Uptown

We went uptown for a coffee and a wee look in the Charity Shops- something I had not done since March. Bought a couple of books, the girls bought some clothes and I came home via WH Smith hence the magazine. I buy very  few glossies but this looked interesting .

Afternoon saw us preparing  and sorting the glass recycling and carrying some to the bottle bank.

Thanks

                                           Thanks for your kind words, thoughts and prayers.

Jan

Tomorrow, Sunday 30th August, will see the fifth anniversary of Jan’s death. During the the week my  oldest daughter found this whilst sorting out a linen drawer-

It is a 17th Century Scottish flag which she painted as a backdrop to a display game put on many, many years ago at Claymore. It was of the Battle of Winwick Pass , Preston Campaign 1648 and was put on by Gruber, Olley and Williams.

Jan encouraged my hobby ( she was a bit sus about fantasy gaming and felt I bought a tad too much lead but realised that a hobby is a good thing to have ) and was a wonderful wife and mother. Sadly missed.

So in her memory I am sharing pictures  of the flag once more.

Charity shop find

This charity shop ( of ages ago)  find emerged from a pile of books I was sorting at the weekend. I am posting pictures of it as it has an interesting map and illustrations  in it. It is a book of its time and initially I wasn’t sure about buying it. Eventually I bought it to give to the Charity, so some good came from it.

Forty mil moving forward...

Landsknechts and dismounted cavalrymen moving forward, based and almost completed-

 Pike block with two handed swordsman out in front and wings of arquebusiers on either flank.

Elastolin mortar/cannon which actually fires. Arquebusiers using rock for cover and about to scout ahead. Below:An aerial view with dismounted cavalry at the back.

Peasants undercoated and ready for painting over the next few days...

40mm figures advancing on two fronts...

My forty millimetre figures are advancing on two fronts. Firstly the 1549 Western Rising and secondly the German Peasants War. Makes practical and economic sense to collection a core for both with a few specific figures for each one. Here is some background reading-

Every game needs a personality to hang the narrative upon. I am lucky with such a person in the shape of Gotz Von Berlichingen! I first encountered him as a boy in the Elastolin catalogue and was fascinated by his iron hand too. He is a larger than life figure who is fascinating to read about. I have a figure of him( see below) and here are a few pictures of his hand and article about him.

Quick quiz question answer

I was was working on standing infantry bases in the picture yesterday.

Downloadable from here-

http://www.wrg.me.uk/WRG.net/History/OLDWRG/InfantryAction.pdf

Really enjoyed my games in my teens with these. Airfix figures and vehicles fighting over ruined town and harbour with beach big Bellona vacuum formed battlefield. Well worth a look still .

A smaller manufacturer- Doug Miller 1525.

Here is another excellent manufacturer, in this case of 40mm figures, well worth supporting.

https://1525miniatures.net/about/

Here is the cardboard box the figures come in and the set unboxed.

Beautifully made figures, compatible with Elastolin 40mm and others, which are a joy to paint. Not only is Doug a great author and manufacturer but he is also a great person to deal with. Email enquires and orders are swiftly and efficiently dealt with. Pop over to his site and have a look...

Quick quiz question

I was cutting out bases from card yesterday-

Which rules base figures on a base like this ? Answer tomorrow if no one gets it.

Emperor v Elector who’s who

I began blogging by being invited by Blue Bear Jeff to join an online community of imaginations set in the 18th Century. Through E v E blog we interacted , fought out campaigns and exchanged diplomatic messages. Many folk well known in the hobby were involved. We told tales on our blogs too and had a terrific time.
Tidders has curated the who’s who where one can get a snap shot of an imaginary Europa of the mid 18th Century. Here is a link
https://sites.google.com/site/evewhoswho/
Do pop by and read the 4th edition. It is a journey to a wonderfully creative place that still engages many. Thanks Tidders for this and your continuing inspiration. Finally I couldn’t resist posting a link to the Duchy of Tradgardland page-
https://sites.google.com/site/evewhoswho/tragardland

Supporting small businesses at this strange time

Mark,man of tin posted a very thought provoking pair of  posts recently
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/20/support-the-smaller-figure-companies-early-war-miniatures-1940-range/
https://manoftinblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/09/support-smaller-figure-companies-annie-norman-and-bad-squiddo-pigeoneers-of-ww2/
about giving business to smaller figures companies. It made me think and I urge you to pop over and have a read.
I decided to support Early War Miniatures and buy a Platoon of Chasseurs Ardennais ( plus 47mm anti tank gun) for ww2 platoon gaming. I look forward to receiving them and painting them up.

Stalled!

The garden railway project has stalled. Buildings begun, track traced on the ground and people half painted. Not to mention the rail cars in their packages awaiting making. I am not sure why this is. On mulling it over I feel I have read too much, done too little, am weary from these strange days,have been put off by the weather and have come up with no overarching backstory. Half completed buildings and people rebuke me from the shed. Loads of books and magazines remind me of what I have not done. I am not sure where to go next. A great drive during forward in September or mothballing till the Spring ( real and metaphorical) comes. Any thoughts?

40mm work in progress...

Bow and arquebus, getting it right in simple rules

Been reading around the subject of bows and guns in the sixteenth century yesterday whilst waiting in for a boiler repair man ( not a bicycle repair man ha, ha) who didn’t turn up. As part of my 1549 project I was thinking what difference there would be between these weapons in rules. I looked at a number - George Gush, dba,dbm, rough wooing etc as well as reading historical accounts.
With my focus being as narrow, ie Tudor Rebellion in the West Country in 1549 I wanted to show the differences, the positives and negatives, the quirks of these two weapons but in a simple way . Any suggestions as to rate of fire, comparative ranges and effects?

Converting and basing for 1549 in 40mm

Today I have been doing some background reading for my Landsknechts in Devon project . As well as that I have been working on converting some figures-

With the 40mm figures above I have used some bows and arrow bags from a Perry Miniatures late Medieval sprue. I think they do look in case so far but the proof will be in the finished items when painted.

I based and textured the Landsknechts etc and here they are drying.

The Helion book is a compelling and fascinating read and I would recommend it to those interested in 16th Century history and warfare. Helion are producing some excellent books ( and have done so for some time ) and are deserving of our support.

Tv times

Recently I ran a post about films and wargaming, to the enjoyment of many I think. Today I am asking what television has most influenced your gaming? Firstly when growing up and secondly as an adult?

Who makes 40mm Tudors?

Tried online to find a manufacturer of 40mm Tudor bowmen in vain. Can you help?

Pikes!

Looked out the 40mm figures today, removing their halberds and replaced them with wire pikes. Nothing glued in,still thinking.

I think they work well as a pike block. Also looked out 50mm square base but it proved too small , will try 60mm tomorrow.

You are a robbing hood...

From Genesis “Selling England ...”  and the track “Battle of Epping Forest”
These arrived today-

 The above are Little John ( the last version of him was minus a face so it is good to see his) an unidentified chap and Robin Hood. These fit in well with those I have already.
The figures below are much smaller. However it is good to have some bowmen as well as quarter staff men. The quarter staff chap is Kellogg’s and I am intrigued by the lute equipped minstrel. I am looking forward to working on these figures...

Inspiration old and new

When I moved years ago I had to get rid of loads of wargaming magazines etc. This was due to space considerations. I did keep two bound volumes of Miniature Wargames. One mainly for the article below “Landsknechts in Devon”  an evocative title if ever I heard one. Now Helion have brought a new book out about the period. Sounds like a call to arms! Probably 40mm using “Rough Wooing “ now time to wait for the Helion book to come and have a wee think. Autumn plans may be coming together...

Two film questions...

Which film has given you the greatest sense of another time and which has influenced your gaming most?

Some gaming today...

My regular Zoom dba Friday came was cancelled due the umpire’s health not being up to it. So I set up some Fencing skirmishes  with 60mm figures and the Portable Wargame with 20mms-

Not really feeling it at all but trying to get my enthusiasm back.

Recasts and Originals.

Busy day here but eventually managed to work on these new arrivals later this afternoon-

Some swashbuckling coming soon...

Hard times may lessen

Even more Hard Times...

 

Peter Cushing and his figures

Tony has posted some pictures of Peter Cushing and his figures here-
http://tonystoysoldiers.blogspot.com/2020/08/peter-cushing-and-toy-soldiers.html#comment-form
I don’t recall having seen some of these before and it is well worth popping over for a look. I would be interested in what readers think of these two questions-
Did Peter use the rules to game or are they posed photos?
What makes are the figures?
Did he have links/ contact with other wargamers of the time?
I will be interested in your thoughts...

Now That’s what I call Vikings

I recall seeing Vikings as a boy in Niels M Saxtorph’s “Warriors and Weapons of Early Times” -

I was fascinated when I saw that my Elastolin figures looked just like Vikings in the above picture. The same poses too! Yes , I know we all know what Vikings didn’t wear on their heads but sometimes you can’t resist an Old Vikings figure with horned or winged helmets! I couldn’t and snapped up these Cherilea figures which arrived today. I am posting pictures of them along with some inspiration for the forthcoming renovation and painting-

Further Hard Times for Old England