Sunday 9 March 2014

Assorted St. Trinian's Staff 01

Up until now I have been building up a large collection of St. Trinian's schoolgirls, which currently stands at 23 with more on the way. But as we all know, a school cannot run without any staff. So last month I rectified that problem as I actively sought out suitable figures to use as staff members. Once again, I am mainly concentrating on the two most recent St. Trinian's films, with one notable exception - the character of Flash Harry. In St. Trinian's Flash Harry was played by Russell Brand, a person whose face I could never tire of hitting with a baseball bat! He was easily the worst character in the film. No, for me, there can only ever be one Flash Harry and that is George Cole's version from the first four films. On this occasion, old school is better than new school.
At the far left of my two photos is undoubtedly the most important staff member, Camilla Fritton the headmistress. In the first and second St. Trinian's films (The Belles of St. Trinian's and Blue Murder at St. Trinian's), headmistress, Millicent Fritton (a relative of Camilla) was played by Alistair Sim, a male actor. For the two more recent films, the producers kept this concept alive and chose Rupert Everett to play Camilla, and yes, she does look remarkably like her namesake, Camilla, wife of Prince Charles. After much Internet searching I found the perfect figure to represent Camilla Fritton. She is Black Cat Bases old fashioned sleuth, Agatha Rutherford. What I particularly liked about this figure is that she came with a choice of four items in her right hand. The one that best suited Camilla was the umbrella. The other three items were a knife, a pistol and a torch. What I love about this character is that she is totally loyal to her girls and supports them 100%. For example, in St. Trinian's, when the girls are discussing how best to blow up the sewer gates beneath the National Gallery, it is Camilla who suggests the best type of explosives to use. Every headmistress should be like Camilla!
I mentioned Flash Harry above in my introduction and this is my version of Harry Edwards, a spiv and one of the few adults trusted by the schoolgirls. This figure is one of the Turnkey Miniature's civilians - Teenage Thief. I had to lose his long hair and I added the trilby hat to him, which totally transformed him into the lovable rogue, Flash Harry. I wish he'd been a bit taller but even so, I think he's a good find. You're probably asking what's he got in his inside coat pocket? It could be a set of tools or it could be a silver cutlery set. Who knows?
At the far right of this group is Miss Cleaver the sports teacher, as played by Fenella Woolgar in St. Trinian's. Miss Cleaver is a gung-ho teacher with a very aggressive manner. She is based on one of the Wargames Factory plastic female survivors and this was the first time I had made one of these remarkably versatile figures. The head was the female head wearing a stetson but I cut off the sides and back of the hat and filled in the top with Milliput to make a baseball cap. I also lengthened and bulked out her hair with Milliput. The arms came from the plastic male survivors set as I wanted her armed with a baseball bat and an Uzi Sub-Machine Gun. Yes, she does use an Uzi. In the St. Trinian's film she is seen in one scene teaching a fourth form class anger management skills as she blasts away at full auto from her Uzi at a row of plastic ducks. Miss Cleaver would probably be more at home teaching army recruits. Somehow I don't think that a zombie apocalypse will faze her.
Agatha Rutherford can be found in the Cthulhu Investigators section of BCB's webstore and she costs £3.00. Be aware that BCB are being incredibly slow in dispatching orders. I placed an order with them over a month ago and I'm still waiting for it to arrive. TKM's Teenage Thief costs just $1.89, and even though TKM are an American-based company they were very quick to send out my order.
As part of my new improved service, I leave with photos of the three characters featured in this review. Next time I'll review more staff members.
 Headmistress Camilla Fritton, played to perfection by Rupert Everett.
The original and still the best, Flash Harry. The unforgettable and much missed George Cole.
Miss Cleaver, with baseball bat, shouts instructions to her hockey team from the sidelines.

29 comments:

  1. Good matches of figures to characters, though surely in the last photograph, Mss Cleaver is actually carrying a hockey stick (you can see the curverd bit just behind her head.)
    With 23 girls, staff and more on the way this is going to some sized forcet for anyone else to tackle.

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    1. Well spotted, Joe. I never actually saw that. Never mind, she still works fine with a baseball bat. Hockey sticks and baseball bats are pretty much the same when it comes to bashing in zombie skulls.
      Yes, the numbers are increasing and they are definitely going to be a force to be reckoned with.

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  2. Very nice Staff figures Bryan, really characterful. I totally agree with your Brand/Cole choice. This seems like a force big enough to rival Team Vampifan or Sunny's Killer Klowns. Hope to see them in action sooner rather than later.

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    1. Many thanks, Bob. I think they could easily defeat Team Vampifan but I suspect they might struggle against Sunny's Killer Klowns. Sunny has a much larger force. I have a lot of clown figures that haven't been seen yet. If I add in all of my circus figures then we are talking about an army of 100+ figures! Sunny is an extremely powerful opponent.

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  3. Great as usual, Bryan. They are very representative.

    As for BCB order processing, when I was ordering, I had no trouble at all. But lately, it is not uncommon to hear about their ignorance in dispatching orders and answering emails unfortunately. I believe there are health problems involved.

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    1. Thanks, Mathyoo. When I ordered my Agatha Rutherford figure, along with a few others, from BCB, it took them about four weeks to deliver them. I got a nice letter of apology from BCB, explaining that due to health problems with the family it had caused them to slow down but that things were getting back to normal. So, encouraged by this I placed a second order and now nearly five weeks later, I'm still waiting for it. it would appear that far from things getting back to normal they are getting worse. So, order at your peril. You may be in for a very long wait. It's a shame because they are normally so reliable.

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  4. Very nicely done. Love Flash Harry's pose - so appropriate!

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    1. I'm glad you like Flash Harry, Dean. I think he's a very cool dude.

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  5. Fantastic figures, cool paintjob!!

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    1. Cheers, Remco, I do appreciate the compliment.

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  6. Nice, you are right Brand has a face or slapping, and George Cole was a hard act to follow.

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  7. Nice re-purposing of all 3 figures. Shouldn't there be a few more staff, though? A mortar board & gown-wearing figure and a school nurse would be excellent, though I don't know if that's appropriate or not.

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    1. Thanks, Hugh. More staff members are on the way. I'll be showcasing three teachers and the school secretary in my next post. I'm still looking for a suitable school nurse, Someone with medical training is a must if I'm going to pit the girls up against my zombie horde. I know the type of teacher you're thinking about with long black gown and mortar board, but sadly, he or she will not be appearing.

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    2. Hmm, there's the classic, old school nurse in this pack: http://www.grippingbeast.com/product.php?ItemID=2704 . Or the more radical, modern version here: http://blackcatbases.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=437_562&products_id=1666 . I dare say that you know of others as well :-) ...

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    3. Many thanks, Hugh. I've never looked at the Gripping Beast webstore before but that school set in your link is most excellent. I may just buy it. I've seen the BCB nurse before and I don't really like her. The eye patch puts me off.

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  8. I do not know anyone of my generation who does not prefer the \George Cole Flash Harry in preference to the Brand one. So well done on getting the correct Harry. As you know I am eager to see Gatesie and hope you'll do her next....both As a WPC and in mufty would be good but If you just do one I will be happy. Over all excellent additions and I am keen to see more.

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    1. Clint, my friend, I have some very good news for you. Ruby Gates will make an appearance in my blog post on Wednesday. I found a figure to use for her as an undercover teacher. I know she's old school, just like the Flash Harry version I chose, but I don't see that as a barrier for not including her. I liked Ruby in the first three films and she deserves to be immortalised in my St. T's collection.

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  9. Nicely done Bryan they figures and conversions you've done to them make great represenations of the the characters in the pics.

    Not sure if King Tut is any good to you and your project or the duchess

    http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/product/detectives-lowlifes/

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    1. Many thanks, Simon. I recently saw the figures in your link when I received the latest Crooked Dice newsletter. I want all four figures from that particular set. I don't know about using the floosie in my St. T's project but she is too good a character not to use.

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  10. You've done well there mate and yes George Cole was Flash Harry!

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    1. I totally agree, Fran. There can only ever be one Flash Harry, and that is the George Cole version.

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  11. Great looking minis, nice conversion work!

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  12. I love that spiv model, Bryan. Where's he from?

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    1. I like him too, Simon. You'll find him amongst the modern day civilians range of Turnkey Miniatures, where he is listed as Teen Thief. He costs $1.89.

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  13. Superb Bryan. I think Camilla is my favourite

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    1. Thanks, Adam, Camilla is cool. I like her too.

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