HOBBY NEWS (July 13)

                                                                DANISH NAVY, 1848

My 1st Schleswig-Holstein War collection has gained a naval contingent. Having given my paddle steamer another revamp (its third), replacing the medium gun with a heavy, and also a carronade, decided to form a crew more appropriate for the first half of the 19th century.

A limber rider might prove useful.

The Danish naval crew are a mixture of Deetail napoleonic, converted Timpo Confederates, and some converted Deetail cowboys. A veteran lead figure serves as the captain.

GARIBALDI HAS SOME OPPOSITION

Converted some Timpo British Napoleonic into Kingdom of Two Sicilies light infantry.

SOME WW2 CASUALTIES

Some of Tim Gow's donated Airfix Soviets have been converted into a medic and casualty.

JAPANESE DEETAIL FIGURES

A visit to my local collectables shop furnished a surprise. I have been wanting to raise a small collection of W. Britains Japanese, if only to add some diversity to my large Airfix collection. Well, I had one figure, and have now gained another five, plus a figure needing an arm transplant. The cost was £8.

DANISH CUIRASSIERS

I needed to raise a cavalry unit for my Danish army. While not quite 1848 (these castings have tunics) I can repaint them as 1864 cuirassiers. Acquired these for £10.40 delivered.

FLAGS FOR THE ARMIES

A Karl Marx banner has been supplied to some largely Marx Toy Soldiers (thanks again, Tim!).

The Saxon Guards of 1848 now have a state flag.

FRENCH WW1 FIELD GUNS

I have a handful of W.Britains 1263 field guns. Unfortunately, two of these were missing their tow hooks, so decided to carry out a total paint strip, repair, and repaint, with a grey-blue colour as a distinction from the original drab green. These guns are fairly nondescript so they can serve with my French army.

French Model 75 of 1897, looks pretty close.

MGB

PS. It has been perfect weather this year for raspberries and blackcurrants, and it is looking good for blackberries too...... thank the Lord, huzzah!

REPLYING TO FRIENDS SENDING COMMENTS

Hi Donnie, thanks for the kind comments. With garden work, I just had time for some smaller projects, but was still keen to get them completed. I'm in the West Country and my entire blackcurrant crop had to be picked last week, any longer and they would have started falling and going soft. This has been my best year for raspberries, that bowl is one days worth, and it has been doing the same for over two weeks. Now last year my raspberry crop was very modest! Cheers!

Hello Brad. I too like the grey-blue colour scheme. The shade varies on surviving guns but it is definitely distinct from the British Ordnance grey. I have previously painted up two howitzers in this same colour scheme, and they look great with the French toy soldiers. Some blackberries are ready for picking here, but August is the main month. I read somewhere, blackcurrants were banned in the USA because they harbour diseases that threaten some American trees. In the UK, blackcurrants are a popular flavour, but the plants only arrived here from Scandinavia in the 1600s! They reckon there is over four hundred varieties of brambles (blackberries) found in the UK. I will be picking mine soon from the local riverbank.

Thanks Tony. And may I say a slight touch of envy occurred when I saw your unit of French-Spanish infantry, ready painted, and at £2 a head......... are you sure you are entitled to such a find?, lol.

Hello MJT. I think some of those (4) hollowcast cavalry are really old. They have 'made in England' but the primitive moulding, the horse ears for example, is distinct from any others in my collection. I would like to find out who made them. Accordingly, I will make no conversions, but will just repair the broken horse legs and repaint. But they will make up a nice Danish horse guards unit. The remaining two will become officers with head swaps. Regards.

Hello Quinn. I just can't afford genuine tin gunboats, and if I could, I would want to 'tidy' them. And to a collector that would be a no no....... better I make some reproductions!