Who designed Matchbox figures?

BNF Models did…

When I was much younger I had a lot of plastic Matchbox infantry (both the 1/76th and 1/32nd version) which I thought were done very well.

I have now found out that the masters for these were done by Bill Farmer (BNF Models) who has a website.

This is something I like about the internet, you can find things out that would be really difficult or impossible by any other means.

It also means you can find out what other stuff he sculptured.

Scenery for Moderns and WWII

Try your local model railway shop…

I was in my local toyshop looking for presents for my son, when I checked out the model railway section.

Two things caught my eye for having a use on the gaming table, Hornby’s Skaledale range and the Cararama range of 1/72nd vehicles.

Hornby’s Skaledale range is a superb range of ready painted resin UK 1/72nd buildings that would be excellent for any Operation Sealion type game. This pub is typical of the quality of the range.

There is also a range of modern stuff that could be used for a modern type scenario. These skips are an example of the Skaledale range.

You can see pictures of all the range on the Hornby website.

There is also a N gauge range which could be used with 15mm figures at a push. 15mm is approx 1/100th scale and N is 1/160th scale.

The Cararama range of vehicles would be ideal for any moderns game in providing some real background scenery. These are highly detailed scale model cars.

There are also quite a few for a scenario set in the 1960s.

Secret Army

Secret Army, just as good as I remembered…

Secret Army

Back in 1977, the BBC broadcast a series, called Secret Army about a group of Belgians who helped downed aircrew escape from occupied Europe. At the time I thought it was excellent and extremely well made.

Today I often think I won’t watch that old programme as the memory of it will be ruined by seeing it again. Having said that I borrowed the first season of Secret Army from my father-in-law who had purchased it on DVD.

I did wonder if it would be as good as I remembered and thinking nearly thirty years has passed since this was first on, and time can play tricks on you. I knew that it would be a combination of film and video (as was virtually any drama made in the 1970s) and that maybe the plots and acting would be a disappointment.

Boy was I wrong.

It was excellent and though I having only watched the first two episodes it was certainly as good as I remember (if not a little better). It was very powerful stuff and well made.

I have now seen a few more episodes and it certainly is gripping stuff and well made television which has stood the test of time.

Certainly recommended.

Ork Gargant Weapon

Ork Gargant Weapon, actually a brown coal mining machine…

I use to often look at my Epic ork miniatures and wonder if they could exist for real or was real-world physics going to get in the way of the fantasy of the game.

Then I saw this on the web…

It is a brown coal mining machine, but the resemblance to the buzzsaw of an Ork Gargant (or even Imperial Titan) is rather striking.

it just shows that one day there could be huge fighting machines…