powerrabbit Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I think it's about time now that someone started a thread on this topic as David suggested some time ago, especially now as more of us seem to be appreciating the old lead figures and accessories so I'll start the ball rolling. Here are a pair of beehives that I have had now for several years and have dug them out today to carry out a little restoration on them, each has had a corner and one leg broken off but now fixed. I believe them to be by Britais as they have a large capital B on the bottom to one side and along another bottom side the word London and below opposite, England. The three little black dots on each at an angle above the landing platform and 'entrance' are supposed to represent bees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_scrivener Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 (edited) I think it's about time now that someone started a thread on this topic as David suggested some time ago, especially now as more of us seem to be appreciating the old lead figures and accessories so I'll start the ball rolling. Here are a pair of beehives that I have had now for several years and have dug them out today to carry out a little restoration on them, each has had a corner and one leg broken off but now fixed. I believe them to be by Britais as they have a large capital B on the bottom to one side and along another bottom side the word London and below opposite, England. The three little black dots on each at an angle above the landing platform and 'entrance' are supposed to represent bees. No, they're not Britains (they never made a beehive), but A. Barrett & Sons, one half of the pre-war Taylor & Barrett partnership, the other post-war half being F.G.Taylor & Sons. The old factory was bombed out during the Blitz, and the partners recovered most of the moulds and shared them out, saying they would start up again after the war, but there had been arguments, so they probably both secretly realised it would be as separate companies. It wasn't a complete falling out though, and they did co-operate a bit after the war, and both of them with another company, A.Barton & Co. It must have been a bit confusing at times at the F.G.T. post-war factory, as not only was the senior Mr Taylor named Fred, but so were both of his 'sons', actually his son Fred Jr. and son-in-law Fred Squires. Edited July 3, 2012 by david_scrivener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 Thanks for that David. I did go through Joplins big yellow book but could not find any reference to this beehive or any pictures, like a lot of publications, there's always something that slips through, unless there are no examples in the collections that he drew his information from, I've never seen any at the toy fairs. I do have an example of the more conventional wooden sectioned box type with apex roof by John Hill & Co. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_scrivener Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 (edited) It is in the big yellow book, but quite tiny in the photo, bottom of page 236, and in the lists on page 333, B&S item #196 middle column. In addition to the box type hive made by JoHillCo, Pixyland/Kew made a slightly smaller one. There is also a chance that one of the French toy companies made a hive, which might turn up at a fair, although not many French made figures do. Edited July 3, 2012 by david_scrivener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leakeyvale Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Definitely Barrett as it has their trademark B on the bottom. Britains did make a beehive but it is "modern" and not one of the old farm toys . During the 1990s and 2000s they brought out the Home Farm Collectors series which included a wooden beehive as opposed to a straw skep. These sets are being broken up as I have seen various items on sale separately. One from me now. David already has seen this pic and like me cannot identify it. Although it does look a bit dog-like we both think it is a sheep. It certainly is not the Timpo sheepdog despite being very similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Ferguson Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Excellent topic and as I said to Tim on Sunday, it's nice to have a place on the forum to discuss this kind of thing. I have several of those beehives in plastic (FG Taylor used the same mould). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 Some of the Cherilea and Crescent figures and animals were very crude, Crescent types were a tad larger than the rest and appeared a bit 'fatter' but having said that all the makers seemed to go through stages of crudeness in their castings over the years. I also have seen several of the late 'Home Farm' sets being offered Sue, in both complete boxed sets and seperated into individual items, which I can't understand why, as the sets command a good price generally as I was told that they were poor sellers at the time and seperated into individual items I feel makes them loose their identity and actually devalues the item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leakeyvale Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Some of the Cherilea and Crescent figures and animals were very crude, Crescent types were a tad larger than the rest and appeared a bit 'fatter' but having said that all the makers seemed to go through stages of crudeness in their castings over the years. I also have seen several of the late 'Home Farm' sets being offered Sue, in both complete boxed sets and seperated into individual items, which I can't understand why, as the sets command a good price generally as I was told that they were poor sellers at the time and seperated into individual items I feel makes them loose their identity and actually devalues the item. I agree it seems a shame to break the sets up - any set for that matter. However some items in some of the modern Home Farm sets are fragile, the Tumbrel cart is exceptionally fragile. I have had a turkey break off at legs and am now looking for a replacement but no way would I split the rest and will repair the turkey. At least white metal is relatively easy to fix, unlike lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 Yes that is the problem in the ***ility of these diecast and hollow cast items, you can't put any heat to them to solder and there are no particularly good glues on the market to enable a satisfactory and strong repair coupled with a fracture or break usually comes with bending out of 'true' around the break as the metal stretches, I have found a very good glue to repair these items, up until recently you could not buy it as it was not commercially available but it is now if you know where to look for it, this glue will stick absoluteley everything except expanded polystyrene, Here it is, I can recommend it. http://www.powerbonduk.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leakeyvale Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I do believe I have some in my fridge (not used yet) that I bought at Silverstone during the Ford Fair. Chap was demonstrating it and getting several strong men to try to break a bond between two straps in a tug of war. They failed! I see the auto censor is making a mess of proper words still!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_scrivener Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 I do believe I have some in my fridge (not used yet) that I bought at Silverstone during the Ford Fair. Chap was demonstrating it and getting several strong men to try to break a bond between two straps in a tug of war. They failed! I see the auto censor is making a mess of proper words still!!! Not just me then with the auto censor! In my post above about T&B, I eventually wrote they 'recovered' the moulds after their factory was bombed, but only because the stupid auto censor wouldn't let me write salva- (gettiing creative here) -ged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 Probably the same guy that demonstrates it here at Widecombe Fair every September, I and a few of my mates bought the pack he was offering 2 years ago and was so impressed with it we bought another pack each last year, it has a fridge life of 15 years, far better than any of the superglues you can buy and it dries clear. Yes, this auto censor is getting on everyones t-i-tt-ies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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