Arbeia - a Roman Fort

 

A couple of weeks ago I visited Arbeia in South Shields.  A large complex, this was mostly used as a supply base and granary for the border defences (Hadrian's Wall) and for troops making the dangerous journey further north.  Well worth a look if you're in that area.

2,000 years and still no lift...

Nice model - if only I'd brought some toy soldiers!

Nicely restored gatehouse

Heugh Battery revisited

I visited this splendid fortification back in 2012, so the need for a lunch/dog walking stop en route to northeast England recently had an obvious solution!  The battery is located on the headland at Hartlepool, which is quite a nice spot.  The exhibits are much as they had been but I figure you can never have too many photos of Chieftains or Ferrets.

From the observation post I kept a lookout for the High Seas Fleet...

The battery bears a more then passing resemblance to the Airfix Gun Emplacement.

This time I had the opportunity to visit the small arms collection - they have some interesting stuff.

The cutaway Bren was instructive.

They even have some weapons which visitors may handle.  Clad as I was in blue and red, the Lebel seemed an obvious choice!  They wouldn't let me have the bayonet though....
 

Plastic Warrior 2024 - the purchases - part 2

Saving the best - or at least the best painting - 'till last, here are my remaining acquisitions.  Painting tartan is always a challenge as I know from experience, so I was delighted to find these chaps.  From the array available I selected a modest number.  From what I can see, most are conversions.  After haggling these come in at under a Fiver apiece which for the work that's gone into them I think is pretty reasonable.

Plastic Warrior 2024 - the purchases - part 1

My acquisitions at the show were - to say the least - somewhat diverse!  But then such is the joy of the PW show.  In no particular order, we start with this nicely painted plastic Soviet VDV trooper.  He needed the paint on his boots touching up and I've varnished and based him.  Cost?  Er, 25p....(he was in a £1 for four items rummage box).

A box of high* quality items.

Near my table was a chap with a load of these Hing Fat figures.  While not the last word in fine detail they are useful figures for adding variety and for conversion work. And at £5 for three sets it was rude not to.  Above - the North Vietnamese - they look a lot like WW2 British with different hats.

WW2 Italians - a really nice set.

Hello sailor!  A ready made crew for a small boat.  Not I need to build the boat...

Another refugee from the rummage box was this nicely converted Cold War Brit.

A bag containing a dozen or so Atlantic Italians - Alpini and Cold War paras.  

Three metal pilots cost me £10.  This US in Vietnam chap...

...and two WW2 Luftwaffe officers.

A welcome find was this bag of half a dozen Cherilea Elizabethan figures.

A fine bag of tat labelled 'Pacific War' contained a dozen each of the Hing Fat US and Japanese figures (useful for conversions) and a horrible green plastic landing craft.  Hopefully some grey paint will turn it into a merely horrible landing craft.

One more purchase still to reveal - stay tuned for part 2....