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Poste Militaire....

Discussion in 'General Figure Talk' started by fogie, May 9, 2019.

  1. fogie A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I thought another of my rarities might just be of interest - this one is an early Poste Militaire offering from 1975. It was released alongside their very first figures - two Normans and a Saxon
    - in that year, and represents a cadet of the prestigious Belgian 'Ecole Royale Militaire'.

    It differed from what became their usual stuff in that it was 100mm scale, featured a 'modern' subject (at least it was modern in 1975) and was sculpted in a classic formal pose. It seemed to
    go out of production rather swiftly and I suspect it has now been largely forgotten.

    I don't imagine it's particularly rare for there must have been a large number of Ray Lamb 'completists' like me back then, who collected everything he produced. I've never got round
    to painting it for I fear it would be a bit boring to work on something that would have to be absolutely pristine, what with the full ceremonials and all ( I would ache to dirty up his boots
    or something yet couldn't bear the idea of being responsible for the inevitable demerits he'd earn from his CO ). Nice colours, though, dark blue with scarlet trim.

    Anyone know anything about PM's reasons for choosing to release this one, or why it was dropped
    so early from their list ?

    Mike
    poste militaire.jpg
    DaddyO, winfield, PatVanHoo and 6 others like this.
  2. akaryu Moderator

    Country:
    Belgium
    Happy memories indeed!

    This figure was made by Ray Lamb on behalf of the Belgian Royal Military Academy with the late Jean Hoyos of the Heaumerie du Casque d'Or figurine shop acting as go-between. If I remember correctly small numbers only were cast, initially for the ERM itself, as a relation present. As a matter of fact Jean Hoyos also acted as go-between for the Belgian Gendarmerie and John Tassel, who made a mounted 75mm figure of the Belgian Royal Escort, nowadays absolutely unfindable!

    Here is my painted Elève Officier de l'Ecole Royale Militaire, tough aged still one of my most cherished figure, for very obvious reasons:
    10994348_929690063729426_8406259390123035588_n.jpg 11041811_929690060396093_7749682682429444276_n.jpg

    Cheers,

    Pierre
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  3. Tecumsea PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    England
    Something l have never seen and thank you Pierre for the explanation.

    Keith
    peedee and akaryu like this.
  4. fogie A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom

    Excellent !! I always wondered, and even vaguely imagined, something of the kind. I'm no end pleased to hear that and delighted to
    see a painted version ( my first ever !!! ) ...Weren't you even just a bit tempted to scuff his boots, Pierre ?

    Mike
    peedee and akaryu like this.
  5. akaryu Moderator

    Country:
    Belgium
    Thanks Mike!
    Scuffing his boots!!! Not in a thousand years, first of all, I intended the figure to be a self-portrait which by my meager painting skills at the time hasn't come out that well. Secondly, I am the son of an RSM and that resulted in my being the focus of the ERM's RSM's attention, a terrifying Chasseur Ardennais NCO and Korea War veteran, who felt it his duty to a colleague to keep his son on the right path! After all these years I still meet him in my dreams sometimes, usually just before waking up in a sweat!

    Pierre
    Babelfish, Oda, Tecumsea and 3 others like this.
  6. Ray Stout Well-Known Member

    I remember seeing one which was sent by Ray Lamb to Joe Shaw, but, as he didn't know the figure, and it came with no Painting Guide, Joe "Buffed" his up and had pride of place in his Cabinet. That was around 1976. Ray.
    akaryu and peedee like this.
  7. Mirofsoft A Fixture

    Country:
    Belgium
    He was faster then me; I remember seeing them in the pocket shop of Mr Hoyos, as I remember Max Longhurst making demo on a little camping table in the gallery, that day on the shelf there was the original Ray Lamb " Chasseur à Cheval"
    His shop even smaller than the first Game Workshop in London was in the galeries Agora, 10m from the Grand Place . I painted lot of Rose Models for him in the 70ies, after he explained to me the basic shadows/highlights and the use of oils ... Yes, I had the chance to travel with him in England in 73/74 when he was on one of his "buy" trip, meeting L Sangster, G Coets, Tassel and others . He saw the potential of Mr Cuiffo and bought lot of is plasticine models which he sold in his shop .

    Thanks for this Pierre, It was a very, very good period of my life agora.png
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  8. fogie A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Glad this post seems to have prompted some happy memories... old times. eh?

    Mike
    PatVanHoo, Nap and akaryu like this.
  9. akaryu Moderator

    Country:
    Belgium
    Mais je vous s'en prie, Mirofsoft! Avec plaisir!



    Well yes, we're getting older, aren't we. And the little shop of Jean Hoyos, about the size of a bathroom, was a figure mecca for most of us. His connection with the British figure 'scene' was inspiring to say the least. I still have a Cuiffo figure of myself rappelling down the rocks of Marche-les-Dames!

    Cheers,
    Pierre
    PatVanHoo and fogie like this.
  10. fogie A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    My own version of Jean Hyos shop was the wonderful 'Under Two Flags' in a sort of mews just off Bond Street - such a tiny
    place but packed to the rafters with unmissable stuff !
  11. Blind Pew A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    I used to love going there

    akaryu likes this.
  12. Ray Stout Well-Known Member

    I could never understand why the Hinton Hunt Figures had a white powder residue on them at Under 2 Flags?? We never saw them in any shops in Manchester! It was always a hurried visit when the BMSS Nationals were on at Wandsworth Town Hall, Ray
  13. fogie A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    You don't remember my old chum John Ruddle from the BMSS , do you ?

    Mike
  14. arj A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Could that have been the first sign of lead rot?
    They were very prone to it if not thoroughly sealed after cleaning.

    Cheers,
    Andrew
  15. fogie A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom

    Lead in the figures, probably the same again in the paint, carcernagenic carbon-tetrachloride fumes
    (for those who don't remember, used to melt sprue into a thickish sort of filler for Historex figures),
    not to mention that insanely perilous pyrogravure thing AND everybody smoking all over the place
    ..... It's something of a miracle that we're still alive !
  16. Ray Stout Well-Known Member

    Remember at the BMSS Finals waiting for the Raffle to be over BEFORE giving out the Competition results,(Insane)!! and having to leave before all the results were announced so we could catch our train back to Manchester. Ray
  17. Merryweather A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    The only John Cuiffo figures I ever saw were in a WWI diorama of French Poilu's in brilliantly modelled shell holes. I couldn't believe they were plasticine.
    They were in Seagull Models in South Kensington - a shop that was even smaller than Under 2 Flags . We used to drool there every time we went to the science museum.
    They also had amazing card models.
    sorry for the thread hijack
    N
    Mirofsoft likes this.
  18. fogie A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Not a thread hijack, old chap, it's just turned into a bunch of old duffers remembering earlier days when they
    weren't actually that good at painting:joyful: !! Welcome to this select band.




    Mike
  19. Nap Moderator

    Country:
    England

    Great thread Fogie

    I well remember setting fire to my grandmothers best lace tablecloth with a pyrograuve .....working on her best table as a 12 year old !...newspaper to " protect " the table ...didn't work ...tried to use boot polish to hide the scapel cuts !....

    Happy no H & S days

    Nap

    I like many will remember bonapartes tiny shop with the wonderful painted figures in the window .....stuff everywhere in the shop ......loved it
    blaster, Mirofsoft and fogie like this.
  20. Mirofsoft A Fixture

    Country:
    Belgium
    Yes I remember the shop before they opened the second one at the next corner of the street and I still have 2 card models, when mounted, something like the Parlaiment House, was the size of 2 matchboxes .
    blaster and fogie like this.

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