The new year begins in just over twelve hours here in Tradgardland. I have never liked new year, even as a youth. My mother ( who would have been 90 on the 28th and died in her 80th year) into her seventies would always “ See in” the new year even on her own. She would sit up watching tv with a sherry and a piece of shortbread. She came from a Leith family who loved new year parties, singing round the piano and celebrating. Her mother threw open the windows at midnight and observed First Footing religiously. I have not taken after her. I will be glad to go to bed , be woken by fireworks at midnight and then sleep my way into 2022.
Anyway onto the state of the nation address aka what’s on the workbench-
I bought far too much lead and paper in the past year, much remains unread or unpainted, not even out the box/packet. After midnight l intend to spend far, far less from the Ducal war chest. Some items are in the post but that’s it. Ha, we shall see how long that lasts!
Some lead I will get professionally painted, some I will endeavour to do myself.
I hope 2022 will have some face to face gaming once more, a continuation of being inspired by the blogs of others/ the VWC and perhaps shows to attend. Regardless I want to work away at restoring old unloved broken lead and some shiny new stuff too.
I too have never enjoyed New Year, too much insincere bonhomie; since marrying many years ago, it's been replaced by my wife's birthday on New Year's Eve (her father's being New Years Day).
ReplyDeleteOur family in the NE of England had the superstition of "first footing" with the first person through the door after midnight being dark haired and carrying a lump of coal....
Neil
So true re bonhomie, especially in my youth.
DeleteThank you for your very entertaining posts this year Alan! I wish you and yours all the best in 2022!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words and wishes.
DeleteA smorgasbord of items to paint (I see you succumbed to buying some Ratnik minis, I'm half way through painting mine :) )
ReplyDeleteThey are great figures , so full of character. I look forward to seeing them.
DeleteFor the first thirty odd years of my life Hogmanay was a major event celebrated with a large party at my mother's house.
ReplyDeleteBut things changed.
Frankly I don't know any Scotsmen who really like it. But then I don't know any who like whisky either!
However, please accept my very best wishes for an utterly fabulous New Year.
Ronnie
And to you, here’s to enjoyable gaming in 2022!
DeleteCan't be bothered with New Year either , the year has already turned on the 21st December and think its just another excuse for retail to wring more cash out of the populous .
ReplyDeleteA excellent point of view. Hope you enjoyed the Shortest Day.
DeleteGood to see you getting some paint on the mithmee figures - I really need to paint some more of mine
ReplyDeleteI’m glad I finally got them out the packet. They are great fun!
DeleteEnjoy your evening Alan, I do New Years in a similar way. Hoping for a better 2022.
ReplyDeletePeter
Indeed Peter!
DeleteI'm another one who isn't a fan of Hogmanay, even though as a Scot I'm meant to love it. I'll see it in quietly with a nice whisky and move onto a hopefully better 2022. I hope you have a good one!
ReplyDeleteHope you had an enjoyable dram to see it in. I was wakened by the most magnificent fireworks at 11:45 and saw the year in with the radio cricket.
DeleteReally do agree about New Year. It has always seemed crazy to me to start the New Year right in the depths of winter; used to hate going back to school in January after the Xmas holiday, cold, wet or snowy, and utterly bleak! We should start the New Year at the end of March as used to be the case, with spring in the offing. :-) Anyway, hope you have a good 2022 and that it is better for all of us than the somewhat challenging last few years...
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
David.
A plan I think re March.
DeleteReturn to school sounds horrible.
Ooh! Those colonial militiamen look good.
ReplyDeleteAs for New Years Eve, it’s something that I enjoyed when younger. We didn’t do first footing as such but we would always let the Old Year out if the back door and run round to the front to let the New Year in. Then my mum would stand outside chatting to the neighbours whilst the ships in Grimsby Docks would blast their horns. I still let the old out and the new in, and think I’ve passed that particular habit into my southern born son, who’s now up north.
A lovely custom which I am glad to hear is continuing in the next generation. The horns sound magnificent.
DeleteI'm clearly in good company here and I'll add my voice to the chorus of New Yearophobes, but then I hate Christmas as well😄 I hope you have a great 2022 anyhow Alan, and maybe even meet you if you can make The Woods in The Woods.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great to meet, fingers crossed.
DeleteWe live in the Pacific time zone, so we tend to celebrate New Years in Eastern Time (US) 3 hours early! With two young ones we usually find ourselves falling asleep by 10! Happy New Year Alan, and thanks for making this one a blessing for the rest of us with your posts and kindness!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I had three young ones under five once so I know what you mean.
DeleteFlagging by 10 - Happy New Year - I’m sure we’ll be awoken by fireworks at midnight!
ReplyDeleteThe space men look great in those colours.
Thanks re spacemen.
DeleteI was awoken by glorious fireworks at 11:45pm , don’t know from where but very near and very lovely.
I see you changed arm positions on the SF figures. It would have been good if the company made some with laser rifles.
ReplyDeleteI immersed them in boiling water. Removed them, bent the arms and plunged into cold water. It worked really well. Pistols have a more gunfighter vibe which I like.
DeleteI suspect the New Year grinchiness may be age related - I am a Scot and I had lots of fun drinking far too much, staying up all night, my mate playing the bagpipes up and down the street at 3am, while passing police cars flashed their blues and twos at us and gave a friendly wave in acknowledgement - but by the age of thirty, living in NZ and married with a child, (two more added later) I was pretty much over it. I feel the same about birthdays to be honest - I will be sixty in August this year and see no reason for celebration - I dont really want to be sixty, thanks all the same! Despite all this grumpiness, I hope you have a great 2022 and enjoy all your collecting, painting and gaming experiences!
ReplyDeleteInteresting take on age and New Year.
ReplyDeleteI became sixty weeks before the first lockdown here.l recall discussing Covid over my family meal early March with us all wondering what would happen. I got free bus travel @ sixty and bought a seniors rail card to travel more…
Sixty ain’t so bad honestly, as one who has been there.
Yeah I am sure you are right ....I suspect I won't feel much different when I am sixty two to how I feel now! I just really don't see any reason to treat forty, fifty or sixty like we are eighteen again!
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