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LTC PaulN

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Lads,

The wife and I are taking a trip up to Edinburgh, Scotland in the next few weeks over a long weekend. Any toy soldier shops to make sure and not miss while I'm there?

Thanks in advance!
 
Hello PaulN,

I hope you have a great visit to Edinburgh but sadly there are no specialist toy soldier / military miniature shops in the city. There are two very good model shops --

Wonderland on Lothian Road, https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/ but it is very much a model builders paradise -- planes / tanks and ships plus electric trains sets. It stocks 1/72 plastic figures and a few Britains/King and Country but not a lot.

The other is Harburn Hobbies on Leith Walk http://www.harburnhobbies.co.uk/ -- once again it caters mainly for the electric train buff plus diecast planes and vehicles . There is usually a small stock of some Britains figures.

If you can visit Edinburgh Castle the various museums you will see a vast array of Scottish Uniforms and there may be some miniatures for sale in the gift shop.

Should time allow there is a toy soldier / military miniature and militaria shop in Glasgow --approx. 50 miles away --- The Treasure Bunker http://treasurebunker.com/ Glasgow is approx. 50 minutes away by train. The service is usually every 15 mins
Once again I hope your visit goes well.
Yours aye,
Douglas aka Blackbob
 
Hello PaulN
Glad msg. got through but I do have a question. "Gouge" I do know what it means but its use in your sentence is a puzzle for me. Go on give me a clue, English and German is spoken and understood.
Douglas
 
LTC PaulN said:
Lads,

The wife and I are taking a trip up to Edinburgh, Scotland in the next few weeks over a long weekend. Any toy soldier shops to make sure and not miss while I'm there?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

G'day Paul,
Very happy to hear you and Kelly will be heading to "Auld Reekie", Edinburgh's nickname and our Scottish capital...Lots to see and do and explore...As Bob has said toy soldier shops are definitely a bit thin on the ground alas!
A wee bit of toy soldier trivia...Almost 40 years ago my brother Gordon sent me a little box of Royal Marines Colour Party made by 'Blenheim' which he bought in a toy soldier shop in Edinburgh. They were my Christmas Gift and I loved them! I requested he try and get me some more which he very kindly did (after sending him the 'dosh' of course).
That little gift of toy soldiers captured my interest and affectionand got me back into collecting them after a long, long time absent. A few years later my cofounder Laura and myself began "King & Country" and the rest, as they say, is history...And it all began in a little toy soldier shop in Edinburgh!
Very best wishes to Kelly, yourself, 'Blackbob' and, of course, Gordon.
Andy.
 
Hello Andy,

Your msg. below triggered off in my memory the possibility that the toy shop where your brother got the Blenheim Figures may have been The Toy Tub, a much loved but long departed source of toy soldiers that was in the Stockbridge area in Edinburgh. I know The Toy Tub stocked Britains soldiers and Rose castings, possibly other manufacturers. I just wish I'd bought more figures back then, 30- 40 years ago. I think the business closed up when the owner died, probably 20 plus years back. The other possible source could have been a shop on the High Street/Royal Mile that stocked some toy soldiers but mainly catered for Clansmen Re-enactors and tourists selling replica swords, targes etc. That shop is also long gone, so in Edinburgh one has to rely on the internet or if possible, attendance at toy soldier/military miniature fayres and auction sites. Sadly even on visits to London one can no longer browse and buy in Tradition or at Under Two Flags, though the Guards Shop on Birdcage Walk run buy MKL is still in existence.

"Nostalgia is dangerous and must be avoided." I suspect I am paraphrasing/misquoting somebody with that statement.

Douglas
 
Blackbob said:
Hello Andy,

Your msg. below triggered off in my memory the possibility that the toy shop where your brother got the Blenheim Figures may have been The Toy Tub, a much loved but long departed source of toy soldiers that was in the Stockbridge area in Edinburgh. I know The Toy Tub stocked Britains soldiers and Rose castings, possibly other manufacturers. I just wish I'd bought more figures back then, 30- 40 years ago. I think the business closed up when the owner died, probably 20 plus years back. The other possible source could have been a shop on the High Street/Royal Mile that stocked some toy' in Stockbridge' soldiers but mainly catered for Clansmen Re-enactors and tourists selling replica swords, targes etc. That shop is also long gone, so in Edinburgh one has to rely on the internet or if possible, attendance at toy soldier/military miniature fayres and auction sites. Sadly even on visits to London one can no longer browse and buy in Tradition or at Under Two Flags, though the Guards Shop on Birdcage Walk run buy MKL is still in existence.

"Nostalgia is dangerous and must be avoided." I suspect I am paraphrasing/misquoting somebody with that statement.

Douglas
Click to expand...

Hi Douglas,
Many thanks for your response...I spoke to Gordon and it certainly was 'Toy Tub' in Stockbridge!
Also like you I have many happy memories of 'Under Two Flags ' in St. Christopher's Place,just off Oxford Street...I bought my first 'Trophy' Highlanders there...Another favourite London toy soldier destination was 'Tradition', first in Shepherd's Market...then Curzon Street and finally back to Shepherd's Market...I got to become friends with Steve Hare, the 'Tradition' manager and a great bloke, we would often go for a pie and a pint at lunchtime after I had selected my toy soldiers...Happy times indeed!
Best wishes and happy collecting, Andy.
 
King & Country said:
Hi Douglas,
Many thanks for your response...I spoke to Gordon and it certainly was 'Toy Tub' in Stockbridge!
Also like you I have many happy memories of 'Under Two Flags ' in St. Christopher's Place,just off Oxford Street...I bought my first 'Trophy' Highlanders there...Another favourite London toy soldier destination was 'Tradition', first in Shepherd's Market...then Curzon Street and finally back to Shepherd's Market...I got to become friends with Steve Hare, the 'Tradition' manager and a great bloke, we would often go for a pie and a pint at lunchtime after I had selected my toy soldiers...Happy times indeed!
Best wishes and happy collecting, Andy.
Click to expand...

" Tradition of London " , I knew it very well. Working for the Rank Hotel Organization ( from 1971 until 1981) I was based at the Athenaeum Hotel, just around the corner opposite Green Park
guy:smile2:
 
Blackbob said:
Hello PaulN
Glad msg. got through but I do have a question. "Gouge" I do know what it means but its use in your sentence is a puzzle for me. Go on give me a clue, English and German is spoken and understood.
Douglas
Click to expand...

Douglas: "Gouge" is slang for information, intelligence, etc. Thanks again for giving me the scoop!
 
We saw Corporal Wojtek's Statue in the park the night we arrived...going up to the castle today!
 
Sorry I missed your post.

If you were driving to Edinburgh on the M6, M(A)74 and passed through Carlisle there is always Piers Christian Toy Soldiers just outside of Carlisle
 
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