What do you wear when gaming?

While not being very active on the gaming front at the moment I do tend to keep up with my blog reading list, just to see what's going on and make the odd comment. It is interesting to see how frequent (or infrequent) some writers are. In the meantime I also check my facebook page daily, trying to ignore the various extraneous items that pop up, but one couldn't be resisted. Why the gods of facebook decided it would interest me I don't know, but here are some details.

The particular entry concerned a range of decorated T-shirts, and comes from America. The website is https://topkency.com and they produce, among other items, T-shirts styled as military uniforms, varying from medieval to modern. The picture below is of their take on Nelson. As they are priced in US dollars I'm not sure how they cost out in the UK, but that can be discovered easily enough.

So now you can dress in the style of your game!, enjoy your browse of the site.

R.I.P. Roy Dilley

I have just received a message from Paul Vickers, President of the British Model Soldier Society, that Roy Dilley, doyen of Model Soldier collectors everywhere, has passed away. I am sure that other bloggers will detail his life, times and accomplishments but I'd just like to record that it was Roy, along with Henry Harris, that set me on the route to conversion of 54mm figures.

It was Roy's articles in Airfix Magazine, converting Almark and Airfix figures into troop types I would never have thought of, and his book "Scale Model Soldiers" of 1972, that gave me so much inspiration. Unfortunately I could never emulate his expertise but I kept trying.

So another of the old stagers has gone, and will be missed.

Compliments of the season.

MrsJ has timetabled quite a busy few days between now and the New Year, gallivanting about visiting all and sundry. I suspect she's trying to forget the fact that she retired on Monday and won't know what to do with herself, so is making up for it.
So, as I shall not have time soon (she's out topping the car fuel up and getting last minute milk etc.) I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Blatant Plug

I've slowly been reducing my collection of books, and have started listing some of the overflow military titles I've not looked at for some time onto the e-bay auction site. At the moment there are about 10 titles on there, with most being assorted ones from the early 'Discovering' series and a few Blandford uniform books. If you'd like to have a look at my listings I go by the seller name nospoj1, so feel free to take a look. I've attached a few pictures for your delectation.

Thanks for looking. Other books will appear over the next few months.

Book Review, The History of Toy Soldiers

Way back in March I mentioned a new book on the history of toy soldiers due out in September. This morning my copy arrived from Amazon (other suppliers are available) and I have had a quick shufti through it. As I'm not a toy soldier expert, merely an aficionado, I won't attempt a detailed review, you might have to wait for weeks while I studied it, just pass on the salient points. Someone with more knowledge can do the critique.

The book is titled (naturally) The History of Toy Soldiers, by Luigi Toiati (of Garibaldi and Co Toy Soldiers), is published by Pen and Sword at £40. ISBN 1473897297. It comes in at a massive 613 pages long, not including index, and has colour photos ,culled by the author from many sources, on practically every page. Throughout the book there are line drawings reminiscent of those in H.G.Wells' Little Wars done by the author. Some of which I've used to illustrate this entry.


After the introduction by James Opie there is a foreward 'the miniature through the ages' and then we get into the main body of the book. Some 16 chapters (plus some 'cameos' or asides from various authors and collectors) giving the story of toy soldiers* from 6000BC to the end of the 20th century. This covers every aspect of social and political aspects of the toy soldier

The text is extremely readable, almost conversational, and will probably end up being dipped into rather than read cover to cover. Some of the makers stories have the authors personal reminiscences included. Many manufacturers, large and small** are covered in the text, with all the well known names amongst the lesser known. All sizes are covered including wargame figures and large scale plastic kits such as those from Airfix and Aurora. Even the terracotta warriors get a mention in passing.

Each chapter ends with a list of books covering the subject matter, and there is a full four page bibliography at the end of the book.


I've spent the afternoon neglecting my chores just browsing the pictures. I can really recommend that anyone who enjoys toy/model soldier history should get a copy for their shelves.






* in this respect, toy soldiers also includes the more static type of model soldier that was not classed as plaything but used ornamentally.
** I was astonished to find my short-lived endeavours of the late 1990s mentioned in the text.


as mentioned, the drawings are taken from the book, and were done by Luigi Toiati in the style of J.S.Sinclair

Introducing a new blog by yours truly.

Soldiering has taken a back seat of late. I've been given the delightful task of looking after two young (pre-school) granddaughters for four days a week. They keep me active and by the time I hand them back I'm too tired to do much. I'm left with one weekday to myself, as MrsJ keeps me occupied at the weekend, so not much gets done.

I have, meanwhile, slowly been planning a model railway for the garden shed. Rather than bore anyone with details here I started a new blog under the title of Joppy's Model Railway Trials and Tribulations. This isn't really intended as a social endeavour but is a kind of diary of my efforts. It is quite boring at the moment but should get better as construction begins.

In the meantime, if you want to check it out feel free. No compulsion.

A title to look out for

This book has just been flashed on my Amazon recommendations and I've put an order in based on the names involved. The writer of the introduction needs no introduction, as James Opie is a well known name in toy soldier circles, having a number of books on the subject to his name, a valuer for auction houses and a large collection of his own. The author, LUIGI TOIATI may not be so familiar. For many years he and his wife attended the London Toy Soldier Show with their stand of GARIBALDI & CO toy soldiers. Mainly of Italian subjects with an offshoot to the Jacobite Rebellions, these were delightful miniatures. He has evidently written a history of toy (and model)soldiers with passion and affection, with many little personal anecdotes of his own added. I look forward to browsing for many hours. My only hope is that there is not too much emphasis on Britain's and more on the many small makers that have been around.

While a little expensive at £40 I think this reflects similarly to the large volumes by Norman Joplin, James Opie and so on that are already available. Published on June 30th by Pen and Sword, 640 pages of nostalgia can be pre-ordered from your preferred dealer.  .