Re Liebster Award

Many thanks to those who nominated me for the Liebster Award.I'm delighted to get mentioned and now need to nominate five .So without more ado here goes...
One. War Diaries of a little Englander
http://alfront-wardiariesofalittleenglander.blogspot.co.uk
Always an eclectic mix of periods,gardening ,poetry and diverse items to think upon...
Two Steam Steel and Torpeodoes- great modelling and a fascinating back story...
http://steamsteelandtorpedoes.blogspot.co.uk
Three.Sumer to Sargon.A visually beautiful and very informative guide to Sumerian wargaming.Those onager pulled battlecarts are fantastic
http://sumer2sargon.blogspot.co.uk
Four:Shandy and Vauban - al fresco wargaming the 18th Century with 54mm figures and indoors toohttp://shandyandvauban.blogspot.co.uk/
Five: A very creative 18th century imagination and diverse ideas for scenery and gaming.Do pop over and see if you haven't been there yet.Always something intersting
http://soweiterleague.blogspot.co.uk/

So there we are gents.It was so hard to choose only five but I had to make a decision...

Balrog!!!!!!!!!!And I'm back...

Our dwarven friends have encountered a Balrog ( an evil spirit remaining from the 1st Age of Middle Earth) and have decided to stand their ground.More fool them I fear. Figures from The Mythical Earth Minifigs range circa 1976.These are from the first wave of small packets containing  figures for my nostalgia project.I hope more will appear here in the Duchy this coming week
I was able to post this thanks to the helpful advice left here and on EvE,not to mention Photobucket. Thanks very much one and all.

Help sought....

I seem to have come to a limit with the pictures I can upload to my blog Duchy of Tradgardland! I couldn't post a picture this afternoon for this reason.Has this happened to any of you here in EvE land? What does one do. Mention came up of buying space.Answers in terms for the technologically challenged like me please ...
many thanks
Alan

friends reunited

The weekend has arrived here in Tradgardland.The frost lies white upon the lawn and I have had my coffee-allowed one a day of the caf stuff .It has been a busy week at work and home  and it is good to be off for a couple of days. Firstly a book to recommend-

Sorry about odd piccie of it but I got it off the web rather than getting the camera out. I just started this book the other day and it is a splendid read so far. I'm quite taken with this Jazz Age Imperialism malarky. I watched The Drum on the web last weekend and enjoyed the battle scenes immensely.

On a different front,due the helpfulness of fellow gamers,I am beginning to build my Mythical Earth forces for some gaming circa 1976.One wee parcel has arrived full of goodies and I await two other larger ones. I can't wait for the post to come. To some the figures may seem odd and basic but to me they are a joy.It is like being reunited with old friends.Have a good Saturday wherever you are.

Hard times of old Tradgardland...

There are lean times in the Duchy of Tradgardland these days. The Duke's coffers are nearly empty and he has wracked his brains with regard to how to get his hands upon some coin. After many late nights in the taverns of  Tradgardstadt,talking with characters of ill repute, a deal has been struck.News soon leaked out to the people who were shocked by that which he heard. Two regiments of Tradgardland  Miltia have been "loaned" for an indefinite time to another country far ,far away! The troops marched down to the waiting galley fleet through the sobbing crowds.Old men spat at the mere mention of the Duke's name.Wives wondered if they would ever see their loved ones again.For one and all knew that the men were destined for a country of ill repute-Borduria.
Tradgardlanders as mercenaries,whatever next.
The troops sail with the tide.
to be continued

Whats on the painting table today?

Morning all,Saturday at last-huzzah! Quick quiz question what am I painting today? Scale,manufacturer and unit if you want to answer...

Span Am1898 big board portable wargame preparations.

This morning I went uptown and printed off Bob's Big Board rules.I saw fascinating paper sculptures at the library and had coffee with my wife followed by a browse in Waterstons. The afternoon saw me getting out my old battered Frei Korp 15s and setting to work upon them.They are brittle and many need superglued to get them ready.Firstly theSpanish-

Then the American and Cuban allies were tackled.Having spent ages on a  base I clumsily let it fall and shatter into many pieces. Here are the Americans-

complete with dynamite gun,machine gun and dismounted Rough Riders.
I now need cloth,card or paper to rule grids upon and then the game may begin-can't wait.

Mythical Earth- warning this contains nostalgia!

Morning all!
I am starting on my quest to raise some Minifigs Mythical Earth figures ( I
blame that forthcoming film...) once more.I have some about to come from afar
and am asking you all in case you have the odd fellow lying about unwanted.
I would like to begin to rebuild my forces of circa 1976.

These chaps of mine could do with some company  so rake hard and let me know what you can spare.

I never did them painting justice all those years ago and I would like to make it up to them if I could.We were so keen to play that they took the field ( carried lovingly in one of my father's empty Van Heusen shirt boxes) with a rough coat of paint and a few details highlighted.Worst were the wee trolls in a pinkish shade.Those were the ones who tuned to stone in daylight in a battle or two and became hard cover to defend! I was rather envious of the splendidly painted armies in use at the South East of Scotland Wargames club at the time. I can't quite recall where all my figures went in many house moves save to say they have been gone for ages.A shoebox, full to the brim,were used regularly in my student days to play Dungeons and Dragons and were left in an Edinburgh flat live din by my friend Tony and where the games were played  ( may be still there in a dark corner -loads of Uruk -Hai and lesser orcs too,enough for a splendid dungeon crawl...)from what I recall for some unknown reason.Whoa,that enough nostalgic wallowing for one day.Have a great Saturday one and all!

p.s apologies for odd font size/layout but either Blogger or myself is playing up terribly this morning!

I'm so excited...

Just booked my cinema tickets for THE HOBBIT for 15/12/12 online this evening.I can't wait!

Portable wargaming advances...some ideas and pictures

Just a brief update on my activities today. Firstly I found the hobbits hidden away in the garden shed/room.They are now primed and ready for painting.Secondly a photo of their potential portable wargaming opponents-

They are 10mm Pendraken wargs and goblin riders mounted on pennies.I intend to use 2 figures per unit/square to assist with casualty removal  as well as the fact it looks better. I have started to adapt/butcher the portable wargame rules for fantasy use.I have scribbled ideas in my moleskine book today.A work in progress this week during train journeys and walks to and from the station.
Finally I have resolved my dilemma of 3D hills in a gridded game-

I did not want to draw a grid on the hills as I wished to use them in non -gridded games so I achieved what I wanted with thread secured below the hill with masking tape.The two lines allow me to place/move the figures on a 3d hill without the need to add the threads at ninety degrees to the ones depicted. All in all I am pleased with what I achieved.As for blastof bridge ,it will have to wait until next weekend once I have figured the best way to set the river up on a 8x8 board.

North by North East...

Yesterday we took the car Northwards from the Duchy (over this splendid bridge which was the scene of fighting in 1639 at the start of the ecw) to Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen to allow Anna to attend their Open Day. I had come along for the ride and thought I would wander about whilst Anna and my wife had the tour.However I was most fortunate and was able to tag along with them.What followed was a very stimulating tour,chance to see student's work and chat with staff.It was fascinating even for one like me with zero artistic talent.Anna now has to weigh up the pros and cons   of which University to apply to...
Too tired at night to paint,so after downloading an ap,I was able to watch "Tis pity she's a whore" a  drama about the English civil War.It was one of the few times where I enjoyed everything but the battle scenes! Peter Capaldi was Charles I and it worked ,much to my initial surprise. I think I will stick with it and try episode 2 soon.
I have been searching for some 10mm hobbits (excitement regarding the forthcoming film is rising...) lost somewhere in my Lead Mountain but to no avail.I have been in the shed and everywhere else too.I have located their opponents in the shape of  wargs and goblin warg riders.It is my hope to try and get them up and running as a portable wargame adaption. Otherwise litttle actual gaming/painting this week but loads of thoughts and ideas.Scribbled notes lest I forget them adorn (deface?) my Dodo Pad...
I remain currently very taken by the idea of gridded wargaming and hope in around 9 days to get my wife to pick up felt for me and then help me grid it(bad English) as her "eye" transcends mine .I am thinking of 3 inch squares for my tabletop which can be used for many different periods including 18th century imagination games.
It is morning here with frost on the lawn and the sunne shining.I'm off for another coffee before the family rises .Have a good day one and all...