NWMP (II)

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My first post of 2023… well… I guess it would be a continuation of a theme… a la Oliver Curwood (if you know who he is)… as a child I was fascinated by the North West Mounted Police… and recently got the sledge I was waiting for… so here it is… on the trail up North!

Enjoy!

An eskimo guide
opens the trail for the NWMP
Close up!

Toy Soldier (Policeman), maybe my first one long time ago!

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Vaguely 54mm, all in rubber/cautxuc… more than 65 years old (the figure… me going on 71… so it probably is nearly 70!… lol)… Original state and paint… paint that obviously peeled off from a non rigid material… played with by at least three generations consecutively and rescued before going to the bin… I used to make him run obstacles and tracks on the sheets of my bed… do not know how he survived so many crashes!… I remember having at least two of them… but also French Gendarmes by Norev (rubber too) and one in Aluminium (Quiralu?) the last two were with sidecar and had very “funny” figures on them.

A nostalgic way to close a forgettable year… hope the next is best!

Policeman on a Bike
Another view…the tie was a nice touch.

Playmobil NWMP Customs

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You know I also indulge in Playmobils… do not ask me why… I explained in my book no longer in print (LOL)… Actually waiting for a sledge from a standard set to go patrol up North… he always get his man… And YES I will post a pic of the mountie on his sledge once received…

Seriously they are fun to manipulate and even role playing with them.

Enjoy!

PS: I achieved (the Blog) 130.000 visitors today… I must thank those who do assiduously!

Original (mounted) and customs.
Using two different figures you obtain two new one’s to go North!… mind, the eskimo head has gone to increase the ranks of the French Foreign Legion…
Another view… the headgear on the left one is a resin custom, the rest is standard Playmobil pieces.

X’mas Carols (By DORSET) and James Opie’s version

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Dorset 54mm (I guess)

Whatever you celebrate this days have a good time with your beloved one’s, be kind, courteous, speak softly, hug everybody with grace and do not mention war or politics… there… a recipe for success…

James Opie version… must be Britain’s I guess…

And remember that not everyone has the same taste… so it is alright to love all music or just parts of it (genres), same with art and literature… to do not mention movies and actors/actresses… whatever you like can get on the nerves of others… so simply agree to disagree… and all of the best for everybody!

Enjoy!

Coldstreamers pudding!

French Foreign Legion Customs

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I sold half of them to an ex-legionnaire, but the main thing was to experiment with a black&white pic for a change!

Hope nobody comes restless again… I just love the films about it… romantic and post-romantic stuff (see BEAU GESTE all versions and also BEAU IDEAL… BEAU SABREUR -with Gary Cooper_ has been “lost” for decades… UNDER TWO FLAGS… MARCH OR DIE… spectacular “irreal” battle scenes (the “arbis” would have shot them away from a safe distance) in full colour and a great Gene Hackman and a very subdued and nuanced performance by Terence Hill in one of his best roles)

Curiously enough I still have a couple of dozens of Playmobils to play with… habits die hard!

Enjoy!

I thought… why not a bit of black&white?

Bowley’s Own

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There seems to be a lot of Prussians lately… but that’s what it is… sometimes wargamers do have to follow a fashion no matter what (me included). Prussia had a span of 30 years before integrating Great Germany after 1870… and still… they are very popular (as anything before WWI and WWII)… LOL

Enjoy!

A lot of Prussians advancing…
The French opposition!

Playmobil Russians (not available commercially of course)

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Playmobil has a policy of not encouraging War Toys or Wargames (idiotic if you ask me when the most popular sales are the Pirate Ships… nothing worse than pirates in my book… and also produce Imperial Romans and even a Circus (Roman you know)… hundreds of fans indulge in making for themselves Napoleonic Armies (a forever popular addiction)… why Playmobil do not produce sets os soldiers or Military Bands eludes me completely… after all they do the pieces that you can collect bit by bit and then mount on… the most difficult part to get are Hats (some astute manufacturers in resin do) the rest is fairly easy to get. There are even flags adhesive manufactured! So there you have it we have those Armies after all… and Playmobil can manufacture James Bond Aston-Martin etc. Toy Soldiers are NOT their forte (a part from the ACW which they did!… and a lot of soldiers to do AWI/7YW… and cowboys and redskins)… a strange world we live in.

When Russians are made through customization…
Paulowski Grenadiers

Improving sets with bits&pieces

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Sometimes perfection needs a bit of variety… meaning that the REPLICA set was great but strangely enough the 4 gunners where a bit repetitive… 4 gunners in the same instance or attitude made 8 for a battery… so… with the passing of time I become obsessed by their looks and finally decided to add ramroads and bullets to them… see second pic. It was just a matter of ordering some bits&pieces to IMPERIAL/DORSET miniatures… and glue them on.

Now they look much better in my collection I guess… same to be done to an Indian Raj Battery (Only the bullets). There, now you know what obsessive collecting is… at least mine!

Enjoy!

Royal Artillery Set by Replica (Original)
Same set with “improved” gunners.
See what I mean?

Could not resist showing what it is really like pushing tin

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Today’s pic is a reminder of what we really do… nothing to do with REAL WAR who should be banished IMHO… those unable to distinguish between those concepts are to be pitied. I guess genetically programed to fight to survive it is very difficult to do not fall into the Von Clausewitz’s trap … it is not right to pursue diplomacy and politics by “other means” and that’s that.

Delightful scene…