M is for Medical Corps - Historex No's 771, 772 (1), (1)a, (1)b, (2) & (3) , 773, 774 (1), (2) & B, and 775 (1), (2) & (3)

There was no way to separate the figures and the wagon here, or not without tons of cropping and touching-up, so they're all in a bit of a huddle and you'll have to take what you want from them if you can find it!

The Boss!

The Wagon; I assume the wagons have the Gribeauval System at the front end, but the rear seems very different, it's fully sprung for comfort, for starters!

The uniforms . . .

There seems to be a cross fertilisation between human and veterinary medicine in the Corps, however I'm no expert and haven't read the blurb, I don't really follow the period, although I may be reading-up on it in the future, but I know some horse ambulances are open, so a conversion job/potential there?

G is for Gribeauval System - Regimental Wagon - Historex No's 784(i), (ii) & (iii), 785 & 786

A real quickie as I don't have the colour sheet if there ever was one, but for completion's sake here the little I did get from the catalogues (five catalogues have come in since the original scans, but I haven't started trying to make sense of them, just take the odd page!); the Regimental Wagon, which I assume is like our General Service (GS) wagons, or filling the same niche - a standardised design for ammunition, troops, other stores, cargo or casualties?

Just a thought, but one wonders if the Gribeauval System wouldn't have produced a weak-point in these, over the more sturdy British one, by dint of having a diss- or 'de-'mountable system (the limber/bogie set up between the horses and wagon-body) meaning a natural weakness at the join over rough ground or under fire . . . nothing jingoistic, just a curious thought? My thanks to Tony, and we're looking at the sheets for the ambulance next.

G is for Gribeauval System - Field Forge & Crew - Historex No's 741 & 743

So, I started the year with every intention of getting all these done, and while about half of them have been scanned (memo to self - do the rest this weekend so they are on the system), and a good start was made with the character figures and a few of the horse-drawn transport posts, other stuff and real life put the brakes-on!

So I'll get the last five horse-drawn sets out now (they've been on the desktop since March I think?!), and make more effort next year, but they'll all stack-up under the Historex tag, with the show plunder re-branded (heat-branded!) Elastolin 40mm's which were found at the May PW Show!

 

There was also a crew of three blacksmiths or 'Artillery Artisans' available;

Because Historex was rather all about the uniforms they are relaxed upright poses, if you wanted to get them more active, you married them to bits of Airfix 54mm Collector Series 'multipose' figures and ordered extra arms!

If I had the time and the skill I'd love to do a diorama of these chaps heat-shrinking a new iron-tyre onto a wheel. And many thanks to Mr Foy of the Prometheus in Aspic Blog, who sent all these to Small Scale World many years ago.

W is for Well . . . I'll be Fucked!

A thought for the day, we haven't had one for a while!

Currently, experts know very little about where swearing gets its power, but power it carries!

What we do know about swearing:

• It can trigger the “fight or flight” function
• It helps with catharsis
• It might be located in/come from different parts of the brain from other speech/language-use regions.

https://theconversation.com/the-power-of-swearing-how-obscene-words-influence-your-mind-body-and-relationships-192104

 

I'm a hell of a fucking swearer, as some of you know, I inherited the habit from my father, who was terrible compared to me - when the mood, an over-officious nabob or some plain-old arsehole - took him, and it strikes me that those who dislike ALL swearing (or 'cussing' as they often call it?), tend toward fear of emotion in all it's forms.

It's not that they necessarily tend to religious faith (although a lot do) or tend toward conservatism per se, although many do, but rather that they are slightly afraid of life, and rich-life in particular. And, if the above article is to be believed; they are under-using one or two areas of their brains?

Non-scientific observation - by me! - seems to suggest non-swearers often have frightfully ordered lives, and that's actually sad - life is to be lived, not ordered into little grey tick-boxes, and when; in living life, it throws a curve-ball at you, a good expletive will help dull the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"!

Thought for the day - swear more! It's healthy!

T is for Toob...no, Make that 'Tub'!

This is a post which has been in 'Draft' for so long I can't remember why I never posted it and/or what I was holding it for? So I'm chucking it up here as a bit of eye-candy, with a view to getting it out of the draft list (currently five), so the total number of posts equals the total number published!

 

Sent to the Blog by Juan Angel (Gog on https://toysfromthepast.blogspot.com/) also ages ago, even more 'ages' ago, so many thanks to him, and is shots of a sealed or at least unopened Comansi 60mm Wild West set, and an early one I think, later ones had a mix of painted and unpainted figures, while these are all painted. You can see cowboys, Native American Indians and Cavalry.

But it's not the earliest as it has a couple of unpainted horses along with a painted one. I might have one of those Comansi Sheriff's badges, from a 40mm set of these I had years ago.

Three tatty Indians which came in a year or two later (we may have seen them in a show report?) which I added to the post, but still didn't text-it-up or publish it, so, well, here they are now, nothing special, but up here at last!

F is for Fairykins - 6 of 6

So to the last layer of the windows in this overview of the Fairykin's book/figure set, annd we have five Nursery Rhyme 'minor characters', along with Hansel and Gretel, who are another fairy-tale given a quick prose-poem by Marx to fit their story on the box!

I think Goosy Goosy Gander and Mistress Mary are the new additions to my previous loose sample here, possibly the clock, but I have a feeling I did have one, but maybe I sorted it into the Disneykins as a suspected Disney widow-box accessory, rather than leaving it with the Fairykins?

Ah, yes; gratuitous ultra-violence visited upon forgetful elders by wandering poultry!

Goosey goosey gander,
Whither shall I wander?
Upstairs and downstairs
And in my lady's chamber.
There I met an old man
Who would not say his prayers,
I took him by his left leg
And threw him down the stairs.

One of the well out-of scale pieces in this set, the goose is closer to 54mm compatibility, and reasonable sculpt, but like most of these 'Painted by hand by artists' figurines, actually in the same stab-and-hope style as the rest of them!

****************

Ah yes; more dark, Teutonic, forest-based, goings-on, more unaccompanied children; you wonder anyone ever went into a medieval forest without an armed guard of twenty!

"Come in my Children," coaxed the witch, all smiles,
When she caught the two eating her gingerbread tiles.
This mean witch cooked children for supper and lunch,
She fancied Hansel might be splendid to munch.
"Gretel, see if the fire in the oven is red"
"How" said Gretel, "Like me" the witch said.
Then Gretel shoved and the witch toppled in
And baked to gingerbread crisp and thin.

Darkly darker than some of the dark-enough originals! Barely been introduced and Gretel's cooked their host alive! Hansel and Gretel are good survivors being quite solid, squat sculpts and I have several already, useful as children for O-gauge railways.

Ah, yes; Child labour for prison food, and mindless rodents!

Little Tommy Tucker
Sings for his supper.
What shall he eat?
Brown bread and Butter.

And;

♪ Hickory, Dickory Dock!
The mouse ran up the clock,
The clock struck one,
And down he ran,
Hickory, Dickory Dock! ♪

Tommy Tucker is another one which the older Opie's did work on, while we always said/sang ". . . The mouse ran down . . ." which scans better and is the normal version,  although I didn't even know there were more verses;

Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck two,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck three,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.

Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck four,
The mouse ran down,
Hickory dickory dock.

The clock/mouse is a nice, unusual sculpting, and with the removal of the mouse (the size of a house cat), the clock would be more useful as a diorama accessory in a shelled or bomb-damaged building? The new addition looks to be slightly damaged on the crown-finial - or whatever that decorative gold stuff at the top is called!

Ah, yes! Playing with your food! 

Little Jack Horner sat in the corner
Eating his Christmas pie
He put in his thumb
And pulled out a plum
And said, "What a good boy am I!"

An odd one this one, one of the longest histories . . . (I've only linked to the more interesting ones), and a true five-line limerick, but I don't remember it ever being a 'Christmas' pie, however I can't remember what - apparently - incorrect word we used instead? Old age creeping-up on me!

But, like Miss Muffet, one of the nicer, or more imaginative sculpts, there's definitely a plum on that thumb! But no damage to the pie? He's ruined one and taken another into the corner; greedy isn't the word!

Ah, yes! We reach the end!

Mistress Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

Marx have gone with bits of both common versions, as kids we used the Mary, Mary line, and there is a ruder, antique version. Another nice sculpt, and that brings these fun posts to an end! Something else next?

F is for Fairykins - 5 of 6

Onwards and upwards, we're at the fourth shelf down and we've two fairy tales and a nursery rhyme, although Marx has produced poems for all three!

I think I have most of these already in the loose stuff, but I'm not sure about Red' or Daddy Bear, yet obviously I have them now! How that wolf is supposed to be able to eat a whole granny so she can be rescued a few minutes later by the woodsman/hunter is anybody's guess!

Ah, yes; Murder, mayhem, talking wolves, unaccompanied children, isolated elders and expert axemanship in the forest, the Black Forest I bet!

"Where are you going, Red Riding Hood?"
Asked the crafty wolf in the deep, dark wood.
"To Granny's house with flowers and bread"
"I'll take the short cut" the mean wolf said
When Riding Hood got there in her cloak of red
Granny was in the closet, the wolf in her bed
He sprang at the lass and her cries of dread
Alerted a hunter who shot the wolf dead

"In the closet"? what a cop-out Louis Marx! I may have had the Wolf already, but I think Red Riding Hood is new, or if I had got her previously she will be found to be scruffy or damaged?

Ah yes; a close call because bears like little girls, for breakfast; much nicer than porridge! 

Three bears stepped out for a walk one day.
In came Goldilocks while they were away.
She rocked in their chairs, ate some porridge and bread
And fell fast asleep in the littlest bed
"Who's been using my chair?" Father Bear growled
"Who ate all my Porridge?" Mother Bear howled
When Baby Bear cried, "Who's asleep in my bed?"
She awoke with a start and away she sped!

A much sanitised version, she actually broke a chair, ate all Mummy Bear's breakfast, licked the other spoons and mussed-up all the bedding, she was - not to put too finer point on it - an entitled little brat who would go on to stand for the Republican Party!

And Marx seems to have her trying to bribe Baby Bear with his own bowl! This - loose - Baby Bear has lost his spoon, so I think I'm still looking for a better one? 

Ah, yes; more unaccompanied children, this time Health and Safety is absent at the crucial moment!

♪ Jack and Gill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Gill came tumbling after. ♪

We knew the second verse as kids, but I don't remember the third, and the history of this one is quite interesting.

Up Jack got and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper;
Went to bed to mend his head
With vinegar and brown paper.

The two new ones in the loose lot here have both had their buckets removed, but I have a few loose in good-nick, including soft ethylene Hong Kong copies which we looked at here, and who ironically have also had their buckets removed! In fact time has allowed me to realise that Hong Kong Jack is also a reverse copy, while Hong Kong Jill is pretty accurate, just sans-bucket!

More tomorrow!

F is for Fairykins - 4 of 6

Well, I think it was Einstein who said time can be relative, so tomorrow can be later today; in some universes anyway, this might as well be one of them! The second row is lacking kittens but still has some of the better sculpts;

While I think I may have the missing kittens somewhere, I'm pretty sure they are a bit chewed up, so I'm still looking for two good ones I think? I have Pussycat, but possibly not with the other 'kins; his paint job (airbrush/spray) is so different I may have sorted him 'out' rather than in!

Ah, yes; A ten-inch talking spider and a slightly tomboyish Miss Muffet despite the voluminous skirt'age!

Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Not the best version of it, a more 'normal one has 'there came', 'big spider' and 'who sat';

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
There came a big spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

While Curds & Whey is cottage cheese, and our Hobby's own James Opie's parents carried out some of the research in to the origins of the rhyme.

This is quite a stunning sculpt for its diminutive size, apart from her tiny spoon, the spider is actually doffing a top-hat and has eight legs, two of which are holding him upright, one is resting on his 'hip', the other active limb is holding the hat, while the four inactive legs are crossed across his abdomen!

Ah yes; draconian punishment for the loss of gloves . . . an important childhood lesson - we never learnt! I'm not going to transcribe the Marx version which is readable above, as it's had sections cut out to get from loss of mittens to eating of pie in a small text-box, so here's the Gladstone original from 1827

The three little kittens they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,
Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
Our mittens we have lost
What? Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We shall have no pie.
Our mittens we have lost.

The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to smile,
Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,
Our mittens we have found
What? Found your mittens, you good little kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We shall have some pie.
Let us have some pie.

The three little kittens put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;
Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear
Our mittens we have soiled
What? Soiled your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
Our mittens we have soiled.
Then they began to sigh.

The three little kittens they washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;
Oh! Mother dear, look here, look here,
Our mittens we have washed
What? Washed your mittens, you good little kittens,
But I smell a rat close by.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We smell a rat close by.
Let's all have some pie.

The fact that in the smaller window-box set, one of the accessories is a flat of the mittens drying onn a line, suggests knowledge of the longer version. Although Mother is holding a blue mitten, while those on the line were white! Blue and Yellow look quite upset by their shenanigans, but Red is looking a little too pleased with [his?] performance!

Ah, yes; a clear breach of Palace security, allowing a mangy stray to enter the throne-room!

Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?
I've been to London to look at the Queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under the chair

Not quite the version I learnt;

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
I've been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair

The differences being 'visit' and 'her' makes it more personal, the Marx cat could have just looked through the railings at Buck' House? Another nice sculpt too.

I shot them all again as I couldn't remember if I'd shot a line-up and it was quicker to do one than check the shots in the camera! Clearly I need to find good examples of Red and Blue kitty, as Yellow looks quite bereft with its little tear!

More tomorrow!