PETER CUSHING collected toy soldiers from childhood, by the 1950's he had a quite an extensive collection. It was Cushing who introduced actor Alan Ladd to the hobby of collecting soldiers while they were both filming THE BLACK KNIGHT, and just about every co-star over the years, who was invited to the Cushing Home for for dinner was always given an impromptu introduction and visit to 'The Troops'. It has to be said that Peter Cushing's thoughts about his past times and hobbies were somewhat revolutionary for the time, when collecting miniatures and building to scale models of theaters were not that common, and a written feature at the time, also adds some strong indications and evidence to Peter's almost Peter Pan - like personality. The piece was called, 'TOYS? They're not Child's Play!'- Says Peter Cushing!' which he wrote for the TV Miror's 'On My Soap Box' column . Cushing changed the column's title to ' On My Hobby Horse'.....
HOBBIES? OH YOU SIGH, 'Peter Cushing is going to tell us about his toy soldiers again! Just kid's stuff! It's nothing to do with a bold Soap-box subject, surely?" Now I have a theory about hobbies and and toys, and Iam quite prepared for you to scoff at me. The theory is quite simple. It is that toys are given to children when they are too young to apprecaite them and because most men ' put away childish things' as they reach adulthood, they miss a great deal of happiness at a time in their lives when, because of greater maturity , they are actually in amuch better position to enjoy their toys and hobbies.
THE TRAGEDY IS THAT for too many men are hobby-less . .. Without escapism which comes only from dabbling with adult toys, their minds are prey to all the frusttration and fears of the working day. From my hobby-horse, I do not say that men would be better if they kept to their toys in theri adult years, but certainly they could be happier. . . So many, it seems to me, lose happiness as they grow up. Their entire absorption in their careers and adult responsibilities bring lines of worry and premature old age. It is not silly or childish to have an interest in hobbies . . . some men develop a passionate interest in costly 35mm cameras and in veteran cars, but what are these things except toys of a rather larger and dearer sort? I am not particularly mechanically -minded, so although I do have a certain interest in mechanical models, i get much great contentment from miniture figures and costumes. I love collecting old manuscripts and books on period costume too, but of course, that's a branch of art, and not a subject for any hobby-horse.
H.G. WELLS wrote a most interesting book entitled, LITTLE WARS, which was a serious satire designed to make real war impossible. There is a British Model Soldier Society, including youngsters of nine up to colonels of ninety, and who manoeuvre the soldiers according to the rules which H.G outlined in his book, rules which have changed little since the days of Napoleon. Played according to these rules, the wars of these tin soldiers become a vast game of chess. When I come home at night and find the news or the newspaper headlines more than usually anxious and alarming, I sometimes get out my soldiers and start solving international problems on my lounge carpet. Fearful problems which . .. cause international strife at UNO, are settled in a quiet half-hour with my private armies of military men, who are as clever, bold, strategic and vicious as I can make them, although they are only two and half inches high. One day, I may be tempted to send to Whitehall, to Washington and the Kremlin, so statesmen can find the key . . .
BUT NO. I have no wish to challenge anyone's opinion. I have my own inner contentment with this world-in-miniature. And you could too. It's not a thing to shout or campaign about, but to discover privately, and to enjoy in one's own heart . . . .
OUR WEEKLY 'MOMENTS OF TERROR' theme day tales a rest for a while next week. Monday's for seven weeks will see a new feature, The Making of Legend Of The Werewolf, takes a look at one of Cushing's and Tyburn films most interesting films together. Intyerviews, on set pics and much more... STARTS next Monday 11th June 2018! Please join us!
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