LBJ is for Little Black Dress? No . . . Little Baby Book [wi' ma' poems in!]? No . . . Little Baby Jesus!

Ah?! Was that the sound of a penny dropping in Pennsylvania? No matter, it takes them a while! Onwards and upwards here at SSW, and I must clear the rest of the Christmas stuff before twelfth-night, or it'll be some kind of bad luck, for whoever believes in that superstitions nonsense, but . . . then . . . you can never be too careful!

The family shot! Manurba's nativity set is a sharply-sculpted, traditional group of eight figures, the animals being drafted-in or provided from the based, brown or gray sets of farm (sheep, goats cow, donkey) and zoo (camel) sets available previously/separately from Jean Höefler (who also carried these figures with their stable/Krippen) and as other toy lines; so are not illustrated in this post.

The LBJ appears to have been pinned-out for the ants or something and both parents are looking slightly vexed by the situation. They'd be better occupied swaddling the little chap, before he gets a chill (or eaten by ants) and we all need another pan-dimensional mega-being to believe in!

The 'three kings'; I know I go on about it, but they are Magi or "Wise Men" and while three were named in one gospel, they are an unspecified number of science-philosophers, astronomers and diviners-of-signs, not kings! Also, two of them look to be - respectively - Orthodox and Catholic, or at least central/Eastern European 'high-church' types, despite the fact that neither church existed in the year 0!

The third chap looks to be a Barberry/Corsair type, which at least places him in North Africa or the Levant and - therefore - slightly more realistic in a set which always makes the same white-Euro-Christian-centric, historical-mistakes! Strangely - in reference to today's other post - this chap has some similarities with and was clearly lifted from the Nardi 70 and 100mm plug-together versions.

Not having to worry about the animals, Manurba made up the mould's eight-sculpt, cavity-count for what was likely to be a single-shot tool with the ubiquitous shepherd and a serving wench, she being also more in the Italian presepe tradition.

Both are standing over small saplings' cut-trunks, presumably over in the Holy Land they took trees indoors at census time and hung stuff in them? Even before the land was Holy, although it is full of caves, so maybe . . . !

Marked W.Germany and with a variety of hollows or mould-tool release-pin cavities clearly visible, that's them, there; Manurba's nativity set.

N is probably Not for Nardi

I bought these off a well known dealer, who said he'd been told they were Nardi, but with a face and a tone of voice which said "If you want to believe it too?", and it has to be said there is nothing in the Nardi oeuvre that matches it. It doesn't match the plug-together figures, nor the earlier composition

Therefore - and pending any hysterical updates from TJF or his PSTSM mates - this is an unknown, Italian nativity or 'Precepe' set.

It's beautifully made, and if I had to pin it on anyone I'd choose the Esci/Italiari/Ital-Hobby/Polistil/Supermodel group or chain, as the colours of the plastic have something in common with some of their kits, as has the material - polystyrene - and the kit-like construction, although that construction has, for the most part, been done at source.

The camera's flashes (and the age of the set) have rather led to some unrealistic colour-reproduction, but the components come in a light- and mid-tan and a chocolate-brown, along with some marbling on a few of the animals.

In the shot above we have three wise men, while the below image shows the family doing their 'thang'!

The shepherds in this set have come mob-handed with no less than four individuals, although you could employ three of them as camel-herds, but you'd need to source the camels from elsewhere first!

The upper image is my mock up of a smaller vignette I've seen, made of these, on t'Internet. In the case of that 'budget purchase' (?), the sheep has no base and all four elements are glued to a large'ish steep-sided base moulding in the same dark-brown found in this set and probably from the same tool as the other brown components.

The vignette on the left here, gives some idea of the one I was describing above, although the sides of this one are geometric and much taller. Marked ® and Made In Italy these are the only real clues, there is nothing on the box; probably reflecting an international issue/release; I've seen them on evilBay often-enough, before now.

The angel is made to be attached to something . . .

. . . with two long, locating studs as can be seen here (bottom left). I suspect it's the stable building seen on the box, which presumably was available in the same sales-displays, or perhaps packed together with this set in a larger liner?

The animals have been marbled from the two tan-plastics (sheep) or all three colours (the donkey and cow), both the latter also having a slot-in ear/horn section; which is missing on my donkey.

Whether there are two sculpts/cavities of/for the walking sheep, or if its base was cut off for use with the other vignette - I can't say.

A really nice set; does anyone know anything else about it or who made it?

F is for Fine Fun Festive Frippery From Fleet

Not much text as it's about the pictures, and it's only a bit of fun, see what you can find, especially in the images of the bottom shelf, the rabbits aren't clear, but if I tell you it's the Britain's 'family' you'll spot them, and the rat's not in focus but he is there!

This year's theme was to tie the items on the upper shelves to historical places or views of Fleet, while the bottom shelf seems to be reflecting the fact that there's always been an automotive element to the limited 'industry' of Fleet (which is a dormitory town for London commuters) with the - still extant - scrap-yards up the road at Blackbush, the  Northhant's Tyres factory (post-WWII); later a retail-only, specialist and import outfit (I once worked for), the world famous and now defunct County Tractors and the equally 'ex' First Inertia Switch who used to make fuel-safety cut-off valves for Ford of Detroit - where this author also worked for a short time after leaving the Army.

Ken Haynes motorcycles (on the right) where my brother bought his first Honda Goldwing (and sidecar!) in 1982, before he had a full license - hence the sidecar! Both long-gone; Ken Haynes and the bike, not my brother!

The station, now on its third set of buildings; recently completed and the remains of the jetty showing in the pond, the jetty was used by sea-planes and experimental float-planes from the Fleet Air Arm at Farnborough.

County Tractors

I'm sure we'll get another display next year (I think we've had one three-year's running now?), so I'll look out for it and share it with a wider audience!

And Happy New Year to you!