G is for Going Fishing

Well, they haven't 'gone'; they're still here for us to look at! A small thematic post on the fishermen who have come my way over time, they are not all here, the LB set is larger than two figures and I've yet to track-down the Subbuteo fishers - who I think I'm right in saying are sitting on tackle-box stools?

Cake decoration seems to be the final arbiter in how many fishing types we end up with, and past cake decoration rather than current I fear, but trends are a moveable feast and fashions change, small dioramas where long-ago replaced by piles of fruit in gelatine or fancy icing waterfalls!

From the left we have a typical 1960/70's cake decoration (marked SK.No 169.S) in hard polystyrene plastic (with a soft polyethylene rod) of the kind carried by Culpitt here and Wilton across 'the pond'. Then two Lik Be (LB) fishermen, one a harpooner from a whaler (not a country Mr. President!) and one sports-fisherman with a huge tuna over his shoulder, then the Gemodels figure also carried by Culpitt, but not - as far as I know - Wilton; all three polyethylene and finally a PVC key-ring novelty, sans hoop.

George Musgrave's Gem fisherman; many colours (as per the golfer and diver figures), and he seems to have given-up casting his hook in favour of adopting the aboriginal practice of spearing the fish with the thin-end of his rod . . . And; let's be honest; he looks very pleased with the undeniable result!

Back when I was a small scale figure collector (and a bit of a philistine) I used to remove the key-ring loops! It still needs touching-up with a  bit of paint, but these days I wouldn't indulge in such vandallistic practice! Spellcheck says I just invented 'vandallistic', should it have one el or two? Questions, questions!

Fishermen!

A is for Armée Française a l'Alkastap-Altaplast

Or at least they were packed and branded as Alkastap in one of their un-marked iterations, they were probably actually made by Injecta Plastic who did a fair bit of premium type stuff.

Best - and first - known as Bonux premiums, we did look at them back at the start of the blog and there wasn't anything particularly wrong with the post's blurb, but the pictures were a tad kak-shite, so this is more of an excuse for a return, than a specific follow-up! With added big-guns!

Bonux Premiums, three sets of four figures, all depicting French troops of the brush-fire wars/end of colonialism period; Indochina and Algeria; with sets in Foreign Legion kepis, para berets and infantry helmets. Bonux is marked on the flatter side of the bases which slope with fluted-hollows underneath, like Mokerex coffee-premiums, and might - therefore - share a tool-maker.

The FFL haven't improved since we last saw them with a lot of chucking and waving going-on and not much weaponry-fighting! Although all the grenadiers are otherwise un-armed as well, so the whole unit of 12 aren't going to hold Firebase Gabrielle for long!

They were also available unmarked in the same colours as the Bonux premiums and silver (left hand picture) manufactured in the same softish 'Airfix' polyethylene, while the right-hand picture shows figures issued in a harder 'Hong Kong' polymer which may be an ethylene or a polypropylene, having a denser, tinier propety, and may be far more recent? Colours are brighter too.

In both cases they have been posed, crewing Bonux giveaway artillery, for whom I have to thank Chris Smith, as he hid them in his first donation to the Blog a year or so ago. I meant to Blog them much sooner, to which end I sort of hid them in the 'plunder posts' but things intervened (as they do) and they got put-away!

Beautifully scaled to fit the 45mm figures, I don't think it was necessarily intended, Bonux ran lots of lines together and at different times (a bit like Kinder?) and it just so happens they go together so well, maybe the guns are Injecta Plastic as well?

At some point painted versions, also with unmarked bases were issued somewhere, not so common they may have been included is some larger die-cast vehicle or wooden-building type gift set or something at Christmas? I used to think they might be home-painted, but one or two have come separately from the bulk of them?

The other issue I've found is those marked Johnson, in bright yellow, Ludo had bright red and green examples on his old site (I'll check the Forum and post a link at the end if they are there) and I've seen a powder blue one.

Last time (2010) I proffered Johnson & Johnson (pharmaceuticals) or Johnson Wax (household cleaning and hygiene products) as possible's, but I'm told they were/are (?) a chemical and insecticide brand across the Channel; that might still leave JW in the frame here, their US parent and French Subsidiary is SC Johnson?

The upper left image shows distinct colour differences in the Bonux-marked set, from black through dark olive-drab to a mid-olive green, while the lower images is - from the left; Bonux black, Bonux mid-olive, Johnson, unmarked painted, unmarked olive-drab, unmarked silber and the more ridgid unmarked plastic in a jade or mid-green.

I can't thank Chris enough for the guns, when people send stuff to the blog it's usually - and expected to be - esoteric chuck-outs, cheapies and miscellany (as the expression goes) and as it all fills gaps in the whole; is always much appreciated, however, Chris sent these, clearly marked and having a market-value (especially on evilBay.fr), so it was a real act of kindness, in a parcel already full of goodness and good things, and while I rather hid them at the time, it was only for a post like this, and I'm sure we'll see them again - there's lots of guns to compare and contrast one day!

Here a brown version of the single barrel '25lbr', I've seen a bi-coloured one in the same brown and pale fawn or sand, and I've also seen bright blue-single and double-guns and yellow ones.

I couldn't choose between the final two images of the seven-figure line-up, so the other one is above . . . a slightly different angle!

Ludoprimophile - Johnson

Ludoprimophile - Bonux (with lots of guns)

23rd Feb 2021 - How sweet; TJF's found one . . . figure!

B is for Beered-up Bender Bot!

I knew I had a Bender-bot which I thought to add to the back-end (tail-end?) of the previous post, but then I couldn't find it in Picasa? Looking on the desktop (which has far too many folders on it because I'm lazy) I found it was already a post, waiting, so here it is as a follow-up!

Courtesy of Mr Berke of New York, this is another rival to Lego (always to be encouraged), with 'popular market-leading brand' stud-compatibility and you can see from the obverse of the card that there are other ranges including masters of the Universe (He-Man) and Star Trek figurines, also it (Mega Construx or Mega Brands)'s backed by the mighty Mattel, so let's hope for big things and a break on Lego's hegemony!

It's 'Kiss my shiny metal ass' Bender with his Mom's Old fashioned Robot Oil can and swag-bag, too cool for coding school!

Robots give way to ducks . . . and British Bobbies! Brian shot him with a Jada Nano Metalfig of Uncle Scrooge for sizing/scale and then shot the Disney Duck with other recognisable figures (Hill policemen?), so only two pictures and a couple'a-hundred words but a full tag-list!

Bender looks quite worried by the proximity of Scrooge! Throw the oil at the duck and run with the loot mate . . . s'my advice! Or; are they going into business together? Cheers Brian!

P is for Pango Pencil Pals

Not everything get's kept for Friday 'forthcomings', and this is a case in point, having failed to find anything in the Basingrad charity shops (I forgot to look!), I managed to pick these up in one of the card shops . . . Cards Direct if the price labels are to be believed and there's no reason not to! They did the dinoraser chinasaur pencil-tops we looked at recently, or recent'ish, it may have been a while back?

These robots came in two sizes with or without a hole in their fundament, and as they were both cheap as chips, and robots, I grabbed all! Three designs, duplicated in both sets and with shaped blisters on both card, no others to find, it's complete sets, line and range!

As with their chinaraser dinosaur brethren, what was the odd one has grown into a side-bar collection of stuff, which grows every time I take my eyes off it for five minutes! I also thought to glue the thin ones back-to-back with their matching thick one to make double-sided bot's, but they would be too fat and look like the bot's who won the all-you-can-eat meatloaf competition!

The beauty of getting more bot-rasers is that we get to look at the whole family again before I put them away! It looks like the most awkward cocktail-party ever . . . where's that obsequious ambassador with his pyramid of chocolates!

"So, what do you do?"

"Obey humans mostly . . ."

"Oh! I help destroy Death Stars"

"I suppose someone has to, but it's not for me . . . odd hours and stuff, light-sabres, rubbish compactors; health and safety must be a nightmare"

"It's not a walk in the park - that's for certain!"

P is for Premiums, Down Under

These have been in Picasa for too long really, not because other things haven't been there for longer and - indeed - are still languishing there (!) but because when Tom Clague sent them to the Blog they are still current or current'ish, but that was over a year ago, so they may now 'only' be collectable!

The less interesting to figure collectors first; these were issued by a supermarket type concern in Australia, I think as part of a promotion, i.e.; if you spent so much you got one for free, rather than as purchases? checks eMails . . . every AU$30, got you a toy!

Blind-bag groceries which the Airfix 'Multipose' Bren-gunner reveals to be in-scale with larger dolls, but which could also be used to 'play shop' . . . presumably Coles shop! And - apart from the blow-moulded bananas - realistic renditions of high-street/household-name brands.

Tom pointed out there was a certain irony to the supermarket giving-away little bits of ephemeral plastic tat, two weeks after they phased-out their plastic carrier-bags, but sadly that's the nature of the world we live in! I have seen more wooden toys this year, even Mattel Hotwheels have a wooden range out at the moment!

These are a little more like it! Also found by Tom in Coles; chino-dino-bods! Blind-bag mini chinosaurs, looking slightly familiar, but it's a while since I had a session on them so I'm not sure if we've had them here under other packaging, but lovely sculpts, with realistic, subdued paint schemes . . . nice!

Scaling comes from the LB-Airfix Saladin armoured car and you can see they are 3 or 4-inches in the main, around 6-inches maximum? Thanks to Tom for sending both and letting us know what's happening 'Down Under'!

M is for Moon Shot

Have we had that title this year already? Apologies if we have, I know we've had a few posts on the 50th anniversary, not as many as I'd been planning, but I wasn't anticipating a three-month hiatus, anyway, this is only a quickie . . . the cabinet in Basingrad library, which had the vintage toy display, now has a moon-shot display and I fired off a few pickies last time I was up there.

The whole display, it's a simple display, but an eclectic mix of items which gets the 'temperature' of the thing quite well I think, with collector cards (Topps?), models, posters, postcards, a few key-rings (chains, fobs, hangers; whatever you call them there . . . where you are!) and an old copy of Analog magazine with an Apollo launch on the cover..

The bigger poster to the left is fascinating, but - if you're me - you need glasses to read most of it as it's smaller than a standard rack poster, but packs a mass of information, the most interesting being the timeline - and titles - of the various space-suits from the pre-Mercury/Gemini days up-to the current EVA-suit (extra-vehicular activity suit), and I'm going to see if I can find a copy on-line.

A similar graphic has all the rocket/launch-vehicle types - in scale with each other, while a time-line of the whole space programme in liner-form is down the right-hand side

I:48th scale kit of the command module with return capsule has been made to a high standard, I'm not sure who's kit it is, or whether it's a modern or vintage kit? We looked at a 1:96th scale one currently on sale from Revell earlier in the year as part fo the Toy fair reports, they also do a 1:32nd scale version which would be excellent for those Hing Fat and other figures we looked again at a few days ago.

While Airfix must be in the frame, but I don't remember a 1:48th scale kit of this type, and their issues for the 50th this year were as piss-poor as all their other 'anniversary' coverage in recent years, not dwelling on WWI, but their WWII has been no better and for the moon-shot they only re-issued three; their 1:144 Apollo and in 1:72nd scale the polyethylene figure set and the Eagle Lander kit - as a starter- or craft- set with paint, glue and an additional set of figures . . . and that was it.

Likewise, if this mighty Saturn V rocket is 1:144th it could be the Airfix model, but it's not easy to judge, trying to fit (mentally) two seated Airfix figures in the Lander it might be the Airfix, as the two modules look a tad small, however Revell do a 1:96th one and I suspect this is that kit? They do also have a 1:144th one! When did Revell take Airfix's crown . . . it must have been a decade or two ago now?

Anyway, it's a nice little display and I thought I'd share it with you, if you happen to be in Basingstoke, at a loose end, it's worth a five-minute close-up look!

News, Views Etc . . . Vectis Auctions - Thursday 26th September 2019

This is a verbatim press release from Vectis on their forthcoming TV and Movie memorabilia sale this thiusday, and specifically two 'star items', which I'm sure were on Moonbase a few months back/a year or so ago?

You sometimes find this, something sells, the buyer decides they have everything they're going to find, and sells-up, there were a series of hollow-cast sales back in the 1990's where the same big-ticket items went round about three or four times as each buyer either reached his perceived pinnacle and sold-up, or passed-away - with the surprise of having got the elusive ones?

● ● ●      ● ● ●      ● ● ●      ● ● ●      ● ● ●      ● ● ●

Rare Gerry Anderson Props to go on Sale!

Speedboat and Sportscar from the pilot episode of ‘The Investigator’ to be offered at Teesside Auction House, Vectis on Thursday 26th September.

Gerry Anderson is forever associated with "supermarionation" - a sophisticated form of puppetry. Having had numerous successes with Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlet, among others he planned on releasing a new series based around two inexperienced but dedicated teenagers, trained by a mysterious alien intelligence with unknowable powers to tackle international espionage, environmental disasters and political corruption.

Sounds like it had a huge amount of potential for mystery, suspense and action, however, for a variety of reasons including the concept being "too far-fetched" and problems with some of the models, the show never went into full production. It was seen as a rare failure for Anderson, who had enjoyed phenomenal success with his previous 18 successful shows.

The two vehicles in the sale where created for the 1973 pilot episode, shot on location in Malta.

The first is a speed boat, in one sixth scale which had to be towed for the live action sequences in the twenty-three-minute pilot episode.

The second, a red, eight-wheeled sports car is radio controlled and fitted with a petrol fuelled motor-bike engine.

Both were designed by Reg Hill and manufactured by Space Models of Feltham, who had made many of the props for Gerry Anderson's other productions, including Thunderbirds. The Investigator was to be the final Supermarionation production for Anderson.

Three Thunderbirds voices were used- Peter Dyneley (Jeff Tracy) as The Investigator, Shane Rimmer (Scott Tracy) as John, and Sylvia Anderson (Lady Penelope) as Julie.

These two vehicles are extremely rare examples of TV and Film history and are featuring in the 26th September TV and Film related sale.

Vectis have previously sold toy prototypes of vehicles, produced by the iconic British toymaker Dinky, which were to be marketed alongside the show. Unfortunately, the toy line was also mothballed and therefore these are also incredibly scarce.

Both the car and the boat have pre-sale estimates of £3,600 to £4,600 each,

For more information please contact Kathy Taylor or Andrew Reed on +44 (0) 1642 750616 or email admin@vectis.co.uk

● ● ●      ● ● ●      ● ● ●      ● ● ●      ● ● ●      ● ● ●

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (1st day of a two day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

TV and Movie memorabilia sale

Trains and model railways the next day - Friday 27th September 2019

P is for Plastic Poilus from Powys

Ha-ha, did you see what I did there . . . sometimes I even amuse myself! Actually I'm not sure Swansea is in Powys, but that would spoil it, and if Trump can place the USAAF in the AWI, I can place the Louis in Powys!

Frenchies, six-inch monster-men a'fightin' and a'dyin' for the glory of France in some muddy trench somewhere . . . in Belgium! Rifles are a bit small and one of them has a ray-gun! In fact that SMG-alike probably hints at World War Two . . . likely still Belgium though! Remembering one of the rules of French military victory; ignore the fact that the Germans always come through Belgium and build a line of forts somewhere else.

Picture was taken with the old camera and is a bit fuzzy! Marx. Six-inch. French Infantry. Polyethylene. Box Ticked!

T is for Two - Britains Archive

Although it's actually three images, but from two sources a decade or two apart.

This is from a 1930's Hobbies Annual (1938 I think, but it's not where I left it to check?!!) and is a standard advert found in Meccano magazines and similar hobby and craft publications of the time; in this case cross-referenced in the text of the Hobbies' fretwork section where farm plans are on sale.

I honestly can't remember where these come from, I know it's 1950's America, but which catalogue I can't recall? I think it might be a Bussler's though; as both Polk's and Bob Bard/ Military Miniatures' are more basic listings, I also have a fair bit of House of Miniatures stuff so it may be one of them?, When the originals turn-up I'll add a note - if I remember! Anyway, I think I'm right in saying $2.50¢ (or even $1.65¢) was quite a substantial amount for the day - imported lead, steam-ship fuel, tax!

B is for Box . . . Ticked!

A quick one this morning, previously seen in Plastic Warrior magazine where I hoped it was the one Peter Cole remembered from his time there, a previous iteration shown in the same mag' having had artwork he didn't recognise.

Galt were primarily suppliers of educational toys, books, learning aids and junior school/infant-sized furniture, and would change their range graphics from time to time hence different versions of this set, which is obviously wholesaling a handful of Britains animals.

I actually had a really nice mid-80's Galt catalogue (thick as a Thomason Local!) but failed to follow the golden rule; 'Never lend a book you wouldn't want to lose', lending it to the wife of a client who was planning a bedroom for her kid . . . never saw it again!

What I do remember of it was that you could get a Lego City airport, with two big airliners and several other aircraft along with numerous vehicles and buildings, with several-dozen mini-figures for a price which was less than half the High Street price for a similar set, or similar quantity of 'elements' (as Lego pretentiously call their pieces!), not that the set concerned was in the High Street catalogues, it wasn't!

F is for Follow-up - Ackerman-Lollipop (LP) / Silvercorn

We've pretty much done these to death now, with help from other quarters, but I found mine the other day and shot-off a few close-ups;

The case, in the UK it seems all forms of these sets were handled by Ackerman, but with the Silvercorn branding remaining visible, strangely Ackerman have a US office, but as we saw last-but-last time, they were Lollipop/LP in the 'States.

The three figure-runners from both sides, it looks as if each set got about four of the shooters (above left), two of the marchers (below left) and one command runner (right hand side) which had to be photographed twice! The prone guy is meant to be firing a pistol (I think?) but looks more like he's pointing at something.

There are two runners of accessories, although the two dark grey signs (see posts passim) weren’t in here, so I guess I recognised them from some tub of lose signs I may have somewhere, and that they were added to the other set?

These sit in the lid, over a pile of the rubbery figure-runners, who are themselves piled on top of a large coated-paper play-mat, hence the have two little cut-outs moulded into the outer frame-runner, to make room for the slide-lock mechanism.

News, Views etc . . . Forthcoming Events - Saturday 21st-Friday 27th September 2019

Well . . . the judges have pushed back their decision from 'perhaps today' until 'maybe early next week'! If they find against Johnson's decision to prorogue (I think I wrote pirogue last week, which is probably a dance move!) we will still be living in a democracy, albeit a wallowing one; holed below the waterline! But if they find in his favour, they will have rendered Parliament (and themselves) irrelevant! He will be free to prorogue whenever he feels like it and for as long as he wants, ergo; he will be able to prorogue before a no-confidence vote, or if he wants to go to war, and we will be in a very dark place.

California's skies will be getting darker now Trump has banned them from banning dirty cars!

But then the skies over Brazil, Peru and Indonesia are already dark! There's a metaphor in there somewhere about a gathering storm . . . 

. . . toys; we need toys!

Toy Shows

Saturday 21st September 2019

Gloucester - Steven Clement Fairs

Churchdown Community Centre, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL3 2JH
eMail: clementfairs@aol.com
01380 725 322
10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown
Refreshments available

Henfield - David Parsons - Toy & Train Collectors Fair

Henfield Village Hall, High Street, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9DB

Web. - www.modelcarmart.co.uk/henfield

eMail - modelcarmart@gmail.com

Mob. - 07742 609 865 (David)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2

'Delicious' breakfast/refreshments available

Romford - SRP Toyfairs

North Romford Community Centre, 32 Clock House Lane, Collier Row, Romford, Essex, RM5 3QJ

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 12:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Rugby - Barry Potter / BP Fairs 'Rugby Vintage'

The Benn Hall, Newbold Road, Rugby, CV21 2LN

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

10:30-15:00hrs

Admission £3.50 (early-bird £7, from 08:00hrs), OAP's £3, Children £1

Sunday 22nd September 2019

Coventry - Barry Potter / BP Fairs

The Connexion, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

10:30-15:00hrs

Admission £3, seniors £2.50p, children £1, early bird (from 08:00hrs) £6

Free parking

Great Bentley - R & G Toy Fairs

Village Hall, Plough Road, Great Bentley, Essex, CO7 8LD

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01206 251 351 (Gary)

Tel. - 01255 473 509 (Richard)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2.00, under 16's free

Free parking, refreshments

Haydock Park - Barry Stockton Fairs - Toy Fair

The Exhibition Centre, Haydock Park Racecourse, WA12 0HQ

Web. - http://barrystocktonfairs.co.uk/
Tel. - 01513 343 362
10:30 - 14:30hrs
Admission - Adult £2, Children £0.50p

Orpington - SRP Toyfairs

Crofton Halls, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8PR

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Weston Supermare - Wendy Hobday - Doll Fair

Royal Hotel, South Parade, Weston Supermare

Web. - http://www.wendysworldfairs.co.uk/index.html

Tel. - 01895 834 348

Hours unknown

Admission fee unknown

Possibly the worst website still on the Internet! I hope 'Bluechip Computer Support' aren't charging her for that?

Wilton - Steven Clements

Michael Herbert Hall, South Street, Wilton, SP2 0JS

eMail -  clementfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission unknown

Tuesday 24th September 2019

Garstang - Janet Pearson - Garstang Evening Fair

Kirkland & Catterall Memorial Hall, PR3 0HR

Web-presence unknown

01282 439 009

18:00 - Finnish

Admission fee unknown

Tonbridge - SRP Toyfairs (evening fair)

Angel Lane, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1SF

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

18:00 - 20:00hrs

Admission £1.50p, children Free

Auctions

Saturday 21st September 2019

Newark - Northgate Auctions

17 Northgate, Newark, Nottingham, NG24 1EX

Web. - www.northgateauctionroomsnewark.co.uk

eMail - auctions@northgateauctionroomsnewark.co.uk

Tel. - 01636 605 905

Fax. - 01636 612 607

Mixed toys, vintage and modern

Monday 23rd September 2019

Downham Market - Barry L Hawkins

The Estate Office, 15 Lynn Road, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 9NL
Web. - www.barryhawkins.co.uk
eMail - info@barryhawkins.co.uk
Tel. - 01366 387 180

Sale starts 10:00hrs

Scale models and collectable toys

Tuesday 24th September 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Simon Hope Matchbox Collection - Part II

Thursday 26th September 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (1st day of a two day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

TV & film memorabilia (more in a separate post here at Small Scale World on Monday)

"The Tony Hillman Collection.

The Tony Hillman Collection, features 129 lots of cinema and film lobby cards and stills, Star Wars press books and literature, Photoplay and other monthly film magazine groups including Empire, Film and Picture Show etc; plus movie posters and production notes, film scripts and screenplays.

The collection started in 1955 when on holiday in Great Yarmouth I got the idea of collecting autographs, the first ones being Ronnie Ronald, The Beverly Sisters and Charlie Chester. Returning home to Birmingham every Saturday evening I’d go to the Hippodrome and wait at the stage door for autographs of the variety artists, getting anyone who came out so my first books were mainly of unknown names. I rarely went to the other city theatre, the Alexander, which did plays, as at that time I didn’t know of many actors but I did get Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh.

As I got older and more knowledgeable about actors, I started doing trips to London to get top names and by that time I’d started building up a collection of film magazines and books and bits and pieces scrounged from cinema managers

By the late 60’s and being in a dead-end job and with my interest in the cinema I decided to try for a job in the industry and got one in the publicity department of Classic Cinemas based in London’s West End.  Being close to the theatres and hotels made it easy at times for getting top names, such as one evening after a few minutes wait at Claridge’s getting Bing Crosby then a walk around the corner and getting Fred Astaire coming out of the Athenaeum, while at other times it could be a long fruitless wait.

Contacts in the distributor’s publicity departments helped build up “Classics” stills collection and mine until in 1974 Classic’s head office was closed. I asked what was going to happen to the publicity material and was told to help myself, so I did, taking the lot,

After moving North in the early 70’s I started writing a film column for a local magazine and doing research on films made in the North East and the film actors born in the region. I put the information to use by doing talks for various groups and when it was the “Centenary of the Cinema” I got six plaques for the region and put my collection to use by mounting a good number of exhibitions.

It’s now come to the point to thin some of the collection down and hope that it will give enjoyment to some other collectors."

Friday 27th September 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (2nd day of a two day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Trains and model railways

Other Events

Thursday 19th September (yesterday) - Sunday 3rd November 2019

Newcastle - Discovery Museum - Brilliant Bricks

Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Westgate Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Web. - www.discoverymmuseum.org.uk

'The story of Northern innovation, recreated in Lego'

Expect Lego black puddings, Lego slag-heaps, Lego whippets and Lego flat-caps?

(that's a joke, not 'racism' Mr. Stadinger, It'll be Ironbridge and shit like that, but that's obviously shit as in Rap 'shit' not 'bad shit', or 'shit as in bad' because bad-shit's probably quite good shit if you smoke shit, like rappers, so it could be rap shit AND bad shit, except there's NO drugs - it's bits of ENGINEERING and shit . . . I have to try and explain myself to the morons in Pennsylvanian, but I don't think they get it, even then . . shit!)

Dedham - Munnings Art Museum - Behind the Lines: Alfred Munnings, War Artist, 1918

The Munnings Art Museum, Castle Hill, Dedham, Colchester, Essex, CO7 6AZ

Web. - https://www.munningsmuseum.org.uk/

Tel. - 01206 322 127

Wednesday to Sunday, 14:00-17:00hrs, closed Mondays & Tuesdays (or groups by appointment)

Saturday 21st/Sunday 22nd September 2019

Duxford - Imperial War Museum - Battle of Britain Air Show

Imperial War Museum, Duxford aerodrome, Duxford, Cambridgeshire

Web. - www.iwm.org.uk

Pre-booking Required

Bitton - Avon Valley Railway Trust - 1940's Weekend

Bitton Station, Bath Road, Bitton, Bristol

Web. - www.avonvalleyrailway.org

Re-enactment, costume, vintage military vehicles &etc.

Overseas Events

Saturday 21st/Sunday 22nd September 2019

Mariembourge (Belgium) - CFV3V - Train Show

A Côté de la Gare, Couvin, Mariembourge, Belgium

Tel. - ++060 312 440

Saturday 21st September 2019

Köln (Germany) - Auktion Team Breker - Auction Sale

Otto-Hahn Straße 10, 50997, Köln-Godorf, Köln, Germany

P.O. Box - 50 11 19, 50971, Germany

Web. - www.breker.com

eMail - auction@breker.com

Tel. - ++02236 384 340 (Herr. Uwe H. Breker)

Fax. - ++022363 843 430

Optical amusements, photographica and cinematographic collectables sale

Roseville, (USA) - Dolls4All - Crossroads Doll & Teddy Bear Show

The Grounds, Placer County Fair, 800 All America City Blvd, Roseville, California, USA

Web. - http://dolls4all.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Crossroads-Teddy-Bear-Doll-and-Antique-Shows-120434594669598/

10:00- 15:00hrs, early-bird: 9:00

Admission unknown (early-birds US$10.00)

Sunday 22nd September 2019

Aachen (Germany) - Jurgen Hörner - Toy Fair

Kurpark-Terrassen, Aachen, Germany

Tel. - ++0210 251 133

Chicago (USA) - Roger Garfield - Chicargo Toy Soldier Show

Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, 1800 East Golf Road, Schaumburg, IL 60173, Illinois, USA

Web. - https://chicagotoysoldiershow.com/

eMail - roger@chicagotoysoldiershow.com

Tel. - ++8475 675 355

10:00-15:30hrs

Admission US$10.00, children 12-and-under free

Probably the most professionally-run show on the circuit

Walldorf (Germany) - Automania - Diecast Fair

Stadhalle Walldorf, Marfelden-Walldorf, Germany

Tel. - ++6221 786 422

Monday 23nd September 2019

Unterhatching (German) - Automania - Diecast Fair

Hatchinga Halle, Unterhatchin, Munich, Germany

Tel. - ++6221 786 422

If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable or popular-/youth-culture type sale/exhibition/event listed here -  FOR FREE  - or linked to; please eMail me -

maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com

- stating the date/s of the event, address of event, contact details, opening/viewing times, admission pricing and any other relevant facts/details or features - parking, travel notes, disability access, availability of refreshments, event subject matter &etc.

And please mention any flyer-art or poster-/leaflet-scans but send by separate eMail, in case they go to the 'junk' folder, from where they can be recovered and marked safe, but only if I know they're there!

H is for How They Come In

This chap; Bob the Builder or a dozer-operating Bob-clone, was found lying in the street! He's obviously from the younger-infant end of the toy-market, but will still go in the tub with all the other larger-scale seated civilians/drivers!

Picked this up just before final editing of last week's 'show dates' in a Basingrad charity shop (back there today, so who knows what I might turn-up?), consisting of a job-lot of ceramics; the green duck is a small fairing, the owl earthenware, while the puppy is probably a Wade thing? The foxy-looking bear (?) is either doughcraft or chalkware, but I haven't done a dig to decide as it's well-sealed with varnish (suggesting flour & water!), and the glass bird may be damaged with the upper beak now a hard-to-explain cresty-thing! But they were 50p.

This is getting silly! It's another - new sculp - Chap Mai! In defence of the shop, it was in the same basket as the truck I picked up a week or so ago, so I may have just missed it first time round! I have removed the 'soldier' from the bonnet in the same way as last time - a dab of nail-varnish remover on the end of an ear-bud/Q-tip.

Came-in this week; there are three posts on these in the queue - really a more frivolous Christmassy posting thing - but they garner traffic for other sources, so not to be sniffed at! Gogo's Crazy Bones, including some early ones (I'm slowly learning them - early ones have no paint and a cruder sculpting style) and I might sort them into a forth post!

Links

Go 'Strhaarliah! Toy Soldier-collecting Political leader . . .There's hope for us all!

Memories of childhood past

From the WTF but looks like fun Department!

Received With Thanks

• Imagery and a press-release from Vectis, I've parceled them up as a stand-alone 'News, Views...' on Monday.

• We've seen the Captain Pugwash from Mr. Berke, but he's since sent more on them - Vivid Imaginations is the maker, and the line was from a range which included bean-bag figures, squirting toys (put that in the tag list and I'll get more traffic than the White House!) and a Black Pig Adventure Pirate Ship which could be useful for smaller 54/60mm figures - main deck's a bit short!

•  Theo van der Weerden has sent some stuff following-up on some of last week's posts, but I've only just found it so I don't know if I can use it here, or just tuck it in the archive for 'latters'!

Thanks all, as always, and it reminds me there are various follow-ups to sort out, so I may have a day or two on them at some point.

Other News

Hopefully by the time you read this I will have got the planet-dividers right! If not I'll put something simple in quickly and remove this so you'll never know I tried!

No toy news, I've given the paper's a miss this week - it's all old Etonians misbehaving! The only lesson of Brwreakshit (other than don't have Brwreakshit) is never send your son (no daughters ever!) to Eton, he'll end-up sexist, racist and behaving like a deranged performing-seal! I might catch-up at the weekend, although I'm gutted the 'i's gone-up 20p for the Saturday edition!

"What'er we sorting? Unknown civilians? Why don't you know them then? So you won't be needing this lid? For . . . a while like?"

Away From Toy Soldiers

Mentioned in the week at some point I think. . .

. . . not as hot-a-shots as some you'll find on-line, but there is - nevertheless - something pleasing about capturing them yourself, even on a little pocket camera - the naughty Rosemary Beetle, so pretty! And yes - related to the spud-munching Colorado!