52 not out...

Today is my 52nd birthday.Tomorrow is Jan's 50th! I have had a busy day at work and have come home to a splendid meal of Chilli Con Carne,sundry other nachos etc and Theakston's old peculiar/red wine . One can do little better that such fare I feel.

Amongst other gifts I have the excellent new biography of  George Mackay Brown which I am looking forward to starting. The celebrations continue with my wife's birthday tomorrow as previously mentioned.

Moves to ponder for the ongoing campaigns later tonight.

I hope to get back to the painting at the weekend .Harfields emailed me to say that they were out of stock so I will have to wait a little longer for the ECW cavalry I ordered. Still this gives me plenty time do the infantry including some command figures and conversions.Are we not fortunate to have such a wonderful hobby!
p.s and Dad's Army on the t.v too !

Big Wars

Still a tad under the weather at present. I have done little painting of late but have prepared some figures instead. I have however been enjoying a splendid game by email.
Brian ( our esteemed umpire) has the table set up in his house.He sends photos to Ian  and myself of what our commanders can see . We  then send in our moves by email and Brian resolves the resulting shooting,melee and morale. Great fun -thanks to Brian for his excellent scenario and umpiring and to Ian for be a worthy opponent. The figures are all 54mm by the way. Here is a photo below-

Memories of times past etc

Hello I'm back-back to work and on the road to feeling better- I hope.Work is very busy and I have had little time or energy of late. I have begun some ECW 54mm figures for a forthcoming project- details later .

I am enjoying two play by email/photograph/map games- one set in ww1 using FLW rules and another using Stuart Asquith's Big Wars. The latter involves being sent photos of what one's commander  can see on the table  and sending orders from this information.

Since I've been away from blogging I've had a conceit to try and do some 1930s civilian militias in 54mm for a very British Civil War circa 1938. My memories of my Wm Britians catalogue 1964 or so gave me hope- farmers with shot guns,mounted figures in hunting pink and suitable carts.

However looking at their current range on the web I see I am well out of touch! No farmer with shotgun ,no fox hunters etc! I fear I should have realised time has indeed moved on...

So any ideas for 1938 in 54mm eagerly sought- thanks in anticipation

Confined to quarters

It is Monday morning in Tradgardland and the family have left for work and school. I remain behind confined to quarters. Unplesant painful  symptoms in the early hours of Sunday morning meant an out patient hospital visit. I have now managed to get a bladder infection on top of last week's drama!Not feeling up to much and off work for the first time in absolutely ages!

Little energy to read or plan and sadly no gaming or painting..hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon.

Life and love and happiness...

A rousing video for you all! It has a lot to answer for  in terms of  sowing the seeds of my interests to this day.Sit back and enjoy !

A quiet day in the Duchy and a challenge...

I have had a quiet day today doing very little, mainly in bed. I have enjoyed the cricket on Radio 4 LW with the ever engaging chat that is such a joy to listen to. I also indulged  myself by watching series one of "By the sword divded" that BBC classic tale of the ecw.I also  have the second series on loan awaiting me tomorrow...

A final thought how many films can you name either set in the English Civil War or Thirty Years War.

Here is a starter- "Cromwell" "The Last Valley"- now over to you

Back home

Perhaps you wondered why my forthcoming game didn't materialise?Let alone the day out in Edinburgh to see the Admiral Cochrane exhibitionI had promised myself. Read on-
Just back from hospital where I was kept in a day and a half with nonemptying bladder probs (first time for everything!) and didn't get much sleep as I was on the Ear ,Nose and Throat ward where the chap opposite snored continually for 12hr.Don't really feel up to setting up a game at present so bear with me.It is great to be home!