I'm back..

Back Sunday evening after a fantastic weekend.Up and off to work soon so more pictures and tales anon.I the meantime a few taster photos-

I'm off...

Off to work soon, then a quick turn around and flying down to Gatwick. Army Red/White (Switzerland 1914) are in transit already.I am looking forward to celebrating 100 years of Little Wars in the company of others. Funnylittle wars here we come!

In the Guild-master's Study or matters artistic and arcane...

The two gentlemen cross the threshold and are met with a painting of great size and strange details-

They are informed that it portrays a former Guild -master  ( the one responsible for the ill fated introduction of carrier hares) painted as a hare.They are also asked ,as they wait upon the current Guild-master , to study the painting closely as it contains secrets and enlightenment.

Re Poll

As the poll appears to be as much use as a chocolate teapot could I ask you to leave a comment here making a choice of options as per the poll.Sorry for all the hassle this is turning out to be.
Thanks
Alan

Not long now...

Confusion re Poll

When I went to bed I noticed around 7 of you had voted.Now the Poll says only 1 vote,I am most confused,Blogger moves in mysterious ways at time! Finally -

  A Happy St George's Day to one and all!
                                               

In the Guild Master's Study...over to you dear reader

Please vote in the poll on the left for what you wish to happen next in the story.
I want your input,combined with my own ,to tell an exciting and diverting tale.

Visitors to the Guild of St Hermes...

The Guild of St Hermes has its headquarters in a rather run-down area of Tradgardstadt. The shabby door onto the grubby street prepares no one for the glories (albeit faded and tatty around the edges) that lie within. The fresco paintings of a winged messenger flying over the Duchy of Tradgardland dominate the main room. Executed in the very best Baroque style by a fashionable, if disreputable, painter of unknown origins this visual display hammers home for all to see just how self important the guild members are- at least in their own eyes. 
Two gentlemen have arranged to meet on the door step of the Guild Headquarters.They are recent visitors to the Duchy of Tradgardland( from Wolfstein and Humperstein) and have become firm friends.They have become intrigued by their strange encounters of late and have decided to try and discover more...

Many felt it was somewhat strange,if not heretical ,to have a pagan god as a patron saint but the Guild Master and members just accepted it as a sign of continuity and of the divine nature of their work. The Guild were responsible for all licensed message carriers, be they on foot, horse or even boat. They held a monopoly with regard to the breeding, maintaining and usage of carrier pigeons not to mention the ill –fated attempt to organise carrier hares some years ago…
As  a strange encounter took place in the Grotto of  Mercury (the statue gifted by the Guild in memory of  deceased members) the Headquarters seemed to be a good place to begin to try and solve the mystery.The gentlemen open the door and go in and inquire of a clerk if the Guild Master is at home. Without a word they are beckoned to follow and are shown into the Guild Master's study...

In the Grotto of Mercury or Arrivals and Departures in Tradgardland

A new visitor to The Duchy of Tradgardland,from Wolfstein, presents his compliments to the Bordurian Ambassador in the Grotto of Mercury. The Bordurian seems flustered by events going on in his proximity and tries to distract the Wolfsteiner by initiating  a discussion on the finer points of Real tennis but to no avail.

There, in the Grotto, are some rough Bordurian fellows dragging a strange figure further into the trees.The figure seems frightened as he is bound and gagged and  taken away...

The Bordurian Ambassador makes his excuses and follows his fellow countrymen into the trees.The visitor from Wolfstein looks perplexed and heads off in the opposite direction...

Anyone know the answer?

As  part of my embryonic 40mm 18th Century Project I have been looking at books for French Regiments to paint up .I have resisted the temptation for the famous and  I  decided to go with a "bottom up" approach to things and have been looking at the Milices Bourgeoises and their uniforms.These units took to the field when the enemy were nearby or to defend their town in the case of sieges. What I cannot seem to find out is if they carried standards or not.If they did can any of you shed some light upon this and give me examples of what the standards looked like?

A few hours later At Schloss Thun

In the grounds of the castle, which dominates the whole of Thun, Duke Albert of Tradgardland converses with General Really -Constant and his chaplain Fr Chantry-Pigg.The Duke has been offered a place on the General's Staff for the forthcoming battles at the Centenary jamboree.
He is keen to learn from such a modern army as that of Army Red/White but hopes also to interest them in the new fangled Pederson folding bicycle which has been adopted by the Tradgardland army.

Making connections : a visitor to Headquarters...

April 1913
General Really -Constant is sitting in his office in the picturesque yet practical castle in  which his headquarters are situated in.The castle dominates the town of Thun and from this location the General is getting ready to march south to the Centenary event.All is in order ( except for a couple of mules to finish) and Really-Constant takes some time to read over the rules of engagement written by that splendid English Padre...

His reading is interrupted by  his signals officer ( an enthusiastic Danish sailor who is still trying to liaise with the Navy Red/White but to little avail) who comes into the office with the news that His Grace  Duke Albert of Tradgardland is on the telephone and wishing to speak to the General in person.
To be continued...
I created the Duchy  of Tradgardland around six years ago as an 18th century imagination.I have really enjoyed the time spent with it.From the beginning the enemy was The Imperium aka the Austro-Hungarian Empire in general and their forces in the Netherlands in particular- just a stones throw away from the Duchy. As my other Funny Little Wars Army is Army White aka The Imperium I thought I could perhaps bring my ideas together in some way and this may be part of it...

The postman cometh...

There have been interesting packages each day this week waiting for me as I got home from work.Ambassadors from imaginations,recruits for my embryonic 40mm project,Staff for Army Red/White and this too-

I am a lucky chap indeed...
Off to the train now TTFN!

A visitor from Humperstein

Samwell Piepen,an ambassador from the neighbouring Duchy of Humperstein is reviewing the Changing of the Guard near the Ducal Palace in Tradgardland. He is accompanied by his new friend, Shredni Vastari, the ambassador from Borduria. They have much to talk about as they stroll together in the woods. A palace servant calls Vastari away to Court business leaving Samwell alone .Lost in a reverie of his own making he is startled by ethereal  pipe music and turns to see a figure emerging from the trees. Samwell can hardly believe his eyes.

Their eyes meet ,a certain sympathy is exchanged before the faun slips away ...

Busy times...

A busy day in the Duchy of Tradgardland. Read about it here...
http://armyredwhite.blogspot.co.uk/

40mm Casters sought...

Afternoon all!
I'm looking for someone to cast me ten hussars and ten other syw cavalry.Anyone preferably in theUK able to help? Goes without saying I am more than happy to pay for the figures,service&postage...
Thanks
Alan

Morat 1476/2013

This morning I return to work after the Easter hols.A busy but enjoyable time was had only diminished by the cold weather.Yesterday (Sunday) saw me working to prepare the shed/garden room/whatever  doors for painting and doing tasks in the freezing garden...
On Saturday at was over at my longtime wargames opponent's to try out his new wargames room for the first time.We used his two 15th century armies to refight the battle of Morat-

I commanded the Burgundians and here is a picture of my artillery in Morat.

Here are Phil's Swiss in action and their allies. It was a great game eventually ending in a Swiss victory after much ebbing and flowing. We used DBM ( better than I had remembered them to be - we haven't played ancients for ages...) which gave a fast paced and exciting game.

I will close now as I have a train to catch to work .Have a good Monday one and all!

The great push...

On Saturday 27th April Army Red/White (Switzerland circa 1914) will take to the battlefield for the first time.This will be part of the Centenary celebration for H G Wells Little Wars.A big push is necessary to get them organised.The figures are metal,54mm in size and definitely toy soldier in style.Those wanting to follow the ongoing work are welcome to pop by at-
http://armyredwhite.blogspot.co.uk/
Work on projects here will take a back seat for the next few weeks but will continue very soon...

In his library...

The Duke of Tradgardland has managed to slip away from his guests,members of the Ducal Court and sundry hangers-on.He has taken refuge in the library and can spend a few blissful moments in the company of his books. He is not even disturbed by the  smoke and bubbling noises pertaining to Mr Vastari in the next room.He begins by reading of matters practical and consults the old favourite "The Builder's Dictionary" with it's  definitions.Soon he tires of this and the thoughts it provokes  of the ever insistent Mr Pennytrowel the English architect with his myriad schemes each more outrageous than the next...
The Duke takes solace in bound journals  of the "Proceedings and natural musings of the Tradgardland Society vol 24" and finds an interesting article written by his ancestor of recent times-

Amongst the drawings his eye alights on a particular image  labelled number 15.He reads on ,oblivious to the calling of his name by his a respectful yet insistent servant.

Gardening and a Bordurian visitor...

It was sunny ,if cold in the Duchy today.My wife &I managed to get out into the garden- tidying up,moving rhubarb & blueberry bushes & a mature rosemary plant amongst other tasks.We also removed more turf from around the apple trees in order to help them to grow better hopefully-

I am pleased with my alpine planter which was planted up on Good Friday-

Some work was done on the cast of characters to inhabit the gardens of Tradgardland.I hope to assemble a variety of characters to interact,plot,scheme duel with each other.To this end an order was sent off to Front Rank for civilians to supplement  those I already have on the painting table...
May I present the first character- Ambassador Shredni Vastari of Borduria-

The ambassador is a guest of the Duke of Tradgardland's and makes a rather remote,preoccupied (perhaps by his hooka pipe and it's contents) and morose one at that. Perhaps it is something to do with the forthcoming visit of a representative from Syldavia expected at the Ducal court any day now...