Oh no he doesn't!:o graphic image warning!:yep: https://youtu.be/ZmInkxbvlCs

https://i.imgur.com/Cy8SUlg.jpg

I'd hoped to get the following photos ready before the coronation 2 days ago but Whac-a-Squirrel had to get priority, as you'll surely agree

For a long time I wondered about the origin of this beautiful Coldstream Guards Drum Major, then thanks to the internet community I discovered that he was made by "Cavendish Miniatures" in the 1960s as one of several figures intended for London's tourist market (see post #138 for the policeman)

I repainted him as a toy soldier, which is what he is (not a model) although I couldn't resist going to town a little on the detail

A line-up of drum majors
 

https://i.imgur.com/YfcvjT5.jpg

From L to R - Charbens, Lone Star, Britains 'Eyes Right' series, Cavendish and Cherilea - all plastic toys from the 1960s with some continuing into the 1970s. I repainted all of them except the Britains figure

https://i.imgur.com/itXwusf.jpg

Just to show what a repaint can do. Some collectors disapprove of repaints but I'd rather look at clean and tidy guardsmen than scruffy slovenly ones

"Tallest on the right, shortest on the left!"
 

https://i.imgur.com/j4DPrwA.jpg

An overview of the different makers' guardsmen when I was a kid

From our left: Timpo, Britains 'Deetail' series, 60mm Crescent Toys series, Cavendish Miniatures, Britains 'Herald' range, Lone Star

https://i.imgur.com/c6TqgWn.jpg

These two were late on parade (disgraceful) - they are Britains 'Eyes Right' and the smaller (54mm) of the two series producedd by Crescent. All repainted except for 1, 2 and 7

@ Sky - I've never so far come across a squirrel guardsman so please let me know if you find a pic :yep::salute:

Will do. :salute:

I have this one, Britains 'Deetail' series!

I've been using this shot for years!:D

http://leadlegionaries.blogspot.com/...red-light.html :O: https://live.staticflickr.com/154/35...841664427f.jpg https://image.invaluable.com/housePh...L238882804.jpg https://preview.redd.it/arnold-bockl...=webp&45942f5d https://static.fjcdn.com/large/pictu...2dc_781624.jpg https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...bUmqQ&usqp=CAU

Britains "Herald" guardsmen
 

Always my favourite figures as a youngster, the Herald range was bought out by William Britains Ltd, who kept many of them in production - more about that later with a look at the earlier grenadier guardsmen designed by Zang

https://i.imgur.com/JfWX4SV.jpg https://i.imgur.com/H06bVYT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ME5bynI.jpg All Herald guardsmen - there were no bandsmen in the range

https://i.imgur.com/Fa5zaqB.jpg

I only have this pair from the 'Deetail' range - produced by Britains in the 1980s and made from a PVC material with separate metal bases. These are Scots guards, recognisable by their tunic buttons arranged in threes and with no hackle on the bearskin. I've yet to give these 2 a paintjob :)

Mounted Guards Officer
 

https://i.imgur.com/MmWpTes.jpg https://i.imgur.com/VFDrnHf.jpg

The only one produced by Britains-Herald, he doesn't seem as well modelled as the foot figures; a mounted Highlander officer appeared at around the same time

His horse is the same as the one Herald used for their Household Cavalry and which I'll show here later

Grenadier Guards
 

https://i.imgur.com/G0a9TPu.jpg

Britains other very popular toy guardsmen were part of the "Eyes Right" range which also included the Royal Marines in their distinctive white helmets

There were many bandsmen in the series - their removable arms allowed these "swoppet" figures to feature a huge number of musical instruments (all cast in metal, chrome plated in both brass and silver finish) as well as weapons, standards and the Drum Major's mace, which was also a metal item. The same instruments etc were featured in the Royal Marines sets (see post #132)


https://i.imgur.com/WNfq39D.jpg <Guards Colour-Party

https://i.imgur.com/N8s1Lbv.jpg

Lone Star
 

https://i.imgur.com/giKh4TM.jpg

This was a hugely popular british maker in the 60's and although the sculpting of many of their figures was simplistic we loved them. It has to be said that you're pretty limited with poses when you're modelling guardsmen - after all, what else do you see them doing except marching? To add variety, some makers of guardsman figures presented them firing their rifles - some kneeling and some even prone. This is just plain daft since they don't wear their ceremonial uniforms on the shooting range. So I'm never likely to include those in this thread unless it's to make that point

Cavendish Miniatures
 

https://i.imgur.com/VH08k3u.jpg

As far as I'm aware this and the Drum Major (post #142) were the only guardsmen produced by this company, which they made for the London tourist market. Other figures included a 'Beefeater' and a Gentleman at Arms, both of which were centre-stage over the coronation weekend (below)

https://i.imgur.com/766rFx5.jpg

Crescent Toys Limited
 

https://i.imgur.com/JYjI1nk.jpg

About the most prolific maker of all kinds of toys in the 1960s, Crescent produced two different sets of guardsmen - the first in the normal 54mm scale (first photo) which included an enormous number of bandsmen, their instruments moulded on unlike the Britains ones, so each Crescent bandsman was a completely separate figure. They weren't the best sculpted toy soldiers but are hugely important in the history

https://i.imgur.com/P6RIwmD.jpg

This second series by Crescent are a little larger (60mm) and, as far as I know, never included any bandsmen. They are much better sculptings - the previous set look very thin and undernourished by comparison. Both sets do include (unfortunately) figures firing their weapons - I'd have preferred them to have been engaged upon ceremonial activities because there's no standard-bearer, for example

All of these were repainted by me

They were good for defending your Lego Rorke's Drift if they were the only Brits you had. American Indians playing the roll of the Zulus. :D

The ghost of Sailor Steve !
 

...that's rôle :nope::hmph:... rolls were in the ration boxes!:O:

oops, usually I'll spot my flub or two. I could have meant "rows" of Zulus too. LOL

^ I'll counter your flub with my own; I should've said Biscuit boxes: which were used along with the mealybags to create the barricade/perimeters: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/wGMAA...ML/s-l1600.jpg as depicted in nearly all the diormas: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JB7voCen2...25282%2529.JPG https://www.warlordgames.com/wp-cont...05/image_5.jpg https://i.pinimg.com/originals/aa/ab...ff3c4fc017.jpg:salute: