And now for something completely different or the horror, the horror!

 

Branching out in my modelling, a wee estate loco for the garden railway. Even with instructions and an article in a garden railway glossy this is daunting!

Making a start.

Other stuff on the painting desk, plastic and resin.

Airfix Roman fort and figures video

A rather cool use of the Airfix Roman fort and figures -

https://youtu.be/8TVjpBUVICE

A blast from the past

 My Airfix pre ordered figures arrived today. A blast from the past , full of memories. 

On reflection l think l prefer the figures in grey plastic as they were back in the day. What do you think? Anyone else buying into these?

About the Britons

 I was interested to read in the comments to my last post the information that the Airfix Ancient Britons were based on an illustration in a Funken book. That was fascinating news to me. Can anyone help us track down the aforementioned picture?

I did wonder if this illustration, first published in 1959 might have influenced Airfix’s design, especially in the helmets on the figures?

Finally l looked out my old catalogue and thought you might enjoy the picture of painted figures from it.

I look forward to finding out more re the Funcken book…

Looking back and forward 2 or Airfix Romans too, hmmmm , perhaps not.

 

As one of my commentators noted the Airfix shields were fiddly. I kept losing mine. I also never liked the chariot. Solid wheels for the Britons yes, Roman chariots no, I’m fickle. I did like auxiliary eastern archer particularly. Anyway the aforementioned reasons and the finding of some Strelets Romans in the shed recently ( see above picture of these splendid chunky, legionaries on the march) means my current plan is not to buy the reissued Airfix Romans. I also like the idea of old figures battling new ones , past v present, but we will see no need to definitely decide yet.

I’ve looked out my copy of DBA  3 which l bought during Covid for those Zoom games mentioned a couple of posts ago. I will probably use them for the “ Airfix “ project, maybe in the big battle mode eventually but we will see . 

Also found the updated “ Purple Primer” which is a splendid introduction to ancient wargaming, plastic figures and DBA , not to mention terrain making ideas etc. A veritable one stop shop. Looked it out and have been having a read. Great fun, good solid advice and highly recommended for newbies and veterans alike.

Also found the original “ Purple Primer” from 1975. It was an introduction to ancient wargaming through the lens  of WRG 6th edition. Well worth a read if only for its nostalgia value. 

So here we are plastic coming and plastic here already. Can’t make up my mind whether to start the Romans now or wait to summer, the AB’s arrival and paint them together. Hmmm we’ll see.

Looking back and forward

 The other day l get the first instalment of my State Pension. A slightly momentous time , possibly a milestone passed. It certainly caused me to think about the passing of the years and my lost youth in particular . This got me thinking what would be a good way to mark this albeit in a small low key hobby manner. So l went for this-

As a boy l loved my Airfix figures and fought across the sitting room carpet endlessly. I recall buying my Airfix boxes at the newsagent’s near Happy Valley . I mixed WW1 and WW2 with careless abandon until my father explained the difference. I was also blessed with a dad who was a Roman aficionado and taken to Hadrian’s Wall and museums. Amongst my favourites of all the figures were the Ancient Britons and the Roman boxes!

So , in the light of Airfix re releasing them this summer what better a thing to do than pre order those Ancient Britons l loved then and still do. So l will need to be patient as I await their summer arrival and enjoy the anticipation of their return. I have gone for three boxes to give some options. Summer , sun and Airfix  what could be better ?

1/32 and oo/ho pages

 Further Airfix fun-

Building renovations

 Been working on some house renovations and other building projects today, all Airfix.

Further Airfix..

Today’s pictures, hope you enjoy them. Definitely some sets here I had forgotten-

Airfix catalogue 1971

I found this in my magazine box files over the weekend and had forgotten I still had it. It was my Airfix catalogue from 1971 complete with the Moringside, Edinburgh stamp of Donray a well known toy shop at the time. I don’t know why I bothered to write the obvious on the cover as a boy. Let me know if you are interested in seeing more pages. I ,for one, had forgotten about the 1/12 figures but on seeing them remembered that I had owned a couple of the kits.