Wonderland or the joy of model shops

Most of my hobby purchases are made online except for paint and other modelling supplies which l get locally. I buy some figure related stuff at shows buts that’s about it. 

Saturday saw me having a wee wander in Edinburgh. I decided to pop up Lothian Road and see the reopened Filmhouse. It played an important part in my youth when one could see films for 50p on a Wednesday afternoon. I went a lot, for at fifty pence you had nothing to lose . I digress. Anyway across from the Filmhouse is Wonderland . It was always a great shop but one for modellers rather than wargamers being filled with a cornucopia of model railway, radio control and kit wonders plus toys. It hadn’t been graced by my presence for ages and l can tell you it now has loads more for the wargamer in terms of Perry, Wargames Atlantic and other 28mm plastic figures. An excellent selection, well worth a browse. My plan was to see if l could get a wee manageable project in terms of task and price. I waited to be hooked in , I was open to a hobby dérive if you like . The idea was to browse in the 1/72 plastic toy soldier bit of the shop. And so l did . Periods and choice galore. In the ended was taken by a box of Strelets figures ( Marmite like you either like loath them, l find them charming if a little crude occasionally ) which you see the box of above . WW2 Romanians. They would serve really well as interwar imaginations figures for a Transilvanian Army. I bought them for £7:50:for 48 figures with ideas forming in my head. The purchase reminded me of fun browsing for toy soldiers in my local post office in the Sixties where the post mistress was kind and patient.

The figures unboxed, washed in detergent and drying prior to painting. I was reminded of Craig David’s song 7 days but something similar “ bought them on a Saturday, painted them on a Sunday by Monday we fighting on the tabletop…” 

Beginning the process of painting and planning what to do with them…Saturday.

Painted , given a dark wash and drying . The helmet and cap figures would serve as regular infantry with the fur hatted chaps being militia.

A coat of gloss varnish whist still on the sprue to seal everything on Sunday.

Cut off the sprue and bases painted, Monday morning early. If I had possessed suitable mdf bases the task would have been finished but after a hunt l realised I needs to order some…

So here we are Wednesday morning early, waiting for the bases to arrive, the figures then being based and used on the table. A cheap, fun wee project to lift the spirit and offer some gaming fun. Opponents will be interwar Austrian imagination and or The Duchy of Volare Cantare…