MOONBASE CENTRAL

Tuesday, 24 February 2026

Robin Paint and Poster Truck

Hi Woodsy,

I have just discovered what may well be the most beautiful tinplate toy ever made – the Wells-Brimtoy Robin Paint and Poster Truck. Needless to say, I discovered this while looking for something else entirely, and just had to dive straight down yet another rabbit hole.

Not only was this a wind-up clock-work toy truck, the back contained a slide-out tray of water-colour paints (which are nearly always missing from surviving examples). Hooks on the sides of the truck (usually broken off) held a toy ladder on one side, and a paint brush on the other (also usually missing).

Wells was founded in 1919, and Brimtoy in 1923, the two firms merging in 1932. Wells-Brimtoy Distributors Limited was formed in 1949, but a variety of names appear on the toys.

The always useful Brighton Toy Museum site has a page of Wells-Brimtoy advertising (dated 1956), which shows the truck. It has the paint tray extended, and supported by a fold-down leg at the rear.

https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/index/Category:Wells-Brimtoy#/media/File:Wells-Brimtoy,_Modern_Toys_for_the_Modern_Boy_(GaT_1956).jpg

No.708 Robin Paint and Poster Truck. Clockwork Truck complete with 12 paints in movable palette, paint brush and painter's ladder. Boxed singly in novel coloured carton of which two sides are in black and white outline for child to paint. Size 7 1/4 in. x 3 1/4 in. x 4 in.

Presumably that is the box size ? As usual with post-war Wells-Brimtoy models, the construction is a mix of tinplate and plastic.

Most of the truck is tinplate, including the cab interior, with a coloured plastic cab top in light blue. It is based on the Bedford S-Type truck.

A friction motor is fitted beneath the vehicle, with a wind-up key on the left side. The colour scheme is mainly red and blue.

It has Made in Gt. Britain on the right side of the cab, with more details on the fold-down tail-gate. Here the name of the maker is given as Welsotoys.

The sides of the truck are colourfully marked, with the name of the toy, and a Robin holding a yellow leaf in his beak. I thought that Robin looked familiar – was it anything to do with the Robin comic ?

Robin was a weekly comic published from 1953 to 1969, initially by Hulton Press, whose other titles included Eagle, Girl, and Swift. It was aimed at very young children.

A Robin was the logo of the comic, and the price was printed on the leaf that the little bird is holding. The Boys Adventure Comics blog has a wonderful article, with numerous excellent photos, showing the truck.

https://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com/2020/07/updated-guide-to-robin-comic-merchandise.html

What a wonderful toy!

Do you agree?

Eight photographs from Worthpoint

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Will O's Mighty Joe!

Hi Woodsy

Some pics of my Topper Mighty Joe tank. Although, I prefer it in the guise of Kevin's beautifully made SHADO Mobile!

Will O

Woodsy has added:

Q the Movies: Serpents, Snatchers, Sickness and Saltburns

More film watching this long MoonBase winter. This week's treats have been:

Cabin Fever - early 2000' - this was Gorno King Eli Roth's debut and I imagine quite a tame offering to what he directed later ( not seen anything else he's made). CF isn't that gory at all, a sort of heavily diluted Evil Dead. Ive enjoyed it each time I've seen it and Roth even cameos as the cave dwelling junkie with a dog. The most interesting character is the young deputy who's obsession with 'pardying' is hilarious. Oddly enough this actor vanished from the public eye in 2015 ( thanks Wikipedia!). Cabin Fever was remade twenty years later and I doubt it retains the rustic simple charms of the original.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers - 1978 - my, how I love this remake. It's got everything: Seventies New York, creepy dustbin wagons, Donald Sutherland, a young Jeff Goldblum and the gorgeous Brooke Adams, whom I must confess I'm in love with (she even starred in the Stuff!). It's her fabulous smile! Yep, Invasion is a remarkable flick and the grex effects are just superb, the pod birthing scene being truly grotesque. And the leading man from the Fifties original gets a respectful cameo too! A great film experience and altogether chilling - a metaphor for all prejudices everywhere - who can forget that final finger-pointing shriek by Pod Donald!

Q the Flying Serpent - 1982 - a late Seventies- imbued creature feature, once more set in the frenetic Big Apple and a real monster gem. I love this movie! It stars Michael Moriarty, a true impresario of the schlock genre - he was the lead in the brilliant The Stuff - and a golden oldie from my Kung Fu days, David Carradine. The lead actress is fab too, the name Shelley Winters springs to mind but I don't think that's right. Q the monster itself is a little ropey but I really appreciate the effort and together with the skyline world of NYC it really is an eerie experience. The sub-plot of an ancient race of creatures reminds of that other classic, Wolfen, which I must see again. Wow! Q! Bird is the word! It must be a model kit somewhere.

Saltburn - recent - my Missus mentioned this so we had a dabble. The name intrigued me as it's an east coast sea resort near here, where I once purchased loads of vintage boxed crawling spider toys from a clearance store! As for the flick itself, which has nothing to do with that easy coast resort if the same name, it's relatively new so I won't spoil anything. A sumptuous watch about the idle rich - it's lush set looks were influenced by Coppola's Dracula. If you can stand modern English toffs lounging about Saltburn, their sprawling country pile, waiting for anyone to brighten their hollow lives then this is for you!

What have you watched of late?

LPUFO

I had to look twice at these on an auction last year.

Larger LP astronauts, they've been painted in the style of UFO spacemen and rather well I reckon.

What do you think?

Have you painted any astronauts?

Monday, 23 February 2026

Hands up Hombre!

Woodsy,

As a follow-up to Arto's 'Laramie' gun set, here I am in one of my childhood costumes in 1959.

Dressing up as Cowboys, Indians, Civil War soldiers, or Army men was really big back in the '50s and although I had several costumes as a kid, this is the only photo I have of me in one of them.

Okay to blog (heck, I certainly don't look like that anymore!!).

Notice the TV dinner tray to the left. Did you have those as a kid?

From Fort Las Vegas

Spectrum is Blue

Ever since I first saw the Traffic Patrol Spectrum knock-off chopper I've been hooked.

First contact was a black and white picture in Dennis Nicholson's Andersonalia Bible in 1996.

A true blog legend, about 13 years later we got to see it in the colourful flesh when blog friend and Scarlet collector Terry H sent in pics of the real thing in his big collection.

It's a gorgeous thing and could easily be mistaken for a proper Bandai toy.

Do you like it? Do you have one?