Home Guard thoughts...

Saturday Morning 7.20 a.m.
My good friend Alfront over at his new blog has suggested I ought to get some transport etc to upgrade my fledging Home Guard. I opened the Ducal war chest yesterday and rummaged amidst the spiders to find some coins.They were sent off to buy some 20mm armed civilians,a nasty surprise for those Army Black tanks and garden with Anderson shelter/veg/ hedge etc...
Alas the few coins would not stretch (as yet) to transport but I could not resist posting these splendid photos of  Home Guard transport in ww2.Spiffing what eh?
Off soonish to a busy day revolving around monthly shopping for my mother and sundry other messages with Jan.Little hope of paint to lead/plastic I fear.Enjoy Saturday one and all!

For the garden minded

I know some of you visitors enjoy gardening and /or allotments. When we sorted the bookcase out we put all our gardening books together. I hereby post a piccie  for those interested- enjoy!

Home Guard

Well another warm balmy day here in the Duchy after a surprisingly dark start when I went for the train at 6.30 a.m.  Yesterday I managed to finish some Home Guard figures ( 20mm by Sgrt's Mess) for a forthcoming recreation of the "Action at Twin Farms" known to many of you. The Home Guard (Army Red in a H G Wells sense if you know what I mean) will defend the farms against  Army Black (20mm plastic Airfix of yesteryear currently being painted & accompanied by Minitanks half tracks) who have invaded...
Pictured below are Army Red going through their paces in the form of Section maneuvers and live firing from the Smith gun and Bren guns-

Hopefully the game will get a chance to be played within the coming week ,work and house painting allowing...

Paint& Books

We are in the midst of painting & decorating.We are also moving bookcases and dusting their contents. Today (Sunday) we are doing a couple of coats of paint before going into the garden in the afternoon. The pictures show the room with books off the shelves- I am always amazed the room they take up when not on shelves.The second shot shows  some books reinstated and is a chance to see some of the books which make up part of the Ducal collection. Finally a shot of a WW1 ship made from scrap by a  German P.O.W in WW1 as a present for one of my relatives who had done a kindness for him. Sadly I know nothing more of the story other than to say it is the Blucher. I have grown up with it and treasure it.

A right royal barny...

Well the weekend has arrived. This afternoon the plasterer finished,we cleaned up ,painted the sitting room ceiling and reinstated much of the house. More to done later but all is on the cusp of normality. I hope to try out a little 1938 VBCW skirmish  using the one page fubar rules. This will be a small but useful affair I hope. The scenario will revolve around Edward viii's cousin the Duke of Brunswick who has come to England to support him. Amongst his troops are his estate workers ( see one depicted above carrying a banner for the King or his double - shades of I was Monty's double...) who have fallen out with the right-wing ruralists of English Mistery. Watch out for photos of the game later...

Busy and two films..

I got home last night around eight fifteen after a long day which culminated in a Parent's Evening. I was rather fagged out after the experience. My spirits were lifted by the arrival of two dvds from the day's post which I had put money from my birthday towards. The first is "1612" which was recommended to me here sometime ago. I look forward to those winged hussars and sundry indulgences this weekend- by the way are 54mm Polish hussars available in 54mm  in plastic?A  obscure question but one somebody may be able to help me with...
The second dvd I picture below-

It has (in case the piccie is too small) Passport to Pimlico,Kind hearts and Coronets, Nicholas Nickerby and Went the day well. I am very much looking forward to seeing these old favourites. I have a long term interest in 15th Century Burgundy and those splendid chaps of Charles the Bold and wondered if Pasport to Pimplico might provide some gaming ideas for aVBCW ? 1930s chaps in some form of Livery, longbowmen- steady ,I'm getting carried away...
We have been busy here in the Duchy of late with a manic weekend which included my mother not too well (betterish now) the computer dying ( resurrection did come thankfully for it)and my eldest's Advanced Higher  English dissertation on Gothic novels needing to be completed -handed in thankfully now after the computer worked.
This was followed by moving furniture, bookcases and books in order that a plasterer could start work today Thursday. Little hobby stuff has been done but hopefully soething come the weekend!

A new arrival...

A crumbling Country Pile,Deepest Merrie England, 1938...

Reggie Laudian-Falls is delighted with his new purchase.The chaps at the village blacksmiths have worked day and night to produce this spiffing  armoured car. Reggie and his driver take the new girl for a spin and make a note to take someone to man the gun next time.

Dear reader,
a recent 28mm  ebay purchase from Solway for me by my regular opponent. He brought it over on Friday when we had our monthly acw game. Come April we  will branch out into a vbcw. I intend to field a motley collection of local volunteers and assorted Royalists of various shades of enthusiasm. They will be opposed by members of  the Liverpool Free State.

A new blog...

Our esteemed colleague Alfront has sarted a new blog-his first! Pop over to

see this splendid work...
http://alfront-wardiariesofalittleenglander.blogspot.com/

Poll answers sought...

Morning all!
Please take a moment to vote in my new poll at the side.As ever your views are most important to me.
Many thanks
Alan

Introducing the Family

I have risen after a rather late night yesterday. The family & I were entertained splendidly by my sister in law and her husband to celebrate Jan's 50th. Excellent food and company conjoined to produce a most memorable evening with wide ranging conversations and great fun too. Getting to bed very late (for me ) I am a tad weary this morning but want to share some of my current wargaming projects with you.

Of late I have been working on a number of projects -planning, preparing and making lists.I was also looking for a unifying theme /principle to run through this gaming and other diverse strands of the hobby world.  So what I have come up with is a imagi family as opposed to a imagination. This would generate characters to participate in many of my projects and be a somethinng reaching out through time and space if you know what I mean...

And so after much thought the LACY - COTTA  family came into my mind. A family tree is emerging from the dust and research of the archivist and what is emerging is one of the foremost military families of England. Gentlemen ( and of course black sheep) who served across Europe and made their mark upon armies  for better or worse.

Currently I am researching the Family role in the English Civil War ( staunch supporters of the King and Archbishop Laud) and the crisis known to history as the Civil War of 1938. Interesting archival material from Denmark is uncovering the Lacy -Cotta's role in the small Ducal army of Tradgardland too.

All this is conviently coinciding with attempts to paint some ECW figures in 54mm and try my hand at some other conversion work too.

A great read

Spent much of the day at my Urology follow up appointment. All went well and the day was passed very happily reading Stephen Cullen's excellent newish book on the Home Guard .I thoroughly recommend it to all of you. Interesting ,well written and full of  great insights. Anyone for some Home Guard wargaming?

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-