Twelve Drummers Drumming

To celebrate the last of the 12 days of Christmas

To celebrate the last day of Christmas (arrival of the wise men, Epiphany, Twelfth Night and all that) and the traditional day to switch off or take  all your decorations down by, I give you –

Twelve Drummers Drumming.

These twelve drummers are the usual reason along with yesterday’s eleven pipers to shoehorn toy soldiers into Christmas  … tree decorations … wrapping paper …

Didn’t have enough milkmaids in my farm selection to do the Eight  Maids a-milking or enough senior commanders to make up the required number of Ten  Lords a-leaping (on horseback or on foot).

You can check out the origin of the the Twelve Days https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)

The Twelve Drummers – in Deetail 

From the back row – Semi-flat gilt home cast US sailor, Johillco Khaki drummer.

Middle row – Modern Britain’s Guards Deetail “new metal” type Guards drummers,  Charbens plastic Guards drummer, hollowcast line infantry drummer, Lone Star / Harvey / Timpo Guards drummer, Modern Britains  Deetail “new metal” US Marine drummer.

Front row – bizarre Royal Marines repaint / head remodelling (carved / cut down busby) of Charbens Guards drummer figure 2 middle row.t

Repaired Britains Guards drummer boy (new right hand added with Fimo)

Centre – lovely modern metal Britains drummer boy (1999)

Hollowcast Guards drummer, ‘Made in England’ not sure of manufacturer

Last but not least, another odd one picked up job lot online –  Swoppet body, Royal Marines drummer but with carved Busby into Marines  helmet.

Hallmark cards vintage drummer boy brooch in my collection.

The baker’s dozen … or thirteenth drummer.  This Hallmark cards ‘vintage’ drummer boy was a gift. He was originally made or sold as a brooch or badge with pin back,  temporarily attached for the picture with white tack  to a clear 1970s Star Wars figure base. He was too tall to feature in the first group photograph. 

Maybe he is a belated tribute to Bing Crosby and David Bowie singing the Little Drummer Boy, odd but a combination of voices which works …

The fir trees are again Christmas decorations, sold with these wooden bases attached. Stylish and atmospheric for those winter forest game scenarios  …

Next year I might be able to put together a Peter Laing figure twelve drummers drumming photo. I can’t quite make it with Peter Laing Pipers yet though. I (and E-Bay) often seem to have an excess of his 15mm drummers … and never enough fighting men. But that is for another Christmas.

A very Happy Toy Soldier New Year 2017

Blogposted by Mark, Man of TIN blog, 6th January 2017.