Renewed enthusiasm

 

A busy day at the station, passengers and workers alike discuss the recent better weather .

Neglected alpine planters before they were given a make over this week.

New alpines and half price plants about to be given a new home.

The fruits mainly of my daughter’s labour bringing the garden back from neglect 

Apple blossom coming out .

First use of the new bench that replaces the rotten one that stood here for well over twenty years.

In hobby news l am finding it very hard to settle to any project, flitting endlessly A peak of activity and enthusiasm wains to be replaced. Today a friend comes over to try the scenario rules properly for our border reiver games. I have invested in ADLG for ancients as I hear good things of it. DBM has served well but l become less and less willing to read the dense prose necessary to get to grips with them. Hopefully l can learn the rules myself and get my regular opponents on board…

Pillbox!

 Here is a box, a cardboard box , painted and ready to play…

The interior of the pillbox complete with artillery piece and crew.

Revealing the interior of the box…

The external aspect of the pillbox with one of Mark’s Little Soldiers for scale.

The origin of the idea, a picture from an interwar Elastolin catalogue. 

More Elastolin fortifications from the same catalogue.

Barred wire from the above source.

I found this cardboard box lying about and immediately thought it was idea for the project. I feel it has a suitable toy soldier vibe as an idea to fit in perfectly with MLS figures and game aesthetic. Might try it anon in 54mm scale, availability of box permitting.

Fife Riviera

 A most enjoyable trip to Aberdour yesterday.

Sun shining over the bay .

Passer by offered to take our photo.

Aberdour castle, we passed through the grounds but didn’t venture in.

Interesting signage with a great story attached.

Memo to self, find out a little more about this…

Walking to the beach

Walk from the station to the sea, happy memories of this in past years , good to be back. Scratching my Cornish itch, a bit.

Lovely coffee shop The Curator, five minutes from the train station.

Time afterwards to try out the new garden bench for the first time.

And also to work on these fellows…

Lovely day hopefully promising a great summer ahead…

Eastertide

We had the house cheered with lots of daffodils, always a joy en masse.

Saturday saw Penedredfel station suffering the effects of winds and rain. All survived.

Number two daughter has started growing her seeds in the extension which are fun to look at each morning. She has been doing wonders with the garden this year.

Sunday saw the Duchy lashed by wind hail, rain and sleet. Fortunately we walked to church during a dry spell and got lifts at other points , just getting into the car as the skies poured down once or twice…

My youngest and her fiancé hosted and an excellent lunch it was indeed.

Finally cleared the permanent table/potting bench yesterday and set up a game.

It is an attempted river crossing by Imperium forces . I will play it out over the coming days…

River by Warbases and I am pleased to see an aircraft taking part in my interwar imagination games.

 

Finally , when l was browsing l found this photo from ten years ago . It occurred during a visit from Mr Tim Gow. For further info read on -

http://tradgardland.blogspot.com/2016/03/easter-gaming-and-visit-from-forbodian.html

Happy Easter !

 Happy Easter from all at the Duchy of Tradgardland!

And some not Easter bunnies on the painting table for rebasing and some painting 

The figures are based on medieval marginalia such as the ones you see in these illustrations.

Too good to be true

 I  really enjoy this, hope you will too-

http://vintagewargaming.blogspot.com/2010/04/secret-war-gaming-history-of-literary.html

The chances of anything coming from Mars….but still they come.

 

Martian Cylinder or the results of the wind blowing these pots across the garden? You decide!