A trip down memory lane

Inspired by Terry and unwilling to clutter up his thread I've been rummaging and took some pictures of some of my old figures painted many moons ago (probably 30+ years) As an impecunious youngster I spent many happy hours messing the staff about at Bedworth Art Supplies which was my local source of figures. This delightful emporium sold a few metal figures and lots of Hinchcliffe war game types so well worth the 15 mile bike ride to visit.
Only source of inspiration in those far off halcyon days was good old Military Modelling which was full of tempting adds. My favourites were Barton Miniatures and Ray Lambs beautifully cast stuff, but I recall a lovely figure of a British Dragoon in bicorn drawing his sword about 100 mm which I can't find now . . . .

Anyway these are all painted in Humbrol although I did use oils for the flesh parts. First off are a couple of Ray's. the Hussar is a straight paint job. The successful hunter has a new forage cap and a couple of minor changes. The Ciurrasier has a few minor changes including I think the oilskin cover for the plume. The Greek is a lovely little Seriess 77 figure. I'll add a few more later.
(I've got a box of smaller stuff as well, but I have to unload the loft to get at it, so maybe that will wait till another day)

Hope you enjoy these oldies
Paul

Another few before I pop off to cook tea.
The Legionary is a Barton Miniature I think - I'm pretty sure I added the cover to the shield to avoid having to paint the design on it, but that may be my memory playing tricks. The Knight was pretty much scratch built around an armature based on a Poste Militaire figure (Chasseur possibly) Everything is made from Miliput apart from the shield which I made by beating out a thin sheet of aluminium to form the curved edge. Lastly another Barton one .

Ha ha! I painted a few of these as well, probably concealed in my loft (it's for the best). Have got one or 2 figures from that period in virgin unpainted condition too. Maybe I should get down to them, what do you think?

Post militaire will always stand the test of time Richard

The legionnaire is definitely Barton, l painted one a couple of years ago. Bit static by today's standards as so many nice figures from the Roman army have been produced.

Tecumsea said:

Post militaire will always stand the test of time Richard

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Absolutely, Keith, no argument there!

Richard Baxter said:

Ha ha! I painted a few of these as well, probably concealed in my loft (it's for the best). Have got one or 2 figures from that period in virgin unpainted condition too. Maybe I should get down to them, what do you think?

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Dig 'em out Richard. Several of my Barton figures were stripped and varnished so are also ready to go, but I'm saving them till I can't work on the 54's coz they take up a fair bit of room in the cabinet.

Tecumsea said:

The legionnaire is definitely Barton, l painted one a couple of years ago. Bit static by today's standards as so many nice figures from the Roman army have been produced.

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Trouble with this one IMO is the barrel armour is too flat around the middle (At this time I was also wearing the stuff that had been made for a local group who put on displays and gladiatorals) I've got another one, possibly another Barton, in a mail shirt carrying all the kit over his shoulder which is lovely.

I think the one carrying the kit is the Marius Mule which was an Almond Miniatures Release. I think Richard Almond also sculpted the Barton Roman before he started his own company.

Keith

Tecumsea said:

I think the one carrying the kit is the Marius Mule which was an Almond Miniatures Release. I think Richard Almond also sculpted the Barton Roman before he started his own company.

Keith

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Of course - thanks for clearing that up Keith

Love the PM conversion with the pigeons

Love looking at these "oldies," some of which I still have boxed up and ready to paint someday

Paul, it looks as though we had the same tastes, old son. The 100mm heavy dragoon drawing his sabre was a Dave Jarvis figure, I believe taken from a Denis Dighton print. It's OK, but I never got around to completing it. When I get some time, I'll see if it's still "up there" in a box, and you can have it. It's an elegant pose, but not really up to our modern sculptors. A certain novelty value, I suppose.

Cheers, Alan

Nice one Paul, really great to see more of the oldies they really do trigger the old memory, I really do need to climb over the boxes in my cubbyhole to see what treasures lie in the grey army, I know that I used to buy the Baron stuff and now that Keith has mention the connection with Almond I think I might have some untouched Indians from that company that I had bought to compliment the Cowboy figures that I had painted.
Keep them coming folks.
TERRY

OldTaff said:

Paul, it looks as though we had the same tastes, old son. The 100mm heavy dragoon drawing his sabre was a Dave Jarvis figure, I believe taken from a Denis Dighton print. It's OK, but I never got around to completing it. When I get some time, I'll see if it's still "up there" in a box, and you can have it. It's an elegant pose, but not really up to our modern sculptors. A certain novelty value, I suppose.

Cheers, Alan

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Thanks for remembering Alan (saves me wearing out my brain or digging through the old MM magazines until I found a picture of the thing) Nice to know I hadn't just imagined it and I appreciate the offer, although I suspect you are right about the quality. Certainly the larger figures 'worked' better than the small stuff I remember; got a few Tassell ancients around somewhere which were good in their day, but would need a lot of work to bring up to the standard of the current releases.

TERRYSOMME1916 said:

Nice one Paul, really great to see more of the oldies they really do trigger the old memory, I really do need to climb over the boxes in my cubbyhole to see what treasures lie in the grey army, I know that I used to buy the Baron stuff and now that Keith has mention the connection with Almond I think I might have some untouched Indians from that company that I had bought to compliment the Cowboy figures that I had painted.
Keep them coming folks.
TERRY

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Thanks Terry, glad you are enjoying them. I spent a happy hour yesterday evening piecing together the mounted Dragoon of Ray Lamb to see if I still had all the bits.

Cheers for now
Paul

Brilliant there we go again, John Tassel another name from the past and I am associating this with a range of figures probably about 75mm that were already built and primed grey ready for painting, I done a load of these before moving onto the white metal kit figures and they are also in a box somewhere, remember a couple of Gladiators so if I ever come across them I will get them onto PF.
TERRY

Yes, John Tassel and his company Lasset Figures. Some intriguing subjects back there, I have a nice pair of duelling Landesknechts from when I was a student in Liverpool, bought at The Northern Garrison in Smithdown Road, Wavertree. Another model shop long gone.

My top golden oldie in my stash, yet to be realised, is a figure of a US Dragoon 1846-8 by Terry Worster for Signature Miniatures, in 90mm. It's been assembled, based and primed ready for painting for at least 35 years and is looking at me reproachfully even now. Bought at one of the old BMSS Bristol shows held at The Watershed in Bristol back in the late 70s. Ahh, the memories: Dr Mike Thomas and his Historex legions and drinking too much in the Llandoger Trow.

Maybe someone should start a separate page on here for all this nostalgia stuff...or maybe not. Time for my medication.

Great idea Richard, if this subject snowballs perhaps a separate page might be something that the the guys could look at but in the meantime if you could get a picture on showing your Dragoon or any other figures it would be very interesting.
TERRY

OK, here are pics of the US Dragoon and a Lasset Germanic Auxiliary in the Roman Army, as requested. They seem to have come out sideways on and I can't figure out how to turn them through 90 degrees. Hope it doesn't give you a stiff neck.

I still love the oldies..., being one myself!

Cheers,
Ken

Lovely to see the pics Richard, not sure what you are using to take photos, I use my phone, (cant afford a fancy camera) then email the pics to my computer and that's when I flip them so that they are the right way up, then save them to my pictures folder and then they are ready to upload onto the PF threads. Might be a good idea to undercoat the flesh parts on that Dragoon while you have it out of storage lol.
TERRY