david_scrivener

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that they started with all full time, in factory, painters because the Britains family were control freaks; and outpainting started as a favour to a loyal/long-service worker who had a disabled daughter. As she proved to be OK, the system was extended from there.

Lord Ferguson, I assumed it was an overly sensitive censorship system which changed the word. Not something I'm used to in the two forums I'm in most of the time, www.bluelaced.co.uk a poultry forum (which is generally easy going, and has a special section, 'The Gutter' for the strongest jokes which are most definitely 'not suitable for family viewing') and the forum attached to the Richard Dawkins site, in which absolutely anything goes as far as strong language is concerned, as long as that language is directed at another person's ideas, not the person directly. Quite a lot of the swearing is mixed in with the most complex scientific posts, often aimed at American creationist Christians who seem to think The Flintstones was a documentary. It's a very.....ahem....'lively' forum.

Thanks for the welcome. If you want to send a message with details of your grandfather (who, where, what breeds, when showing), I'll try to find something about him in my old books, magazines, etc.

Hello Nigel, Well, sealed in a box settles it. I knew it was a girl, although perhaps a quite butch girl , and have 2 of these drivers, both quite tatty and no tractor to go with them. These 2, and others I've seen are very simply spray painted, with just the face brush painted, which is different from most other Benbros items which are quite brightly painted, although not quite the detail of Timpo's painting on items where both companies made the same item, such as the farm labourer with pitchfork. What's your boxed driver painted like? Which brings up the confusing topic of identical figures being made(?) or at least sold, by several companies, including Bayswick and Kay, who bought (unpainted?) castings from several manufacturers and sold them in boxed sets under their names. Most of the companies were close to each other in a small part of London. I've even spotted one instance of the mighty Britains buying in, at least for a 'spare part'. Photos of their 1940 'Barracks and Parade Ground (I've never seen one up close in 'real life') appear to have T&B zoo gates.

Hello everyone, Unlike the majority here (or so it seems from a quick look round the threads) I don't collect new models and have zero interest in agricultural machinery. Instead, I collect lead, aluminium (Wendal) and early plastic farm, zoo, soldiers & other figures, even a few Elastolin composition. To go with them, I like old farm & zoo buildings, like those made by Hugar, although as most are unmarked it's a mystery who made most of them. I've just answered an old question in the figures section, identifying lead figures, and will look in regularly if any more queries along similar lines appear. I'll do my best to get it right, and all modesty aside I'm pretty good, having been an obsessive collector since I was a kid circa 1960. I'm also a show judge of rare/fancy breeds of chickens, and have written several books about them. Google: 'David Scrivener poultry' to see.

This is my first post, so hello everyone. I only collect figures and old buildings, & don't collect modern tractors like the majority here at all. But it does mean i can answer questions like this, so: Photo 1, Bull Timpo. Sitting sheep, probably Timpo but could be Benbros (they had some identical moulds, sometimes you can tell which by the painting). 2 sitting cows Britains. Stork almost certainly Taylor & Barrett, but the rarer JoHillCo stork is very similar. Tractor driver, I think Charbens. Kids with spread legs, Taylor & Barrett from zoo camel ride set. Photo 2, Mounted Lifeguard probably Cherilea, remainder Britains second grade range for cheapy shops. Photo 3, 'Homecasts', from Great Depression era when moulds were sold to people to make toy soldiers in their garden sheds to sell to earn a living. Photo 4, Khaki soldiers & calf Britains, Sitting camel Crescent. Giraffe, Lion, Hyena & Baboon(?) all Taylor & Barrett. Several months on I know, but I hope this helps.