C is for Charben's Chaps in Ckhaki!

Some hollow-cast lot I shot on Adrian's stall about three years ago with half a mind on the Khaki Infantry page (they're the wrong poses) and half-a mind on a comparison with the plastics in storage, obviously the storage ones are still there, which I didn't think they would still be now, several years ago, so let's look at them 'as is'.

More poses than the plastics and the MG has the toy-like addition of a novelty matchstick-firing mechanism. With three headdress types to collect and various plastic paint-versions, these Carbens combat types would make a nice sub-collection/display.

2 is for "On the Second Day of Chrissssstmaaas, His True Love Sent to Hiiiiiiimmm . . .

 . . .A'errrrr.....'nother Snow'ho-maaaaan!"

Well, he guessed she wanted them to keep each other company, like he said 'quirky', and the driver and him got the unloading down to 17 minutes!

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Today's Snowman is another blistered one from Doric (bulk-buy from the bargain-bin in a corner-shop!) this time a styrene (or very dense ethylene) one - with his hat intact!

C is for Captain; Charlie Chalk's Captain Mildred!

Totally escaped me - I think I was in Germany, here's the Wikipedia page if you give a toss! She was something in that!

Late 1980's pencil topper, but; while cartoony, she'd paint-up as a very good clown for your Crescent/Kellogg's Circus, I think?

1 is for "On the First Day of Chrissssstmaaas, His True Love Sent to Hiiiiiiimmm . . .

. . . A Snoww-man with'out a Pear tree!"

He didn't actually know why she mentioned a lack of Pear tree on the delivery docket, as he wasn't expecting a Pear tree, not that he was expecting a Snowman either, but that's his True Love for you, a bit quirky...it took the driver and him 20 minutes to unload (refrigerated-stand, an'all), but once it was up, on the front lawn, it looked fine . . .

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Today's snowman comes courtesy of Doric, and while I could have used (should have - although I've found the piece of hat rim - the bane of poured-resin; brittleness!) the Fiddes Payne one, we've already looked at them I think?

Indeed, this '12 Days' meme is a variation of one I ran on the Facebook several years ago, possibly before the Fiddes Payne set was in the collection!

As with the header/bagged sets we looked at the other day (yesterday? I've scheduled so many posts in the last few weeks I don't know where I'm at!) these blister sets are filled with a mix of ethylene, styrene and resin bits and items in other materials, some of which are shared by other packers like Culpitt, Fiddes' &etc.

W is for Weihnachts Tannenbaum

Every year I take loads of photographs of the tree as I dress it, and yet apart from the odd one here or on the Facebook, never seem to do anything with them, building a decent enough photographic record of the tree's development over the years, is all! So I thought I'd subject you to a few for the hell of it, and because having decided to do multiple posts today there's a need to produce the posts with whatever's kicking around on the desktop!

And because there's Toy Soldiers involved - if wafer-thin glass can be trusted to wear 'toy' as a moniker! "Elf 'und'safty mate, these 'aint no toys, roight, whachyerself, cutting hazard right there!"

This is the years additions to the family tree, we added a craft-built hedgehog last year, so I got him a mate, while drums and bears have always been favorites, indeed, the growing 'growl' of bears have put in the odd appearance here on the blog!

The soldiers are brilliant; they came from TK Max, and quite by accident, they had a set with a bear, and angel and a couple of other singles, but the only one I could find had a damaged bear (some hammer-fingered lumpty had stove his head in), so I went to a couple of other stores over the last 6 weeks or so, more than once, hoping for a restock, and while the bear never appeared again I did find a set of four little soldiers, 2 to me, 2 to the 'family' tree!

All four - being smaller they will fill the difficult gaps at the top of the tree where the big ones tend to look silly!

I also found these, but they were almost too big at around 5 1/2 or 6-inches, and the finish was poor (mostly hidden by the photo) with the legs streaked matt and gloss where the paint wasn't mixed well, and the hat's paint wearing-off, so I just shelfied them.

I found them in a place called Home Store or something (I'll look it up when I publish - Homesense) which seemed to be a TK Max subsidiary, with furniture instead of clothes, but the same household and gift stuff?

That's it for today, hope you had a good one. Starting tomorrow; a 12-part story of snowman-love!

A is for Advent!

Nearly through the calendar (20th at time of posting) and not many figural chockies this year (I'll add any additions before this publishes!), one duplicate already - the robin! I missed out on the excellent calendars you get from Lidl or Aldi so it was off to the Poundland for a local product; Kinnerton (part of a larger group with what looks like an Aussie arm?).

They have the same taste, but are much smaller than their Euro-counterparts (a bit like Britain now! Ooh - a Brexit dig on Crimbo-day Hugh; you do like controversy). Also there's an extra door for the 25th (with a mini-bar of chocolate) which just isn't tradition at all! Bah! Humbug!

Additions

Oh! Both duplicates, hey ho; they're here now!

Typically: the best one came on the 24th - A soldier! (or a soldier bear?), anyway; the drinks we were supposed to be going too got put back to this evening and I've made the library with minutes to spare! happy tomorrow, today everyone!

F is for Fleet and Crookham Historical Society - Again!

We had a quick look at their exhibition last year, well; they've done it again! Some duplicates (the Fuzzy Felt looks familiar) some new stuff, the (earlier) Bell version of the Merit stacking set is particularly interesting (a Merit gyroscope and SEL steam-engine also Randall's are both in the display as well), as are the Knex figures, which look to have some age, but had escaped me!

On show at Fleet Library (North Hampshire) for the time being, if you're local - or visiting - get down there for a proper look, if you're not, see what you can spot! Apologies for the photography - as last time, camera-flash, glass-cabinets and strip-lighting combine awkwardly!

I'll look-out for another exhibition next year!