Hello – Page 31 – My Toy Soldiers & Me

Cabinet reorganization

It was a necessity… specially for the small cabinet… the “TOKIO Tube look” is gone… so are The French Foreign Legion and the late British Empire (Kakhi)… gone to my old office to play A GENTLEMAN’S WAR with them…

So there you have it, the part of the collcetion in action stances is gone back to wargaming in Andorra la Vella… and the “ceremonial part” stays in Pal.

About time if you understand me. Yesterday afternoon it was a lot of work putting the Toy Soldiers in boxes to be moved and reorganizing the display on the small cabinet… the whole of six shelves was “gone”… but the result is satisfactory… I was already told once in Facebook that my figures needed space to “breathe”… alea jacta est.

Enjoy!

The French Foreign Legion and supports… are gone to another cabinet in my office.

So did the Kakhi British in Afghanistan… 6 shelves emptied in total…

This is the new look…You could do with some close ups but you got the idea alright!

There it is… door closed and all tip top.

The “big” cabinet slightly thinned down in numbers…

There you have it… closed down and “up to the nines”…

TOY SOLDIERS: Last additions. Edited 2025

Steadfast set… I have asked for the nurses (both) and the Medical officer (fourth from the left)

My armies have no casualties, sorry about that… for me Toy Soldiers never die… and of course I found annoying the idea of wounded and streach-bearers… I am particular about that. So there you have it… I bought the nurses… the doctors… an on purpose incomplete set (NO wounded etc.).

Messing up with WBritains Bengal Lancers (I)

A Bengal lancers mess… LOL A silly tale of collecting… last year (about December) I discovered the sets WBritains had done in the late nineties… so far so good… bought some sets… The Bengal lancers two sets of each matter of fact so to have 4 lancers (I am hooked on lancers)… and then what to do with the 2 redundant figures (I did not want 2 buglers and 2 officers…)… then I asked Antony Spencer to do some arms and heads conversions… all went well… until I messed up myself with them… I had two dark blue buglers (Hodson’s Horse?)… now one is a standard-bearer (A.S.) and the other a Native Officer (I did that changing an arm myself… LOL) RESULT: NO bugler at all!… so now I have to repaint a bugler from another set as Hodson’s Horse… see pics

I eventualy post a pic of the “new” painted bugler.

Luckily enough I did not messed up Skinner’s Horse and the 8 figures are OK.

There… new (repainted) bugler ready!… lacks gloss varnish…

Used the one on the left as a painting guide…

3 paintjob conversions of redundant 21st lancers officers (transfered to other regiments or duties)

My Collection: Last Touchs II. Edited 2025

Finally the Wagon is on its place… Steadfast Wagon and Ducal and Tradition mounted Officers.

Finished Collection on this Cabinet. A lifelong achievement…

I could still squeeze a couple more of Gordon Highlanders but all depends on REPLICA (read Andrew Stevenson). I am quite satisfied as it is. And YES it took me years… 11 shelves: top 3 French Foreign Legion (in the 1st Cavalry and Mules Mounted Infantry); 4-6 REPLICA Second Anglo-Afghan second war; 7 Artillery; 8 Tel el Kebir; 9-10 Royal West Kent; 11 Colonial Cavalry. Nothing post 1900 interests me as a collector.

Nowadays (2025) 95% of this Toy Soldiers are now in Andorra la Vella, in Pal only remains the display&marching units or ceremonial one’s. My intention is to wargame in 54mm again!

See recent pic below (still mising items under construction or modeling)

It lacks the Band of the French Foreign Legion (half painted), the 4 Feathers display and probably Scot Grey’s will exchange places with the Bengal Lancers… still thinking about it! IF I ever get a Dilley figure it will go to Pal.

My Collection: Last touchs I

I added two gunners on the left so to make a crew of 4, bought two nice guns (if guns can be considered “nice”) and completed the crews set with 3 more gunners… and added a sailor and an officer to the right. That was all I needed and they are at last in place. Tradition of London on the back (Two mountain guns on mules marching…). Enjoy (even if you probably had to zoom on them).

Guess it is better if I provide the zooms myself.

The finally completed Artillery set… thanks to Steadfast pieces.

For those really observant… the “white towel” around the body of the Maxim is a putty “repair” because years and eons ago it came broken and I was unable to glue in place in other way… there… all explained.

“Sixties” BRITAINS: That box started it all

Britain’s extra large set (two trays) Coldstream Guards… fantastic gift from my parents!

On a trip to London (UK) my parents had the great idea of bringing to me this awesome set of BRITAINS… one of the last produced before going “plastic”!

I was really pampered because I had been sick for quite a time.

Now, that brought along a lot of reminiscences… just seen in an Auction in the USA… not that I am going to bid at all… I had the real thing at the time it was needed…

I already had a lot of plastic, rubber and aluminium toy soldiers… but that box suddenly become the apex of my loot!

Sorry for the poor quality of the pics but they were really small.

As a result you all know I was hooked on Toy Soldiers for life…