A is for Another - Sculptures UK; Highland Piper

Like an 'R is for Return...' but new and differenter (which should be a word!), we looked at one of these Sculptures UK figures (from Peter's plunder bags) back in the summer, and it turns out that not only was there one in the storage-pile, it may be one of the first larger scale figures to join the collection, being - from memory - a charity-shop purchase in Newbury or Hungerford in late 2008 or early 2009

Looks to be a different sculptor, or maybe he was better at layers of flowing garb (the face is similar to the previous figure's), but I think a different hand/technique is involved here? The pipes and - I suspect - the hands are a single metal casting set into the resin, which is sensible as otherwise the thing wouldn't survive removal from it packaging, while this has survived losing its packaging years ago, a trip to and from charity and seven years in storage!

As with the previous post I haven't the faintest idea who's tartan this is, or indeed; whether it's a made-up one? Following Gisby's lead last time I found several Highlanders including Royal Stewart and Black Watch piper paint-ups of this sculpt - this is neither. But it's cleverly done with four colours over the base, which is finely etched with both lines and a cloth-pattern, giving the appearance - by eye - of a very fine print, all done through 'technique'!

As you may have gathered by now, the Highland box turned-up the other day, so I will be giving them the same treatment as the Guards, but I need to combine with the attic stash first and look up Regimental-tartan, hopefully over the weekend?

S is for Scott's Squaddie, Sculptures - Singular!

Standing around the 60-millimeter mark, but with a fusiliers hackle and heavy base pushing him toward the 65/70 area visually, this is a resin sculpt, and you all know my views of resin, but it's only the overblown hype and commonly high prices surrounding what is actually a cheap tech' that really gets my goat.

I can't find much about this firm (Sculptures ^UK ) on t'Internet, but it seems they may have operated under more than one name, be extant [still] under one of them, be/to have been a Scottish firm, and to have 'flourished' - in the best sense of people who haven't got a clue - around 2011?

There's a Roman legionary on Amazon with a very different 'puddle' or 'mound' base out of stock at the moment, and a - similar to the above - plinthed Black Watch piper, but clicking on the Sculptures UK link takes you to a dead page. And that's as much as I can find with a cursory look, but lots of 'Scottish' hits come back on a Google search which I didn't have time (or the inclination) to investigate further.

Conversely - having fingered Scotland; twice - the box is more reminiscent of the Russian 'art house' metal makers! I'm guessing a tourist/museum gift-shop outfit, whether still with us or - more likely - long-gone?

He's similar to the RHF of my time (they had a white hackle), but is I suspect contemporary with the 2011 date, being a post-amalgamations (and 2nd tranche amalgamations at that) soldier, in the interim combats and newer webbing I don't recognise, with DPM pouches, he's armed with a post H&K updated SA80 - what are they called now; SA99-and-a-bit! Probably the All Points North of Berwick Regiment!

He's slightly stylised, but it helps hide the resin, being sculpted with more traditional smoother surfaces. He's wearing a light belt-order and Tam O'Shanter, so more range-day, NI-patrolling, or gate-duty than either parade or full combat operations.

A close-up, name tags were another thing [unofficially?] adopted in recent years, although - as I drag my sorry arse toward it's 60th with alarming rapidity - I realise my 'recent years' is now, actually, the previous 30!

A nice enough figure depicting a glimpse of a short period in the many changes in the appearance of a British Soldier in his day-to-day uniform, since the monumental change of the 1989 falling of 'The Wall'. Still not as well-tailored as the French, but never as scruffy as the Israelis! Thanks to Peter Evans for putting him in the latest Plunder bags.