Well despite the best efforts of the editor, and the promises of several manufacturers to provide items for scrutiny, the first UNDER REVIEW is necessarily small and compact. Apart from Irregular and Conflict only one company kept their promise to forward products. Is the fear of criticism so great?

A&A Models specialised in providing a figure painting service, and recent expansion has seen them purchase the Hales Stonecast range of wargame accessories. Virtually the entire range is now in production and to be retailed at approximately 50% of the 'Hales prices'.

Alan Hughes, the proprietor, is having numerous elements of the range remodelled and improved, in addition to as producing new products.

First up in the way of new releases is a new river set, which comprises straight, curved and 'Y' river sections. They are crisply modelled and well. detailed, with various pieces of foliage, including fallen logs, branches, trees. The river set, pieces of which are available as separate items are eminently suitable for all of the three major scales, 25, 15 and 6mm. There is a bridge section, which is again cleanly cast and has a nice touch of a missing capping stone from the bridge walls. The missing stone can be seen lying one side.

Secondly, Alan has located a new designer for his buildings. The first offering of which I received a sample will be coded A7 Country Cottage and retails at £ 3.00 unpainted and is suitable for 15mm scale. This is an excellent first effort that certainly bodes well for the future as the designer gains experience.

To start on the negative side, the doors on the sample although nicely recessed, contained little detail. I could just make out where the planking lines were intended to be, but they were otherwise featureless and bland and compared with the time and trouble obviously taken with the thatching were a little disappointing.

The cottage is two story, thatched and L-shaped maximum length is 5", width 3" and height 2.25". It comes replete with two outhouses, one of which is a wood stove, (I deduced this from the stacked logs within!), this was nicely undercut to give an excellent representation depth and space, a water butt and copious vegetation climbing the walls. Two large stone chimneys embellish the thatch and the glazing bars on all windows are well defined and cleanly cast. The production quality of the sample is high. There is little or no trace of any annoying 'bubbling' that would require any filling or scraping by the painter, in fact I would go as far to say that the sample is supplied ready to paint.. No further work required. This when compared to some other products available has to be a big plus. Highly recommended, good detail and excellent value. I'm not sure that I will paint mine, because if mother comes to visit I have no doubt it would be 'acquired' to join her growing collection of porcelain buildings!