News, Views Etc . . . PW Shocker!

Not them; me! I knew the 178 was overdue, but I seem to have totally forgotten 177, or not tagged it, anyway I can't find it, so we'd better have a quick run-through of all three, just incase you're still not subscribing and can be tempted by some of the contents!

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Plastic Warrior magazine issue No. 177

No-no, no, I've definitely done this one; I remember the stuff about it being an 'archeological issue' , let me have a better look . . . Phew! I hadn't tagged it! Now Tagged, but it begs the question, what else hasn't been tagged? Because if it's not tagged I haven't a clue where it is after a month or two! Do'us a favour - if you happen to find posts without tags, or spot me posting one, could you pop me a link, or say something in the comments? Cheers!

Right, anyhoos . . . onwards and upwards;

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Plastic Warrior magazine issue No. 178

Articles

* The issued get of to an intersting start with a look at some 'code-3' figurines from Bal-Ler courtesy of Andreas Dittmann and Figuren Magazin

* Andreas is back three pages later to debunk something Timpo some of us didn’t fall for!

* Ashley Keedham follows-up on Peter Nussbaum's original/previous article with a further plethora of Ninjas, Samurais and other Medieval Japanese monk-warrior types from a half-dozen-odd makers!

* The revelations on BR continue apace with shots of examples from Tim Baker's collection as the centre-spread this month

* New production from Russia is given an in-depth editorial from Tom Stark, looking at the Crusaders and Saracens from Biplant and Publius

* In one of his -sadly - last 'Converters Corner' Les White takes knife, glue, Greenstuff and paint to some an AIP (Armies in Plastic) WWI German soldier to produce an interwar-period policeman, and the 'after' figure looks better than the 'before' shot!

* The editor delivers on the Lone Star shooting game 'Cork ∙45' and its figures, with a full set of numbered sculpts and more on the background of this interesting source of red and yellow Native Americans

* 'What The !&*$?' is busy as always with an eclectic mix of figures to ID

• Ashley Needham seeks info on his Highland bass-drummer (figure's base says mallable Mouldings?)
• Gian Piero Larizza whould like someone, anyone to explain the Lido WWII Japanese officer pose . . . so would I!
•  Joe Bellis seeks further sighting of a Confederate and information on a Composition Guardsman
•  And has anyone else seen any Tara Toys stuff (from Wales), with or without Tim Mee copies?

* Peter Evans is back with part 4 of his look at the Military sets from Fontanini, throwing a few Regency-fops in for good measure! [Glasses - he's holding glasses!]

* Joe Bellis and the Editorial team join forces to tell the tale of Linburn figures with lots of pictures (I only have the one, an apparent re-issue, in bright yellow, so they won't be likely on the Blog any year now, so subscribe - Back-Issues Available)

Regular Features

* 'NEWS and VIEWS and other stuff ' covers

• Tragic news on the passing of Stuart Asquith
• Editorial thanks to the readers on a number of subjects
• eBay's AK Gifts courtesy of Ashley Needham
• News on Peter William's Airfix book
• Show Dates (sniff . . . sniff!)
• Sale of Paragon Scenics to Hobby Bunker
• Vectis Auctions
• The regular re-sub' details

* 'Readers Letters' include

• A report on the previous Autumn's Chicago Toy Soldier Show from Roger & Jan Garfield (organisers).
• Roger Barnier of Trooper Toy Soldiers has news.
• There's still more on BR Moulds from J. P. Young.
•  Gerrald Edwards shows an interesting Quaker cereal premium.
•  Stepahn Dance has some interesting memories of the Airfix racing figures to share, - and it struck me that the running driver is similar to the running 1st version paratrooper?
• A follow-up to the Replicants Dick Turpin is supplied by Brian Berke (of this parish) with a painted example.
•  Staying with Replicants; Tom Stark pays homage to the dioramas from PW's 34th Show
•  Graham Cooke and this author follow-up on a previous Barney Brown 'What The !&*$?' query.
•  Colin Penn adds to the 'Civilian V. Military' debate
•  While the editor sneaks in a featurette on Britains Hospital 'What Might Have Been's

* 'Book Review' ? No room!

* 'What's New' has six 'sets' from three companies

Replicants

• Texas Rangers firing/sheltering behind dead/prone horses (x2)
• Comance warriors firing/sheltering behind dead/prone horses (x2)

Engineer Basevitch

• 30 - White Guard Commanders 91918-1921
• 29 - leaders of the Ukrainain Revolution 1917-1921

Chintoys

• CHT023 - Italian Warriors
• CHT024 - Spanish Warriors

* Plus all the usual readers small-ads

* Covers -

Front; Kinder Samurai

Back; Bal-Ler Mexican

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Plastic Warrior magazine issue No. 179

The current issue . . . and it's a really good one;

Articles

* Fontanini (part 5) by Peter Evans covers the copies, piracies, licensed stuff and late entries from the military range parts 1-4 have been following

* Peter Nussbaum begins a short (but fascinating) 2 part series on early medieval artillery and other contraptions employing gunpowder, with samples from Elastolin, Zvezda ad others illustrating the evolution of canon

* 'Converters Corner' and other from the sadly lost Les White, who takes a Boxer rebellion Japanese Infantryman from AIP and turns out a series of Naval landing part troops from the rape of Shanghai (1937)

* A two-page spread with no by-line is dedicated to a boxed set by Oklahoma of Argentina and it's a cracker!

* Loads more BR figures are supplied by Chris Smith who compares with Polish figures and raises the possibility of newer production? Colin Penn's Kleeware truck closes the spread

* Andreas Dittmann returns to Bal-Ler with help from Figuren Magazin (link above)

* 'What's New' includes two sets from Chintoys . . .

• CHT021 - Landsknechts
• CHT022 - Swiss Warriors (Swiss mercenaries?)

* Part 2 of Pedro Lopes da Cunha's overview of HaT Indutrie's ancient-figures' production reaches the Cathaginains (and Hannibal's funny little Elephants)

* An editorial with help from Kent Sprecher and Steve Vickers looks at the Crescent sculpt cowboys & Indians, with an interesting revelation (which will be incorporated into the article I pulled to await publication of this!)

* There's a round-up of British consumer-goods/food premium figures from Gerald Edwards with sampls of Nestlē's (as they used to be called!), Peak Freans and Betterware ephemera

* Reader's Letters packs an amazing amount into three pages;

• Eric Keggans throws some wonderful Mettoy space under the bus
• Robert Cullinan calls for newer 'Specials'
• Colin Penn shows the Bisset/Hachette part-work Egyptian Gods
• Peter Evans shows Papo pirates and medievals
• Ashley Needham follows-up on Bal-Ler instruments
• Brian Berke advises on Lido Japanese!
• Nigel Lambourn shows a full set of the Airfix-copy gunners which have been bugging this Blog for years! Still no maker, but possibly a stand-alone artillery toy?
• Chris Smith follows-up on the 'What The !&*$?' highland drummer from PW178, and then shows a bunch of Linburns 

And - speaking of 'What The !&*$?'; it too packs a lot into three pages this issue;

• A James Bond/Space Car from Andreas Dittman needs its FE moniker expanded?
• A 'Could It Be' from Jack Shalatain presents the possible missing Speedwell horse?
• More on Herald Trojans Hong Kong clones and background also from Jack S
• More on the Clairet/Timpo/Trojan et al advancing American with SMG
• James Opie also expands on the highland drummer from PW178 and the hunt set from PW's passim

Editorial Page - News and Views and other stuff

* Obituaries for both Roy Dilly and Les White are a sad start to one of the best issues in a long while.

* Show news is as depressing as anywhere else at the moment, with PW35 hoping to reschedule for the autumn, Herne hoping to open it's doors on the 5th July and Chicago holding their powder dry with time to decide still in the bag? But check with each for further progress - Herne may be over-ambitions, but Germany haven't made the mess of Covid-19 we have, and with a strict distancing and 'up & down' aisle system it could still work, but buyers will have to get a move-on if everyone's 'queuing', if you miss something go back round and look again! PW's hopes for the autumn look more realistic, but it's starting to look like the US are going to have another spike and lose - potentially - another 100,000 souls (because they have an insecure, childish, semi-fascist, illiterate, short-tempered fuckwit for President), so I think they'll see Christmas still stuck with left-over controls, but fingers crossed for Chicago - and for all three - they are the trio of 'headline' plastics events! No news on Birmingham yet?

* The old PW website has gone, really, really, nothing there to see gone.

* Steve Vickers has a new phone-number - 07456 173 178

* Plus all the usual small-ads and the trade-ad flyer with more on sellers.

* Cover images this issue are a shot of Peter Nussbaum's massed guns (front) and some Engineer Basevitch cavalry painted by Fernando Enterprises on the back.

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All - in both issues - continuing to be presented in perfect technicolourfulness!

* PW's contact details;

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PlasticWarrior?fref=ts

Blogger - http://plasticwarrioreditor.blogspot.co.uk/

eMail  - mailto:pw.editor@ntlworld.com

Website's back on the menu but won't be updated (eMail first) deader than a dead-thing that paid Charon, crossed the Styx and went to Hades to have itself declared very dead.

Tel: 01483 722 778
Fax: 01483 722 723

And they are on Paypal

P is for Pyramids

It's aliens in'it? No! It’s the simplest way to build large structures with low technology . . . basically it’s a pile of solidified builder's sand! And; the shape (viewed though half-closed eyes) is the only thing which links the Pyramids of Egypt with the stepped-temples of Mesoamerica, or orgiastic piles of Madhya Pradesh in pre-Mogul India!

I mentioned another parcel from Peter Evans the other day, and I'm not planning it an 'H is for...' as it will mostly get an outing in rack-toy month (RTM - August), although I have taken a birds-eye shot for later, but these two were loose in the parcel, I have no idea where they came from but it must be a play-set toy or activity pack of some kind?

Both a rather bright yellow polyethylene and entirely hollow, posed here with an Atlantic Pharaonic chariot in 1:72nd as the best size guide. Actually Pharaoh has got in the way - they are separate sculpts, not joined at the corners! 16-06-20 - They are from the larger 'Egypt' bucket by K&M under the Wild Republic brand (code 22854).

While I had camera and Egyptians at the same location . . . this one is a polished piece of what I suspect is Portland sandstone, but filled with vegetative detritus rather than the more recognisable fossils you find on Westminster Bridge or the side of the Economist Building; an off-cut in other words, which lent itself to being shaped-up and polished as a pyramidal keepsake!

In comparison with the card one we looked at a while ago, some kids' activity-magazine I picked-up in a charity shop a year or so ago. There is a fourth I could show, but anyone who's seen the Marx Miniature Masterpiece pyramid will know it's too tall, too blunt, too 'square' and too err . . . purple (!) to be included this time, we'll check it out in a MMM-accessory round-up some time!

The figure shots here show the commoner colours of these; from orangey- through tanned- to pale-flesh, but it's worth noting that unless you're a box-completeist, you're always better trying to get your hands on the larger chariot or 'Egyptian Cavalry' sets (1503, 1603 or 2503) as you don't always get all the poses in the smaller box (1803).

And many thanks to Peter for the plastic ones! 

News, Views Etc . . . Press Releases!

This is the latest press release from Barney at Herald Toys & Models, get them before they're gone, as experiance dictates they don't hang-around there for long!

"...this week we have a large collection of farm models by Barrett & Sons and F. G. Taylor, including a number of more interesting colour variants. We will shortly be listing our new collection of other farm models by British makers, including Charbens, Hilco and Speedwell. Stay safe everyone..."

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Also, I've received this top secret public information film from a government department dealing with Covid-19 fallout and it would seem the nation's cats are taking against certain model-figurines and treating them with all the respect they deserve!

N is for Nearer . . . but Further Away!

There was one thing in the recent donation from Chris that stunned me - a complete set or whole team of the footballers we looked at a while back here at Small Scale World . . .

. . . and it will help with the rest of this post if you go and read the earlier one again first . . . no . . . really - it will make things much clearer . . .

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Have you read it . . . have you?

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OK! . . . OK, I believe you! let's have a look at the new ones again;

Each is numbered and all together are a continuous 1 to 11, with the un-numbered referee. Having read the previous post (as you did, didn't you?), you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a full team, having all the poses we have looked at previously, with the correct shirt numbers and enough missing poses/numbers to make a full team?

Well, so far so good then, the bases are new (from the old post), with each numbered to match the figure attached to it, here 1 and 5 (note that the '5' is reversed), also the 'landscaping' makes them very much a fourth type to the previous three, being light near-parallel striations on the surface of otherwise flat tops.

But, then, just when it's all making sense . . . it goes weird on us!

These were on evilBay about the time of the last post as someone sent me the link, there were more images, but this will suffice to illustrate the problem! There are at least two 'more' or 'other' poses! One almost definitely wearing a number-6 shirt ('our' number six being absent from the line-up) the other apparently replacing the missing 3, but it's not clear from the other shots. I assume the 9 is our 9?

And being sold as a team in a quite ornate paint-job (I found this link for those interested in which teams can be represented), on a backing card - from the other shots in the listing I can tell you each player is glued to a printed outline with his number on it in this un-sequential order, although I don't know what's printed in the referee's place . . . '0'?

From the bases landscaping I think they are the set I called type 2 last time, I think now they are the earliest, but I'll try re-sorting them next time we return to them - which we will, when there's more to tell or questions to be answered! Note also that shirt 1 is painted as a goalie.

It also struck me that both material and base type on these would tie-them in with the Wild West we looked at again recently which would bring Injectaplastic of Portugal and/or Jouets Super Plastic of France into the mix and to help with that theory, the backing card would appear to be set-up for a multinational customer base with various languages, found on the pitch-side advertising hoardings?

So, thanks to Chris (and this was very generous of him) I now have a 'full' team, but there's another one out there! Well; given the evidence in both posts, many teams, with any one of four base types and numerous strips - it could be a field of 'cameo collecting' that would occupy someone for years, just by itself!

And can anyone tell us what number is on- or confirm- a number 3 shirt in the new diving pose? The base-plug/locating-stud is on his left bum-cheek I think?

Cheers Chris, as is often the way; the more we know, the more we have to find out!

H is for How They Come In - Week 18 - 4 Sci-fi, Fantasy and TV/Movie-related

We'll start with the Robots in deference to the recent passing of Florian Schneider (we are not the Robots, but you were!) and because I listed Sci-fi first!

They are in many respects (colour, plastic type, sculpting style etc . . .) similar to the Arco Robots, but are clearly NOT the Arco Robots! They have a cavity in their backs which has what appears to be a mounting spigot for something, but no 'somethings' came with them, which in a sample of such numbers you'd expect; if only one, so it may have something to do with the way they were sold, a secondary function (attached to a bigger 'thing' or part of the production process?

Also, as is always the case with these autograndizedmecha's I have no idea if they represent any known license, or which set of characters they might be if they do?

 

Now known to be Bi-Tron rack-toys, issued by Pikit in the UK and probably Gordy International in the USA, they come with a 'space' helicopter/lifting body thing and various micro-armour multi-wheeled AFV's, who's turrets probably go in the holes on the backs of the Mecha's/giant battle-suits, there's also an articulated recovery platform which seems to be lifted from Takara-Tomy's Votom range, seen here at Small Scale World passim.

These are the best! Believe it or not, they are bendies! I have a small bendy bear which I thought was as small as they could get, but these are teeny-tiny bendy! All given three blobs of black paint they cover quite a range with another autograndizedmecha, a more conventional R2BenD robot microwave and home-entertainment system, and a clown! Bargain! Absolute, total, bloody-bargain!

This is interesting; it appears to be a modern dense polyethylene/polypropylene re-issue of one of the old Post cereal-premium bird-men, themselves downsized from the Lido captain video figures we've looked at before?

Given the way old novelty and premium moulds seem to have migrated to South- or Spanish America over the years, I'm guessing it's from there, but it could be French . . . maybe, or a China-made gum-ball machine capsule-prize? Lovely thing to receive in the post, for free!

More conventional territory here, with two bug-eyed 'Martians' and a couple of astronauts, the three to the left being Matchbox Mega-Rigs, the chap to the right being the unknown, like Wing Mau but smaller chap we've seen before, he differs from that example in having a numeral '1' on his base suggesting cavity codes, not pose numbers?

I first sorted this into the animal pile as a nice-looking humming-bird, but a closer look revealed saddlery! When I raised it with Chris, he managed to find some on feeBay and ten minutes later we had this link and the knowledge that they were McDonald's 'Happy Meal' premiums for Epic.

Seems to have been a good film, but swallowed-up by a couple of other blockbusters that summer (2013) and rather forgotten, I'd never heard of it; but I'm gonna' find it on DVD!

Three bits of fun; a Crater Critter from R&L, a gum-ball lion with charm/key-ring loop, I had a loopless one, so that's a useful upgrade and a flocked rabbit, blowing a raspberry, who can stand-up or up-stand! I love this stuff!

A mix of  . . . probably . . . Pokemon and/or Gormiti and/or Exogini and/or Ben10 &etc? It's impossible to follow all these with everything else going on, but there are plenty of sites carrying the information/data, for when it does all need to be sorted for 'proper'! Obviously; a robot dog with a kukri for a tail . . . IS a bit special!

Again, thanks to Chris for all we've seen in the last four posts, there is one item to come in a separate post, but there was plenty more than we've seen just-now, and it will all be sorted away and come back as full sets or in thematic posts months or even years from now as the Blog's still only a few % into the total of 'all-everything' figural!

H is for How They Come In - Week 18 - 3 Prehistory, Wild West and Civilians

Let's get straight into it . . . lots to cover!

Chinasaurs! The two oxide-brown ones and the yellow one are variants of my favourite silicon-rubber set from my own childhood, so well pleased to get them in the post! I think the pink one goes with them but I don't remember having him when we were kids. Meat-eater gets the ice-picks!

Sliding forward a few millennia's worth of millennia and we see the rise of the hairy-pink monkeys, who, I'm sorry to report have rather taken the role of T-Rex with added fire . . . power!

The three little ones (Tim Mee clones - possibly (from the quality) licensed/permissed) are or were Toy Major and came in the same sets as the TM versions of the Hornby Battle Set's figures (which Toy Major (or their contract manufacturer) would have supplied), indeed, I think these may even be from The Hornby take-off of Jurrasic Park?

That all got too convoluted! The three in front are ex-Tim Mee sculpts reduced-down in size, possibly with permission and were issued in various carded sets by Toy Major (TM)™ and/or their associates and a Hornby model railway playset . . . period!

Behind them are - either side - figures we've looked at before and will return to at some point, while in the middle is the Safari cave-man engaging some mega-fauna in a bit of extinction!

The Horse we saw earlier; it has some of the lines of Texas sculpting but isn't a known Texas thing; however Italy or Spain is a likely origin? The 'big guy' is Phidal-like or Disney-store, and presumably from a Pocahontas play-set of some kind?

The brown-pair are lovely - for sub-scale/sub-standard clones! I think probably Christmas crackers, but that would mean 'capsule' elsewhere? I may have some more somewhere (it's the sort of thing I have spirited away over the years), if I find them we'll have a closer look.

The Totem pole is very interesting as it's a Comansi sculpt, but unmarked and hard 'styrene. It also has a small cavity at the base-rear, which would seem to facilitate the insertion of a card-holding peg, such as used by S for Star/Star Toys and others, so a larger set of theirs?

The running cavalryman is nice, modern I think and slightly damaged, I dare-say they are out there somewhere in a tub of 100 - Hing Fat, Americana? Someone like that, but I don't know offhand?

Three late rack-toy clones, but different for being Timpo 'swoppet' copies rather than the usual Airfix (or Jean!) clones, another of the premium-looking 'unknown' ones, a Texas backwoodsman/cavalry scout rider, Siku smoker (larger size) and Toumoulage archer.

In front is a quite unusual figure who has a plug-on base in the style of Timpo or that Brazilian (?) lot who copied Britains, but he's a relatively original sculpt, probably European anyone recognise him? All polyethylene and seems to be factory paint and (because I've learnt to turn my figures upside down, and read!) he's not marked 'Nardi', 'Italy' or even 'W.Germany', having a smooth underside to the base.

There was lots of Wild West in Chris's parcel, I've just shot a few of the interesting pieces for now, you may have spotted in the first post, several Lone Star shooting-game figures; I'm going to save them until I have a full set in both colours, as I've blogged them here several times now and PW has published the full set.

Civilians; a lovely soft-plastic Hong Kong copy of the Gem golfer, usually HK copies of Gem are hard polystyrene? Then an unpainted Dinky road worker, probably ex-outpainters leftovers, as they are usually painted?

Two little girls I know nothing about, the same lifeboat crew as I think Chris sent before, but complete and I have since confirmed that they are from the Frog kit, the tool for which seems to have ended-up in Russia. Nice copy of the Corgi safari guide, seen here before but only as a chewed/broken example!

Equally nice rubber fireman, who is very similar [in material] to Auburn but smaller? I guess some US maker and I'll try to find him before I do that page - which is still happening! In front is another PVC figure, a petrol-attendant, but kneeling, so probably included in a racing-car set?

Finishing-up with some footballers, the small one is from the least-common type of Gem copy (this one is 'styrene) with the oblong base, the other two (not necessarily on the right bases) are from a recent part-work (I think, I did find them the other day or Chris sent me a link?), anyway they are rather nice and - obviously - personality-specific sculpts.

Thanks again to Chris for sharing these with the rest of us and there's more to come - sci-fi, fantasy and TV/Movie next!

H is for How They Come In - Week 18 - 2 Other Military

We're starting with the money box (known as money banks over the pond), which doubles as a 'bissquit' tin, well, it's primary goal is one of protecting biscuits, the saving of money is the novelty 'added value' afterthought!

I did send this to Moonbase's recent season on the subject, which continues apace with a tram added the other day (I might have a bus somewhere, but buried deep in the garage I fear) , however and in the meantime I had found out a little more about it, so we'll have another look now!

I wondered from the shape if it might have contained the dry crackers for cheese, but on reflection suspect it may have been shortbread, aimed at the tourist market, it obviously bearing the likenesses of several ceremonially-attired British troops, namely a Coldstream Guardsman (paired buttons), Royal Marine bandsman/drummer, a Yoman Warder 'Beefeater' from the 'white' Tower of London and a member of the ceremonial 'Kings Troop' of the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA).

Issued by Huntley & Palmer, a local firm here, down the road in Reading (I well remember the smell!)* it is apparently the third in a series, issued in 1971 it followed the pattern of tins originally issued in 1910 and 1914 (hence the 'apparently', it's such a big gap to the third design, one feels there may have been interim designs?).

*Reading had two smells when I was a kid, the H&P factory's wonderful baking sugar and bread smells and - in the centre of town - the sour, stick-in-your-throat smells of the brewery!

The plastic roof was the innovation on the 1971 version, as was the money-slot and all three sentry boxes are on Reading Museum's website (which is why I suddenly know so much about them!) and the earlier two can be seen here;

1910 - Huntley & Palmer's tin - Sentry Box

1914 - Huntley & Palmer's tin - Sentry Box

I've had an email exchange with Matthew Williams at the museum, and after lockdown they will look at adding images of the other sides of the tins, as while it will be interesting to see who's on the other sides of the 1910 tin, more interesting will be who - if anyone - replaces Germany on the 1914 tin?

[06-06-2020 - In fact the notes have already been updated to reflect that fact, Germany was replaced with Belgium! But the RHA is still described as a Hussar. Oh, and it's the 76th anniversary of D-Day today!]

The marking however, is an HBS, which was for many years an independent 'arm' of the biscuit makers started and run by one of the sons; Huntley, Boorne and Stevens, although eventually it was brought in-house, it will - for half a century or more - have also supplied tins and tin-plate goods/components to other customers around Britain and across the 'Empire' - as was.

Other ceremonial or historical figures in Chris's donation include the large guardsman who goes with the previously seen Guards officer and RHA trooper, but this time is based with the full set of Tringa Toy marks including a date; 2004, showing how quickly things which are 'It's still in the shops' current production, become 'Blimey, it's over 15 years old' collectables, purly by dint of the inexorable march of time!

He's missing what I have half a recollection was an SA80, and I think I may have one in the loose weapons zone, from another mixed lot as some point? If I can marry them up we'll have another look at them all-together, as they (three and a sentry box) have all been donated to the Blog (Chris Smith and Peter Evans) for showing to you, loyal readers!

Due only to the delay in getting these posts out, we now know - from the recent plumping of Plastic Warrior magazine No.179 onto our door-mats that the Herald clones are from the Argentine company Oklahoma, we looked at another a while ago (from Adrian I think - another officer with sword?), however, the mag' shows the ACW bugler was also given the Argentinian Army make-over!

The other three are an Esci gunner, a small Highlander 'mocherette' and another Highlander, who may have been removed from a pop-up toy and wired, but Chris suggested he may be an old, damaged earring? I think there's millage in that.

Medievals; Both Chris and I suspect Poland for the rider, the under-paint polemer is very 'Polish' and I have a memory of seeing plain, gold-paint foot figures attributed to Poland somewhere? The little guy may be a war-gaming figure, but I suspect either a board game or a touristy thing; another 'mocherette' anyway! While the archer is Wild Republic (K&M).

I placed him on a spare horse - also in Chris's donation, and if you think the angles poor for getting a handle on the horse, we'll look at it again in the Wild West shots! It's not the rider's horse, but looks the part of a tough little steppe-pony!

Many, many-thanks again to Chris for sending us all these and next-up; Wild West, Prehistoric and Civilians!