CHRISTMAS TOYS, and more

                             🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄A HAPPY YULETIDE🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

My thanks to everyone who has encouraged this 54mm gaming blog during the last twelve months, particularly Brad, MJT, Donnie, Graham, and Roger. 

This year has been 'tricky' for my family with some personal events disrupting a more conventional lifestyle, but that too is part of life. Reduced Christmas decorations this year, I really need to keep my home ornamentation to just the tree, but I will still be raising a glass on the 25th to my Lord, the New Testament, and to my God.

I might not be raising so many decorations this year but as a collector of vintage Christmas mercury glass I was very pleased to pick up a rare faceted lantern bauble for 10p (I gave £1), shown below. This item was picked up in a charity shop and dates back to the 1950s. I now have a collection of about two hundred! They really do give off a reflexion which plastic cannot replicate.

And then, on December 8, a large charity shop bag for £2. Having arranged they could keep the modern decorations, I paid them £3. 

And on December 11, found the following two items in a box of decorations for 50p each, I was rather pleased. The Drummer is made of heavy resin or plaster. I wonder if it is American? In the 1700s all nationalities covered their drummer's coats in regimental or royal family lace, except the Americans. But the latter continued their British tradition of reversing the coat and facing colours for drummers.

Footnote The five inch drummer is made of polystone, and are for sale in the US at https://xenosgifts.com/products/revolutionary-war-drummer-ornament?srsltid=AfmBOoqhObC93FOVaqIDo2kvlZzjOWQKmmE_lZTaXpLq42dM6qqNmV26 

      A NEW RECRUIT FOR THE BRITISH ARMY

A visit to the collectables shop involved swapping a toy car for something more useful to my collection. This figure represents a sergeant in the Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders, and it forms part of a set of toy soldiers issued as freebies by William Grant's whiskey company. A photograph of what I believe was the full set follows. They were produced in 1990.

COLONIAL RECRUITS FOR THE FRENCH ARMY

For some time I have been raising two French colonial battalions on a budget. Blow me if Graham Apperley (Tales from the Toy Room Blog) contacted me with news that he had picked up five W. Britains zouaves quite cheaply and they were mine if I wanted them...... these five would allow me to complete both units to twelve. Thanks again Graham, the figures were absolutely vital, and it is rather rare to find them still with bayonets. 

Here they are repainted, awaiting their gloss varnish and card bases.

And here are the two completed battalions, ready for action.

Original condition

I thought Lead had been removed from petrol?

Now this project is really exciting my interest, it's an oil pump for a planned garage. And I have also started to restore three petrol pumps for a garage forecourt. When I've picked up some suitable card I will start constructing an appropriate building. It will be somewhat generic, covering the entire first half of the twentieth century. I will also be seeking to recreate that tin toy look of old.

Old oil pump.

🚂🚂🚂🚂RAILWAY STATION SIGN🚂🚂🚂🚂

Finally got round to paint stripping and repainting this rather splendid Hornby Series railway sign. Instead of advertisements, I wanted station names. I thought Torquay would serve for English language countries and coastal actions, while the Streslau reverse could cover central Europe. Actually, this city is fictitious, being the capital of Ruritania! I was keen to adopt a red and black livery to match my Timpo train set and staff uniforms.

JAPANESE TIGER FLAGS and Scarves

The following photos are reproduced for purposes of education, no copyright infringement intended. No profit made.

The tiger was a popular symbol in Japan in a manner not dissimilar to the lion used by the British. Many small flags incorporating a tiger were made during WW2 as gifts to Japanese soldiers from family members. I could not resist reproducing some of these for my Japanese WW2 collection. For wargame purposes, it actually helps being able to mention particular units by their flag. I must admit my renditions are considerably larger in scale, but they certainly add something colourful and interesting. 

Some exquisite artwork.

REPRODUCED FLAGS

Japanese regiments were apparently classed A, B, or C. The C Class was often used for static garrisons. Their rank and file numbers were often much lower than the A and B class units, and heavier support weaponry was also reduced. My 'C' class garrison regiment is uniformed in white fatigue uniforms as their main distinction. 

https://www.mournemilitaria.com/en-GB/uniforms-headwear/wwii-imperial-japanese-army-work-tunic/prod_11299

Having painted two tiger flags, the Tiger Head has been issued to the Garrison Regiment, and I have painted up three more figures to complete their establishment of twelve. (My Japanese officer has a white tropical hat, not sure if it's correct but it does appear in David Lean's superb Bridge over the River Kwai, 1957.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfNS0wU5PEg

Another two figures have been drafted to my Sun Rays regiment, With support weapons, this 'B' class unit can muster sixteen.

🤖🤖🤖🤖A RATHER CHEAP DALEK🤖🤖🤖🤖

Cheap, yes, but still a nice die-cast model. Picked up this Corgi Dalek for £2 in the Collectables shop. It's missing its eyepiece but I will replicate it with steel rod and plasticard. 

And on December 10 a box arrived with two more that were in an auction, £6.24 including delivery. One of these still has its eyepiece and this will serve as a template for making two of my own. Must admit, I regularly rewatch two DW stories, Genesis of the Daleks and Day of the Daleks.

Postscript And here are the three Daleks, two with fabricated eyepieces, and a little bit of silver paint restoration. I drilled some steel rod into the cap, used odd bits of plastic to construct the eye, and wrapped some fuse wire to represent the blue rings. It will do the job and they are good and firm.

Do I plan to raise an army and fight a wargame? If I spot some silver/blue Daleks at a good price I will increase their number, and I won't rule out a few command Daleks. As for the opposition, I already have three Para battalions, a Royal Marine battalion, and four infantry battalions dressed in 1950-80 uniforms. And I also have Doctor Who. I guess it is fair to say...... it certainly is viable!

🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅🎅

CHRISTMAS TOYS OF OLD

RESEARCH PHOTOS, UPLOADED FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATION

Going through my files, thought the following might prove of interest, and rather festive too.

BARCLAY MANOIL WW1 SOLDIERS

Often overshadowed by Britains, Crescent, et al, the Barclay Manoil company produced some exquisite US toy soldiers. They really do have a distinct character.

Love this toy field piece.

CHERILEA ATTEMPTS TO GET TO THE MOON

This is for Brad. Cherilea produced this fun little rocket (8cms tall), it certainly reminds me of those that appeared in 1950s movies such as DESTINATION MOON (1950). The full movie is available to view on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJkS-uQnAgE

STARLUX FRENCH COLONIALS

Now these plastic toy soldiers are rare in the UK, and when they do appear you can expect a high price. I must acknowledge these Starlux colonials have a archaic charm, but I do wonder if oxidisation is an issue?

SAVING MONEY FOR CHRISTMAS

Amazing how many saving boxes were produced for kids that were inspired by WW1 British tanks!

Don't you just love the comment in the first photo.

🎄🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹Errol Flynn joins the Team🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹🎄

This figure was kindly supplied by Brian Carrick. In scale it's about 56mm. What immediately caught my eye is the similarity to the Robin Hood played by Errol Flynn in the classic movie The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). I can now confirm this figure was designed by the Italian company Dulcop, and was indeed inspired by Flynn's portrayal.

Another figure furnished by Brian is a recast of the Marx original of Friar Tuck. I already have this character by W. Britains, so decided to paint it as a Cistercian monk in their distinctive white and black habit.

And finally, Brian also sent a Marx recast of Maid Marian. This figure was rather slight in scale and as I already have a splendid W.Britains Deetail figure for Marian, I decided to recreate Bess, the lady-in-waiting (played by the respected actress Una O'Connor) in the wonderful Flynn movie. A spare Tommy helmet helped here, I think it looks the part and an interesting addition to my medieval collection.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Michael G. Butterfield

FOOTNOTE

On Sunday, December 14, Chris and I travelled to Somerset to attend the Shepton Mallet Toy Fair, where we were joined by family members George and Lianna. We later travelled to Frome for a very fine pub meal, and where we later spotted the open doors of this Anglican church. Will upload more on the toy fair in my next post.