It looks old fashioned I agree but I personally find delightful… I could indulge in it myself because I have enough 54mm Toy Soldiers to do it properly BUT… the idea of an scenario FASHODA like incident pitting British against French is complicated… first I would have to move the figures from its present place to Andorra la Vella… and then… once done (not so easy task if you are a maniatic like me to avoid chipping of the paintjobs) it means I would have to reorganize the minis in the cabinets yet again!… NOT sure at all… better stick to 6mm in Andorra la Vella and keep the 54mm collection in Pal.
Yesterday I started painting the 4 figures provided by Paul Watson… doubts about posting the process or limit myself to the finished job… nagging doubts!
I have posted a lot of Scott Lesch work because it is awesome!… Does that mean that I am going to indulge in the Franco-Prussian War (1870)? NOT AT ALL!… but you must admit his production of Armies is very mice indeed!. And sometimes when awareness is down… I think of it seriously!.
The fact that every unit seems to field a “cantiniere” is non important for me… but adds a “je ne sais quoi”… LOL
AGW Franco-Prussian War Battle.Nice Cuirassiers…Another French side view…I added those Prussians as an afterthoughtNo contest without them…So here they are… The Second Reich would be won at the end of the campaign.
Great battles is “the” Napoleonic thing to do… if I ever tempted again I’ll book a weekend at the Wargames Holiday Centre… no time to get those big Armies again… in any scale for that matter. I seriously doubt that of course, travelling is quite expensive!… lol
He posts frequently in Facebook… and his collection is really impressive!… he even got in it the late Featherstone’s Armies… Those Highlanders are Britain’s of course… but he is an eclectic collector and has items from a variety of makers. Enjoy!
As far as 54mm New Toy Soldiers akin to Britain’s go… you do not need to search more… REPLICA it is… and that’s that. (Alternatively there are other well known trade marks as Dorset Soldiers / Imperial Soldiers and Steadfast (R.Prati) to say but two!).
Here you can have a sight of the new premises… as we all know we have been promised start of production by next January 2023… keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best!.
Splendid castings. AGW or not involved they are beautiful Toy Soldiers on their own. I wish I could do moulds and cast my own figures but never got even close to that part of the hobby. Too late at my age… better buy unpainted casts and paint them if I found the time!… Silly me!… I thought that once retired I would have lots and lots of free time… it is not so (you have been warned!). LOL
I was personal yesterday, maybe even too personal… well, I can always edit the thing if I want… I do not know if being too personal is a bonus or a malus…
So, today let’s go back to the main line of this webpage… toy soldiers and those who enjoy them.
Could have been called a tale of two chaps too. To begin at the beginning… due to that blasted pandemia who seems more or less in control nowadays… I was stranded in Pal at 1.660 mts over the level of the sea with nothing much to do than wait for a vaccine etc (as you all). So thanks God are my books and my Toy Soldiers Collection (in Pal I mean)… so I reordered the shelves and find a way to make place for some beauties from REPLICA. As an ex wargamer in 25mm all my British Regiments had matter of fact two colours, the Queen’s (or King’s) and the Regimental one, so I become worried because I did not have one of the Colours of the Gordon’s (Highlanders), I wrote to Andrew an email asking for 4 figures to complete my obsessions etc. Real life intervened and in June 2021 my needs were not fulfilled because a lot of real life intruded in REPLICA “WORKS”… to my disappointment by X’mas the matter was still unsolved… You see “collecting” is somewhat “complicated” it had to be the true companion of the existing one… but REPLICA could not then supply… weeks and months of frustration ensued… and a rupture of diplomatic relations too!.
Many months later I explained the case using the first pic in Facebook explaining my dire straits and asking “the world of friends” for solutions or alternatives… I was in some state of acute obsession and anguish (all that fuss for a standartbearer mind… we collectors are mad as hares).
Then, out of the blue (that is a lie he is a long stand facebook friend), Paul Watson (which is also a friend of Andrew Stevens – the REPLICA chap _) offered the perfect solution: he said he could make a cast from a mould and sent it to me from faraway Sheffield… I could not believe it!… one thing is to add likes and hearts to Posts in Facebook… and the other is getting truly involved!… of course I thanked him and after a chat on messenger… I had the idea of asking for two figures! (by then I was asking STEADFAST to send two POM-POM guns to Paul with my heartfelt thanks!… he is into Boers/British)… not everything in this world is a matter of a computer and a VISA card I am afraid… I asked for some suitable arms… and pieces and bits for me too to DORSET/IMPERIAL who sent the flags arms to Paul.
And to cut a long story short yesterday a parcel arrived in ANDORRA by post and my esldest son sent to me the pics of the contents…(see pics below) to my ever lasting surprise Paul did outsmarted me and included an Heliograph party (using the same figure with different arms) consisting of a Highland officer with binoculars, the heliograph and its operator (so two extra figures+heliograph)… nonplussed is the word!
The “problem”…
The original box from REPLICA… (and to think that the Gordon’s were added to an order as an afterthought!)
Great box from REPLICA at arrival in Pal.Here you have it (in fact two) the elusive Ensign!Heliograph operator
.Higlander Officer with Binoculars!
Now, when my “real life” permits (a bit of a bother of surgery inflicted on me) it will be speedy recovery and painting of those chaps and to complete the collection on the cabinet thanks to Paul Watson!
Of course as colateral benefits the old Ensign would be converted in a RSM for the Gordon’s, and some Artillerymen will be added sponges and shots because REPLICA did all of them in the same stance without accesoires….lol… in due course pics will be provided by yours truly of all those modifications…
A truly satisfied collector I am. The most convoluted “operation” I ever did… lol
