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Tradition of London (Ceremonial Troops) 54mm Toy Soldiers

I have been collecting sets from Tradition of London from decades… I was actually a bit distracted by others periods and scales… but they are always on my mind.

I recently put an order to give a bit of colour at one of my cabinets and Erik supplied (quite fast!) the following set: 1 Officer (British), an NCO (Indian) and two lancers for 4 Regiments with different uniforms… so far so good.

Once the parcel arrived one of the lance shafts was broken above repair and so I contacted them. A replacement is on its way… EXCELLENT service and Communications…

As I loath to gave anything away I did a bit of repairing on the “broken” lancer and he has been raised in rank (twice…LOL) and decorated… and sent the pics to Erik if that can help other customers…

Here are the pics of the little tale…

Enjoy

See broken lance above left.

Detail.

Inspected and small “retouching”

Raised to Corporal (and out of bits of the lance to have a pacing stick)

Raised to RSM and decorated… I did not want to threw it away you know… I try to never do that… sometimes looks good enough!

Finally the replacement (FREE) arrived and the set is complete. Thanks to Erik from Tradition of London for an excellent service.

TRADITION OF LONDON: Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Regimental Sergeant Major 54mm small conversion

Curiously enough this cast (unpainted) was one of the first minis I ever painted myself (as it was mean to be… red tunic & all… and there it is still in my collection). One day I noticed I did not have thought of buying from DUCAL a RSM… so… I bought from Tradition of London the kit again and have painted in a new version with pace stick (a bit of steel paper clip).

There you have it hope you like it.

There… it only lacks the gloss finish… will add when dry!

Gloss varnished… project finished!

REPLICA Season Greetings!… + the real thing!

Find hereby some delightful vignettes done by Andrew Stevenson from REPLICA METAL MODEL SOLDIERS.

There are several years specials (for X’mas) mixed up.

Quite peaceful if you ask me…

Enjoy!

And now some real toy soldiers after the sugary season… original subjects to say the least!

DORSET SOLDIERS… my yearly order has arrived!

I will replace (finally not) those pics with new one’s “out of the boxes” when coming back from holidays… summer is hot even in Andorra!… done partially!

So for the moment just enjoy like this… fresh from the parcel!

I even did not take pics of a drummer and some dogs!

In a hurry it was… mind!

2025 order has been placed already (French Chasseurs of the Line aka light Infantry; two units of French line Infantry, a mounted ADC… and a special “Mildred Natwick” as cast in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON)

Have added new pics…

And an interesting experiment… with chatgpt.com (that was before changing a bit the order)… LOL

I will replace those pictures with new ones “out of the boxes” when I return from my holidays. Summer is hot even in Andorra! I’ve done it partially, so for the moment, just enjoy it like this—fresh from the parcel! I didn’t even take pictures of a drummer and some dogs; I was in a hurry, you know! I’ve already placed my 2025 order for the French Chasseurs of the Line (light infantry), another unit of French line infantry, and a special “musique de la Legion.” I’ve added new pictures as well. (Same text using chatgpt.com). LOL

The “missing drummer” completes the unit! Thanks Antony!

Deployed too!… I searched for this fellows since I saw eons ago Lives of a Bengal Lancer and Gary Cooper blowing his whistle deploying the machine guns… fantastic job by Dorset Soldiers!

French 75mm guns, British 13 pounders and machine gun with carriage.

54mm Cavalry Officer’s Minis bought already painted

It is a pleasure to collect in 54MM… because it remains the Toy Soldier scale par excellence.

Sometimes I do order them by Post, sometimes I buy in Ebay (less frequently).

In any case the results have been quite satisfactory so far.

REPLICA and DORSET/IMPERIAL SOLDIERS are just two of the best manufacturers around.

Enjoy!

Bought on Ebay (expensive way of collecting).

General Wolseley painted by Andrew Stevenson (REPLICA) one of my first ever buys from REPLICA.

French ADC post 1870 painted by Antony Spencer (DORSET SOLDIERS or IMPERIAL MINIATURES)

54mm Cavalry Officer’s Minis painted by me

I have always been fascinated by horses (lead toy horses I am afraid), films with horses in them I am a fan… but my experiences with real horses are almost nil, once I rided a horse in a tourist promenade (about 1 hour) and only can recall the vast amount of flies they carried with them.

Lead toy horses are “cleaner”… and they behave… lol

As Oscar Wilde said they are dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle… probably an exaggeration to make a laugh…

Enjoy!

RCMP Inspector (my avatar) REPLICA painted by me…

Captain Brittles (She Wore a Yellow Ribbon)… REPLICA painted by me…

HRH King Charles III (REPLICA painted by me)

Winston Churchill as a subaltern in the 4th Hussars… (REPLICA painted by me)

French Officer (DORSET SOLDIERS) painted by me… I already had the horse bought painted and asked for a suitable cast from Antony Spencer.

Churchill at Omdurman… converted and painted by me…using DORSET SOLDIERS castings. (In fact I already had the painted horse)

GETTYSBURG 3rd July (Part II) and an end to the series (63 “real days” on and off) 6mm

It is over… the Gettysburg reenacment (solo wargaming to a point) took me 63 “days” in real time… not continuosly OF COURSE!… there were real life intrusions on the project (trips, business, contracts… you name it!)… but the obvious bonus fact of having a permanent big table (green top if you like)… payed off. It has been a long life project… I wanted to do Gettysburg for years (even when I was napoleonic wargaming in 25MM).

Well, as the expected anticlimax I give you 3rd day PartII. I was satisfied with the result (you can not have it at regimental level… but you can wargame at regimental level parts of it).

Pics will show you “Pickett’s charge” (because Heth was inconscious) it has gone down in History with that name… but was a pell-mell of scraped brigades from Ist Corps and III Corps… and Pickett’s were the only “fresh” troops of the lot.

Lee gambled hard and lost… the conflict would last for nearly two years more but the men the South lost as casualties were not there anymore. Stonewall Jackson had already said that the South lacked the manpower to explote a victory…

A sad affair (as war always is)… you are deeply affected even wargaming it!

The advancing Confederate Brigades as on parade!

Union artillery fire starts disrutping the charge…

General Lee receives his men with the heartfelt apology “It was my fault… not yours”… with hindsight they would have had to search for peace there and then… but History is different!

GETTYSBURG 3rd July ( Part I ) 6mm

The third day of the battle General Lee after having attacked both flanks on previous days… designs a grand attack by 13 brigades (as much as a Corps but amalgamated from Ist and IInd)… Picket’s Division been the only fresh troops for the attack.

It would be preceded by an Artillery action of a massed guns battery. It would be effective to a less degree than hoped, much overshooting the target… (and quite defective ammo sometimes).

The Confederate Cavalry tries to join the main battlefield on the rear of the Union… but would be stopped in a draw fight (inconclusive)… and prevented by the Union Cavalry to complete that objective.

The battle is ready for the grand final…

Enjoy!

The shot and shell mainly affects the rear area of the Union position…

The Union cavalry stops Jeb Stuart tired troopers…

Custer wons his reputation that day (among others)…

HRH King Charles III

Finally decided to change the command figure of my Trooping the Colour display.

It took me almost two years to decide.

HRH the late Queen Elizabeth II has been moved to another shelve. She is still on display, but certainly not on a central role.

Time moves on.

The new figure (a REPLICA cast) painted by me.

GETTYSBURG 2 July mid afternoon/evening/dusk 6mm

The second day at Gettysburg saw hard fighting, it has been said that General Lee intended an envelopping attack clockwise: first Longstreet, then Hill (Anderson Division) and then Ewell.

It went like that more or less in my tabletop.

The Peach Orchard, the Whratfield and the Valley of Death were a place of hard fighting… IIIrd Corps (Union) made a gallant defense but was spent and had to retreat. Luckily for General Meade reinforcements come on in the nick of time.

Little Round Top (truly enough) went like an History book… Vincent had very good dice throws.

Anderson also did a half hearted attack (not for the real men involved I guess).

And Ewell was not at his best but nearly one Brigade went through the Union defenses… but there no fresh troops available and the Union quickly plugged the gap.

It was hard work wargaming it (so to say) SOLO… but now Dusk has fallen and the Confederate Army has not broken the Union line.

Hope you enjoy!