This year's Old Toy Soldier Competition, held at the pre-Christmas meeting at 
Napier Hall on 21st December, was won by Stephen Dance with his "The German Army Camp", the boxed set of George Spenkuch German World War I figures shown here. Stephen's full description of the exhibit is as follows: 
"GEORG SPENKUCH OF NÜRNBERG (“G.S”)
Display set No.1063 “Ein Biwak. Unserer Feldgrauen im Weltkrieg 1914/15” . Some of the figures wear the Pickelhaube but most have the soft field service cap or Mütze. Spenkuch was well known for semi flats like these, but also produced ranges of figures for model railways and pieces for parlour boardgames.  Some GS moulds remain in use."

In second place (above left) was John Ruddle with an entry entitled "Old Britains". This consisted of a number Britains figures, mounted and on foot, displayed on a page of a Britains 1905 catalogue, headed "London-Made Metal Soldiers". This was accompanied by a picture of John with William Britain at a Centenary Dinner. 

In third place (above centre) was Peter Jackson's "Russian Flats", a set of smallish-scale pristine figures comprising a mounted officer, band and infantrymen and were late nineteenth century Russian infantry flats by Heinrichsen. They were in their original box and original paint condition. 

(Above right) Stephen Dance is seen receiving the Trophy from Arthur Smith, under the watchful (and benign) eye of President Mike Creese.

Happy Christmas from the BMSS!




Model of Hogwarts at Harry Potter World, Watford

I've just heard that one of the best Toy Soldier and Model Soldier shops in the world is about to close.
After 60 years of trading in London, from the 31st December, the shop in Mayfair is going to close.
Tradition of London will continue to trade, however, but not from the shop...

The Diary page has been enhanced now to show a Calendar type of view, so you can quickly go to the month/day that you want to check what is on!
Why not give it a try?

Stephen Dance writes:
A quick note to say that I did a brisk trade in BMSS Show flyers at yesterday's LTS Show  (a great success I thought, despite all the doom and gloom predictions due to change of venue) and I imagine Alex did too - I was sharing a trade table, he was on the BMSS stand a couple of rows behind me. Hopefully at least some of the people who picked up the leaflet will come to ours. I emphasised that, although smaller, our event had essentially the same mix. A number of people remarked what a good venue we had.