a view tomorrow if you have a few hours to kill, the display this year is better than normal and a once in a blue-moon thing, so go if you can. I'd imagine the show will 'go-over' mid-week, a few had already lost their leaves, but most were still in full show.
