Derek Guyler, a couple of photo related questions

Derek Guyler was one of these actors which featured a great deal in the television of my youth. He played a variety of characters particularly in  comedy programmes. Some of you will remember him. He was also a wargamer. I was looking at a couple  pictures of him this week on line.
This one is well known to me. I have edited out Phil Barker ( no offence meant) in order to concentrate on the non elephant figures. I normally focus my attention on the wonderful elephants and so ignore the other two larger figures which I assume to be 54mm . Does anyone recognise them?

The second picture ,below, is new to me. The siege tower is a fantastic piece of work. I assume it to be scratchbuilt or perhaps 70mm Elastolin? Does anyone know?

A little progress

Cold here in the Duchy and not really feeling the hobby vibe yesterday. However did a rebasing task I had been putting off-

Onwards and upwards...

Friday tea time

Featherstone and Laphroaig , what could be a better end to the week?

Golden Toy Soldiers

One of the highlights of my last visit to Denmark was a visit to Rosenberg Slot in Copenhagen. It is a fascinating royal palace crammed with objects of interest and paintings/tapestries that provide inspiration . They depict amongst other things battles of the past and many different uniform clad members of the Danish Royal Family. In the basement the Crown Jewels are kept along with items such as parade armour- notice the amazing shoulder protection 

There was something unusual amongst the Crown Jewels in the form of a collection of solid gold toy soldiers made for a Danish King-

This is only part of the collection. I have not been able to find out much more about them nor which monarch they were made for, I wish  I had noted down information there and then . The combination of quantity, quality and material puts them in a class of their own.

Tradgardland Colonial Troops: New uniforms. Please vote for the uniform of your choice...

The Duchy of Tradgardland maintains some colonies overseas. The Duke is currently looking at three designs for new uniforms for the Colonial infantry.

An old print of  Fort Karl Frederick on the Spice  Islands

The original  new uniform drawings produced for the Duke to view.

Here are three soldiers dressed in the prototype uniforms- one in the blue uniform,one in the white uniform and one in the khaki one. Please aid the Duke by casting your vote for the uniform of your choice ( by Sunday) by leaving a comment. Your help is greatly appreciated by the Duke.

Figures again are conversions from Crescent Guards with Dorset Toy Soldier heads added.

Simple conversions painted

I finished the first unit of Tradgardlanders yesterday and was pleased with the result. Here they are on manoeuvres near Tradgardstadt -

Simple conversions

Ages ago I bought a shoebox full of plastic toy soldier guardsmen, many were made by the company Crescent. They have lain in the shed for some time. Here are examples of them, good plastic toy soldiers awaiting a purpose in their shoe box barracks

I eventually got a hand pin drill but lacking a vice found it hard going to get them to stay still as I drilled. An early attempt involved sellotaping to a chair leg but that was too clumsy. Yesterday I managed to perfect a primitive technique involving jamming them in the corner of a drawer as a vice 

and drilling out the necks having cut their heads off first. It worked but there must be a better way... 

Replacement heads were added,undercoat of pva applied and painting begun. They are an approximation of 1910 Danish/ Tradgardland Infantry, close enough to keep me happy if not the purist. I will post pictures of the finished twelve man unit. All in all an enjoyable hobby session.