Big trouble in little Tradgardistan…

 There’s a bit of bother brewing. Intelligence has told the Tradgardistan authorities that the local chaps have got hold of a rather nifty addition to their forces. There may be trouble ahead..

Local chaps admiring their new purchase. Very cheap from a fellow with a Russian accent.

A few driving lessons later the Russian departs leaving an enthusiastic bunch of chaps in and outside the armoured car.  I fear mischief lies ahead…

Footnotes-

The armoured car was a kind gift from Eric , many thanks. I put it somewhere safe and just couldn’t find it  until l chanced upon it the other day. Thankfully rediscovered it has been a delightful thing to paint and get ready for the tabletop.

Readers new to the backstory to Tradgardistan follow the link at the bottom of the post to find out more.

A wee Christmas present to myself was a packet of downed pilots by Empress miniatures. I look forward to them arriving in the post after Christmas…

Christmas Greetings

 

                Merry Christmas to you and yours from me and mine here at the Duchy of Tradgardland!

One of my favourite Christmas Carols-

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cOF9JLJkPis

In the Duchy of Tradgardland the ski troops and accompanying sledge borne artillery patrol throughout the long winter months ensuring the safety of  all!

M. .l

Goblin Green or Alpine Meadow?

 I finished the Swiss this morning.

Simple base colour used - is it Goblin Green or lush alpine meadow , you decide…

I have padded out the Swiss with some Copplestone and random figures to represent a Swiss Home Guard unit. As for the resin prints l have major reservations. My resin French were charming, immaculate prints, I want to say castings, force of habit l guess. However the Swiss have strange twisted limbs, huge hands , odd poses and tiny rifles. I was going to send them back but realised there are no other 28mm Swiss available that l know of on the market. So I ran with them. A combination of painting and not peering too closely afterwards has worked ok.

The tanks were a different matter. The panzer 39’s are crisp models and a joy to paint. I finished them like the infantry with a coat of gloss varnish, please don’t faint.

Now to get them on the table in a wee game…

Swiss Family Gruber or why are you painting Swiss ?

 Disclaimer- this Gruber family is not Swiss not were my ancestors but a lot of the family like the country a lot.

What prompted writing this post was a surprise raised as to why one would paint up WW2 Swiss…

As a result of being on family holidays to Switzerland l sought out and bought books on the Swiss Army.

These are just a selection of those l have. My interest in the Swiss takes in the Burgundian Wars, the Sonderbondeskreig , WW1 and 2 and beyond, not to mention the Napoleonic period - because I saw monuments in the Alps on family holidays.

These were bought in Interlaken in a wee tobacconist/ stationers. They are Elastolin, composition material and are Swiss soldiers circa 1970. 

They are my pride and joy and sit on the bookshelves. My father , seeing my liking for these and the modern plastic 40mm Elastolin used to periodically buy me figures from an importer who published a typed list of figures he sold. These came through the post in wee grey boxes , containing tissue wrapped toys.

I am using this chap as a guide for painting my 28mm resin figures.

Circa 1947 my father went on a coach tour to Switzerland. The house had musical boxes and wooden figures he returned with. After my mother’s death whilst clearing out her house l found this scrapbook with hand drawn maps, photos and writing by my father - an account of the holiday.

The coach company brochure from the aforementioned scrapbook. 

My uncle and cousins go regularly to Switzerland for summer or winter family holidays. I last went in my early twenties with my parents and particularly enjoyed the National Museum in Zurich where l went for a day trip by train.

I have much more Swiss material on my blog - http://armyredwhite.blogspot.com/

Some photos from it-

The soldier in the top photo holding the bazooka thingy reminds me of Terry Scott…

I collected a 54mm 1914 Swiss army for the Little Wars Centenary game organised by Paul Wright. I posted it to the wrong address ( to save me carrying it on the train) so it never took part in the celebrations. I did get it back later and enjoyed the Centenary toy soldier jamboree with a borrowed army.

Finally just to say do read up some Swiss military history, it is fascinating. Who knows you might paint up some Swiss figures of your own…

That was the day that was

 Big day in the Duchy. Google has mixed the picture order up , don’t know why!

Saturday VWC , great company and photos of projects. First for Model Railway photos this week- PD Hancock’s layout or rather part of it.

Overnight Friday to Saturday my toilet ceased to function, wouldn’t flush , so stressful. It was in backed up in the garden.

Three men working late morning to sort it, successfully thankfully.

Buying the Christmas tree, not a visit to Narnia.

Working on WW2 Swiss during the VWC. Note very nice models of Panzer 39 tanks.

Late afternoon and my daughter fits the lights on the tree , looks magical imho.

Another view of the Swiss, mainly commercial resin prints with a few metal additions.

Finally curry and Strictly final. A big day of highs and lows…

A welcome distraction

 

Stirrers etc

 Another day at home, things moving forward on many fronts . Spent much of day doing this-

The building nearly finished, touch up bits, highlight stones on pavement and maybe front door painted.

The pink after toning down a little.

The pink paint applied and drying on the radiator.

Coffee stirrers added to give a 3 d look rather than flat mdf.

The Austrian pioneers were keen to help in this project.

I didn’t have to cut the stirrers/ timber all on my own.

The initial gluing of stirrers to mdf with school glue and l am liking the look

Found the mdf  building and horde of coffee stirrers. We will see how it turns out…