Britains Hollowcast Set 101. Household Cav. Bandsman (1 Viewer)

[johnnybach]

And to prove it - here's some more of my own dream - coming true at long last. Here's a pic showing some more of my lovely castings slowly being transformed into my Life Guard Band



Hope you can see in this pic, how each figure slowly develops. The black horse figure will have the arms already painted) holding fixed in place, once the red parts of the tunic and cypher have been painted. The grey opposite, is even closer to having arms with Euphonium being fixed on. My second Trombonist is nearly completed - whilst the other two are also at an earlier stage.

I like to paint them this way - as it allows paint to dry between coats/colours - and stops the repetative boredom involved ( for me), with "batch painting". jb

 

[Sandhurst39]

Hi Dave.

Hopefully Replica Metal Soldiers can make some of the toy soldier wish list come true! For hussars I have them standing to attention as a band, and can do them Mounted too. Not listed yet but they are ready for release together with a host of other items.

I’m getting ready for the Shirmish show in London this weekend so not much downtime, but when I can I’ll pass on some info on Durbar bands I have if it’s any use.

p.s John. Band Looking better each post!

Andrew

 

[johnnybach]

Well, Andrew - your new Company is certainly helping to make one of my long time wishes come true with these little beauties! And I certainly mean "long time wishes", as I have loved this set since I was a child - and I'm in my seventies now!

Now, if I was trying to achieve "Set 101" - I would stop now - as I have reached the magic number 12 - which the original set was made up of. However, I'm not even half-way yet ( if you add in my Set of 4 State Trumpeters to additional band figures- which I intend to - but Britains never did.).

Note the addition of extra trombones, another bombardon (my favourites), Saxophone and Euphonium.




However, I think they make a nice little Band as they are - so thought I would show them as progress.

I'll eventually have four trombonists in my front rank - but I have shuffled them about a bit for a bit of (almost) symmetry. Never could work out why Britains didn't make 13 in the band - as there is always that blank file.

Hope you like them - so far - stay tuned for additions later:salute::...............jb

 

[Sandhurst39]

Lookingg good!

Planning on doing the Bahamas police band for the October Birmingham show Replica stand! Also fancy a No1 dress band for the coronation- may do both time permitting!! Need to get painting! Two full painted bands in 3 weeks! It’s a challenge

Any other suggestions? What bands do you fancy?

 

[johnnybach]

Lookingg good!

Planning on doing the Bahamas police band for the October Birmingham show Replica stand! Also fancy a No1 dress band for the coronation- may do both time permitting!! Need to get painting! Two full painted bands in 3 weeks! It’s a challenge

Any other suggestions? What bands do you fancy?

The Bahamas Police band ( the old hollowcast one) - will be one for the future for me - and I don't yet have a band wearing greatcoats - so I guess a Welsh Guards band will also be one for me at a future date too.

I really like mounted bands - but I already have British Lancers, Hussars and Scots Grey Bands - the Life Guards in State Dress was the last big omission for me - but that's getting sorted now Andrew, thanks to you.:salute:: I'm thoroughly enjoying assembling and painting them - as I hope you can see. Nearly completed the piccolo player, who will be next to join the band.

Scots bands with their distinctive dress and Pipers would probably look good on your stand - but again, I'm more or less complete with them - as I have several of those already. Same for the Royal Marines band.

Maybe think about some Colour Parties with Escorts to accompany the bands - a few Standards always look good with a Military Band behind them. I went through a phase of doing them too, a while back.

I think that I might also go for that Indian Cavalry band - the 11th Bengal Lancers - that Dave and I were discussing a while back in this thread. They look pretty good too. However, I have a few restoration/repair projects backing up first - so again these may have to wait until the decks have been cleared a bit.

Good luck at the forthcoming shows - I hope you and Replica Models do well at all of the ones you have booked in at, so far. I'm a very satisfied customer. jb

 

[johnnybach]

Once I have completed a figure - I put them in my cabinet - just to keep them from cluttering up my desk-top ( a bit!), and stops the chance of paint splashes - as I slosh it about a bit.

Now, when it comes to doing updates - it's getting a bit of a chore to drag 'em all out, each time - photograph them - and then put them all back again.

So...........hope you don't mind an update from the cabinet, this time - as I'm now up to 16 completed, which should go up to 17 by tonight - if all goes well with the fourth trombonist ( and I can the lose that annoying blank file!).

Here's a pic anyhow - of the band, so far. jb

 

[johnnybach]

I have a few more of the band completed - so thought I would show how it looks in my cabinet now.



The front rank of four trombones is now completed - and a Bass Tuba is now in the second rank. I have just two more Bandsmen that I'm currently working on, to go - and all of the Band will be complete. I have another Clarinetist - and another Cornet player to go!

Then, of course - I will be adding on another rank of four State trumpeters ( the ones with banners to their instrumentrs ), but that was never part of the Britains band. Andrew is making up figures on the same horses and dress as the band for me - with appropriate arms/instruments, but they may be coming a bit later due to this idea coming later than my original order.

I STILL have that annoying blank file, at the moment - but not far off completion of the original project now. There will be twenty-one in MY Band ( including the Kettle-drummer out in front) - and twenty-five, once the Sate Trumpeters eventually join them. And then, NO blank files any more! jb

 

[thebritfarmer]

Awesome JB, you need to make a band master.

 

[johnnybach]

Awesome JB, you need to make a band master.

Interesting idea...........do you mean the "Director of Music" Scott??

If so - he wasn't made for this band by Britains, until 1953, Scott, ( probably for the Coronation).

I did think about the idea of including one - but decided that as I'm making my band up as a Victorian Band - which never had one, when first issued in the 1890's by Britains - I would go the same way - and not include that later figure.

My intention from the start, was to use some of my other Life Guard figures as "Travellers" - who would ride either side of the Drum Horse, in Regimental Dress with drawn swords - as an Escort. If you look back to the start of the thread, I have shown such a picture - and this has been my guide all along.

For the future - I have also been collecting up more of such older figures - to expand these figures into a small Troop, who will be accompanying the Band - by riding along at the rear of them. They all need repairs - and some conversion for the earlier group - just as I did before.

I have some of these "Travellers", from my Set 72-Plus set, which I made earlier that I can use - both in Romanesque helmets ( for the earlier Victorian periods), and in Albert style helmets for the later Victorian era. So, I can either display them with guys from the earlier period or the later one - and the musicians will still be okay for either period - as their State Dress was the same.

In fact - the next time you see a pic of the completed Band ( minus the four State Trumpeters - which I ordered as a late afterthought - they will be added later), I will do just that. I'll take some pics with the two Travellers in place too - from both periods.

[ Note: The helmets changed in the middle of Victoria's reign, when her husband,Prince Albert, designed a new helmet for the Household Cavalry - thereafter - it was called "The Albert Helmet"] .

I might have a think about a Director of Music - for some time in the future - but he was an officer in the usual Regimental Dress - and he would be conducting from a horse wearing a shabraque. I'll need to have a good think about that - as I think I would need some donor parts - to make him fit in with this Victorian period. The Victorian Officer on a Prancing Horse, which was issued around that time - and would be a contemporary to the Band, wouldn't really be suitable for conversion as a conductor. And...... if I wanted to use one from the earlier Victorian period - he would be wearing the Romanesque helmet - and from the later period - he would wear the Albert style helmet...........so I would need two!

Still - nice idea - and life wasn't made to be easy - as my dear old Grannie used to say. That's almost a definite maybe!{sm2}

jb

 

[thebritfarmer]

That is it, Director of Music, could for the life of me think of the correct title.

Gets quite complex it seems but it does give you the excuse of adding more figures to your collection and another chance to wield that brush of yours

 

[Sandhurst39]

John.

Look fantastic! Once the Birmingham show is Done I’ll work in the state trumpeters as promised. Keep painting. Can’t wait to see the fully finished Band!

 

[johnnybach]

John.

Look fantastic! Once the Birmingham show is Done I’ll work in the state trumpeters as promised. Keep painting. Can’t wait to see the fully finished Band!

Okay - seeing as you can't wait to see 'em - here we go - as I have completed the band, earlier today.

The band was made for me by Andrew, who owns Replica Metal models, as castings - to look as close as possible to the old hollowcast Britains set 101, first made in the 1890's. I wanted a bigger band than the original twelve - so asked for twenty-one - including the Drum horse. I wanted them to be in the Victorian era, so painted them that way - with the VR below a crown on front and back of the tunic. I specified the instruments used - which included two Helical Coil Basses (Bombardons), as these are a particular favourite of mine. Some adjustments to arms/instruments etcetera was required to make them fit correctly, but from previous experience - this is normal.

The "Travellers", who accompanied the Drum Horse on either side in Victorian times - are from a previous set that I made up - and are adapted original figures - some are from Britains - but the older pattern figures with Romanesque helmets were originally by Johillco ( a "close copy" it has been said). The helmeted heads for these are replacement parts from Dorset model Soldiers - as are most of the other replacement bits and pieces.

Here's the first three pics. of the results of my extremely enjoyable labour. I have the Band in ranks of four showing the band moving to the right. In the first pic - it's just the band, but in the next pics, I've shown them with two "Travellers" who used to escort the Drum Horse. You can see the change of Uniform in the succesive pics, most especially headgear - from the old Romanesque style of helmet from the early part of Victoria's reign - to the "Albert" style of helmet, which is still used today, being designed by her husband, Prince Albert.



And here are some views of the band moving left - although I have displayed them in ranks of five in these two pics.

Hope you like 'em half as much as I do - Thanks Andrew - you have helped me fill a lifetime ambition. jb

 

[theBaron]

I really like your greys, John! You have a nice style to depict them.

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

I really like your greys, John! You have a nice style to depict them.

Prost!
Brad

Thanks Brad:salute:: - glad you like 'em too. jb

 

[DMNamiot]

Amazing! I love your work Johnny!

So can we have a musical ride now? Please*

Dave

 

[johnnybach]

Amazing! I love your work Johnny!

So can we have a musical ride now? Please*

Dave

Well...............okay...........but..............It will have to be with some lancers - as I don't have any Household Cavalry with lances.

How's that? jb

 

[DMNamiot]

Hard to believe that you don’t have household cavalry with lances. But for me any Victorian Lancers would be great to see with this stunning new band!

Dave

 

[theBaron]

Amazing! I love your work Johnny!

So can we have a musical ride now? Please*

Dave

That's a good idea! If you have the capabilities, John, you could make a little video showcasing your band, with appropriate music. That would be pretty cool.

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

That's a good idea! If you have the capabilities, John, you could make a little video showcasing your band, with appropriate music. That would be pretty cool.

Prost!
Brad

I'm just an old-fashioned painter of castings, Brad. {sm2}

Sorry jb

 

[johnnybach]

Hard to believe that you don’t have household cavalry with lances. But for me any Victorian Lancers would be great to see with this stunning new band!

Dave

Maybe so Dave - but I don't. I think the "Musical Ride" Set was set 2085 - and was produced up to 1962 - and had 9 Life Guard Lancers and 9 RHG Lancers, Four State trumpeters - and a Drum Horse.

I now have the Victorian Drum Horse - in Victorian State dress - but I don't have any of the others.

I CAN show my new Band - and a Lancer Band - and a Hussar band - and even a Royal Scots band - with a few Lancers - BUT I definitely don't have Four State Trumpeters, (yet - they are on order), or any Household cavalry with lances.................Honest. jb