Die Zinnlaube - issue 5

Recently arrived on my doormat (well about three weeks ago now) was the latest issue of Die Zinnlaube,  magazine of German collectors group "Freunde alter Spielzugfiguren".  This journal only appears once a year and doesn't get a great deal of exposure, it's very well produced and it's articles written in German are also translated into English and French (that's why it takes them a year to get each issue out), so I like to give it a plug where I can.

For the 200th Anniversary of Waterloo the cover sports a rare composition figure of  Napoleon made by Sonneberg circa 1840

A sample peek to show the style and layout of the articles

Contents are: Forward by the editor Ignacio Czeguhn.

Auslandseinatz 1850/51 - die "Strafbayern" in Kurhessen - Bavarian chevau-legers in tin.

Mont St. Jean, Belle Alliance or Waterloo - Napoleon's last battle. The course of  the Battle of Waterloo as depicted by various manufacturers in tin and lead.

Die Reisen aus Wurzburg - Ferdinand of Wurzburg's coach, made circa 1820 by Ruckert

The tin soldiers of Carl Heidorn in Lubeck, circa 1850

Merten Figures - in metal and plastic, semi flat and fully round

With spear and rifle against tank and aircraft - toy soldiers depicting the Italo-Ethiopian War

The Iron Chancellor was sometimes made of tin and lead - character figures of Otto von Bismark

Gustave Vertunni - book review.

Who made these? unknown figures

The Collection of Rob Wilson 

This issue runs to 128 pages illustrated throughout in full colour and costs just 10 Euro (+ 7 Euro postage) so shouldn't break the bank, it's available from: info@ruchti-stiftung.de 

more info from: Gisbert Freber

Also awaiting my return was the latest issue of Plastic Warrior - see blog list on the left for details and watch out for a detailed review of it on the Small Scale World blog by Hugh Walters, who does it so much better than me.

The Last Kingdom

A short break immediately after the Waterloo 200 wargame afforded me the time to reflect on so many toy soldier projects started then left in limbo for one reason or another, so I started a list with the intention of getting some of them completed on my return home.  Top of the list was a Viking warband, which has been sitting based and undercoated in a drawer for yonks, influenced after reading Bernard Cornwell's Uhtred of Bebbanburg novels, these chaps are intended to double up as Celts/Barbarians to oppose the Roman Legion I started several years ago.

I painted all of these up yesterday and very pleasant it was to have a break from uniform Regiments of Napoleonics or Frederickians.  The chap with the shield on the left who looks like he's eating a squirrel will eventually be the standard bearer when I print up an appropriate flag for him.  Mrs C is of the opinion that the Cherilea figures on the right are in the same poses as the male models that featured on knitting patterns in the 1950's, I suppose that might explain why they're wearing chain mail "tank tops" and Madonaesque bullet bras!

Anyway, the reason for the title of this post is pure serendipity, as I applied the last touch of paint to these figures this morning I opened my newspaper to read that Bernard Cornwell's Uhtred novels are coming to the telly, in eight episodes, produced by the same firm that brought us Downton Abbey and airing in the UK on 22nd October (also on BBC USA but I don't know the dates)

Here's the preview :    The Last Kingdom

Brilliant stuff