I think even Neville Dickinson and his partner Dick Higgs have been surprised at the way in which their recently opened Model Soldier shop "Miniature Figurines" has flourished. Situated in a busy shopping street on the outskirts of Southampton, this little but highly colourful shopfront never ceases to have a small crowd gazing through the glass at its window packed with row upon row of figures beautifully painted and designed by Dick Higgs.
Of course, one must not omit the distinctive range of 54mm figures that Major Bob Rowe (whose display at Woburn Abbey in well known) is producing for Miniature Figurines -- they are also on display. Being able to browse among figures has inestimable advantages over ordering them from a catalogue or from their worded description in an advert. Southampton holds the merit of being the Port of departure and arrival for many people and it is hoped that they will take time to drop in and have a look at this latest of the shops dealing largely with our hobby.
Another shop at the other end of England is the "Northern Garrison" of Castlegate Knaresborough, Yorkshire. Although I have not seen them, I find great excitement in the notice dealing with a 30mm range of Standish figures at "wargame prices". There is a crying need for a good 30mm range of figures and it is to be hoped that this might well be it.
Christopher Lance Scott (an art student) of the Wessex Military Society recently impressed his fellow members most favourably by a very fine display of cardboard houses he had made up completely from scratch. Chris is prepared to make these houses for anyone who cares to contact him - he will make them in any type or period you wish Eastern, Mediaeval, or of any particular architectural type, These are not works of art or collectors pieces in the same sense as those made by the late Bill Holmes of Deltorama, but at the cost of a few shillings, one can obtain the timbered houses to go with ones 18th and 19th century wargames, or the white mud houses or Native huts to go with Colonial Campaigns. Write to Chris at Langley House, Blackfield, Hampshire, for information but preferably tell him what you want.
No mention has been made in the Newsletter up to now of the current part-work "History of the English Speaking Peoples". The most recent copy has dealt in full with the defeat of the Spanish Armada and previous parts have included detailed plans of the Battles of Hastings, Bannockburn, Crecy, Agincourt, Orleans, Towton, Bosworth and Flodden as well as sections on Roman Legions castles, the Crusades, siege warfare and Medieval warfare. All this and much more in the first 40 parts, another 76 to go.
I forgot to mention when talking of The Garrison above that they stock a very fine range of Lamming Napoleonic infantry, cavalry and artillery. The latter range at present includes British 9pdr, 12pdr and limber and French 8 pdr and 12pdr. 5.511 Howitzers and 24pdr siege guns. The 24pdr is 2s.6d., the rest are all 48.6d. The two French guns and the Howitzer include a "penthouse roof" ammunition chest.
Further to paragraphs 2 and 5, I have now received a selection of the figures and guns available from the Northern Garrison of Knaresborough - and I am very impressedl The 30mm figures are excellent and will paint-up beautifully - the horse is beautiful (although the cavalryman is at 7s.9d. perhaps a bit pricey when compared with the infantry at 3 for 6s.6d.) If I have any detrimental criticism it is that these figures are 35mm (or nearly 40) rather than true 30mm.
The guns made by Bill Lamming are superb and, at their price, should sell like hot cakes. They have certainly given me the itch to completely re-equip my Napoleonic artillery. The Lamming gun-crews and Napoleonic infantry are of a distinctive high quality and I particularly like the cavalry, with riders separate for horses. All in all, a credit to the hobby, the cavalry and artillery possibly setting a new "connoisseur" wargames standard.
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© Copyright 1970 by Donald Featherstone.
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