
. . . don't get too excited, but as I now work at Snibston Discovery Museum (based in Coalville and part of Leicestershire County Council, which holds a collection relating to Palitoy), I have been invited to put together a small display of my customs to be shown in their modest Toy Box gallery.
This will be a very small display (the case is about 70cm square). It will be installed in early November and run until after Christmas I think (no specific time scale). As there is currently no Action Force in the Toy Box, I couldn't miss the opportunity and am chuffed to be asked.
The final display will depend on the layout inside the case when we start setting it up, but I'm planning to show some (hopefully all) of these:
- British World War I infantry
- Baron Ironblood and Black Major in battlegear (compared with original figures)
- Skarab Enemy transporter
- Q-Force Beach Patrol with figure
- SAS Airbourne x 2, plus Hornet AF-5 custom
- Space Force Admiral and Battle Tank
- Z-Force Field Ambulance, with crew and original Medic for comparison
- Z-Force Military Police x 2
- Stingray conversion showing original, primed grey and completed SAS 'Deathray' (I will be posting pictures of this one in customs soon . . . )
- 'Exploded' figure to show construction
There will also probably be a copy of Battle Action Force, one of the mini comics and a vehicle blue print. From the County Council's collection will be a carded figure. I hope they will also keep my reference to BFTB in the brief background text.
I will take pictures when it is in place. Adult entry to the museum is £7.50 and it's a great place for those with children (children are £5 entry and family tickets are available). There are interactive exhibits in the the early galleries (life a Mini, make fire and general science / technology play) and some larger exhibits (steam locos, buses, fire engine, Auster aircraft etc) and other displays elsewhere. At weekends you can take a 45 - 60 minute colliery tour with a former miner (at a small extra charge). Beyond all this, for anyone visiting just for toys, I do warn you that the Toy Box is a very modest space containing a very eclectic mix of Palitoy's production (as mentioned, no Action Force generally!); and my display will be very very small and certainly not worth £7.50 on it's own.