Reading towards this-
Sounds like fun , what ?
Thursday, 30 June 2022
Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Midnight at the oasis, part the second
Set up a small skirmish with my Lamming Egyptians…
Monday, 27 June 2022
And now over to our highland correspondent Ronnie-
The Battle Of McHookie’s Croft
(With apologies to H G Wells)
Prologue
Morag McHookie had lived on the croft all her life. Since time immemorial, it had been known as Donald McDonald’s Croft after her late father and his father afore him, and his father afore him and.....well you know how it goes.
But one hot August night Morag entered into a common law marriage with Genghis McHookie, a (self proclaimed)successful travelling clod salesman.
Unfortunately Genghis had to leave Morag in the early hours of the following morning to attend an important meeting; after all, he was a very busy man. But Morag diligently commenced hernew spousal duties.
To many she was the perfect wife. She doted over the croft’s animals, grew potatoes (which were golden and wonderful) andkept a clean and tidy house. Yet every evening she found time to have Genghis’s dinner on the table ready for his return fromwork. And even though he’d failed to appear even once during the seventeen years since their marriage she kept faith that one day he would; he was ,of course, a very busy man.
To others, her heid was full of mince.
But Morag liked life to be quiet and predictable without interference from strangers
Which was just as well, because life on the croft was quiet and predictable and the presence of a stranger was.......well, strange.
Till the day the Redcoats came.
And the Highlanders.
And the Lowlanders.
And the French.
And the Irish (who wanted to be French but didn’t have the onions).
Oh, and a coach load from Manchester!
The Players
Government Forces
(Fat Boy) Cumberland
(Hangman) Hawley
3rd Foot 30 figures
13th Foot 30 figures
14th Foot 30 figures
21st Foot 30 figures
25th Foot 30 figures
Detachment of 43rd Foot 16 figures
Kerrs Dragoons 15 figures Georgia Scouts 8 figures
One 6pr gun
One 3pr gun
One Mortar
Jacobite Forces
His Most Glorious Excellency The Prince Charles Edward Stuart
(Dodgy George) Murray
MacDonald of Clanranald 20 figures
MacDonald of Keppoch 20 figures
MacDonnell of Glengarry 20 figures
Lewis Gordon 18 figures
Farquarsons 30 figures
Royal Ecossois 3o figures
Irish Brigade 12 figures
Manchester Regiment 18 figures
Prince’s Lifeguard 10 figures
Fitzjames Horse 4 figures
Bagots Hussars 4 figures
One 4pr Swedish gun (French crew)
One 3pr
One mortar (for fun)
The above was written by Ronnie as a backstory for our forthcoming game today. He has graciously agreed to write an after action account of the battle which will appear sometime later on the pages of this illustrious blog. The die is cast or will be later today!
P.S Apologies to Ronnie and other readers for the white rectangle. It is not a picture of the surrender flag from one of the armies but a technical issue of my own making and ignorance.
Interesting reads
This magazine has changed its name but retains interesting content-
An interesting book full of homecasting semi flat interest-
Sunday, 26 June 2022
Dettol
Uptown this morning I bought some Dettol to remove paint on my 40mm semi flat homecast figures. I carefully selected those to go into the pot , recorded them and their colour scheme by taking a photo and then poured the liquid in. In a few days they will be ready to scrub, rinse then paint.
Saturday, 25 June 2022
Boxing clever.
I have a coffee standing order which comes once a month. The boxes are most useful for storing figures-
I also wondered about using them as a game in a box. I was thinking of using them to store both sides in a particular period, enough for a game on the permanent Wargames set up. This would perhaps also have appropriate scenery and other bits n bobs. All I would do would be take the box off the shelf and play. Perhaps also the box might have a couple of dice, a4 sheet of rules and a measuring stick. First one to be worked on will be a 1920s where the Holy Roman Empire still exists and a plethora of little states fall in and out of alliances. In other words an excuse for 40mm semi flat fun.
Yesterday I was reading about the Reichswehr and it’s training. The training manuals encouraged cavalry to still use lances , in spite of WW1, until they were abolished in 1927..
Friday, 24 June 2022
Thursday, toys and TMS
Spent much of Thursday morning painting this Lamming retinue and Baron whist enjoying Test Match Special on the wireless.
Thursday, 23 June 2022
Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Game day
Set up a simple old school battlefield this morning- mat by Aldi, scenery by S and A scenics, felt from the local sewing shop and a wattle fence from Tidders.
Friends came over and we played with one of their collections of large 28mm dark age figures. An enjoyable game and plenty for time to chat over coffee and lunch in the garden.
A most pleasant way to spend much of the day.
Monday, 20 June 2022
Yesterday
Father’s Day was a busy and enjoyable one. After church my youngest treated me a most enjoyable brunch uptown in the City , as we now can call ourselves. A bus ride and accompanying dozing took me into the other City Edinburgh. This was another open day for the Mansfield Place Church-
https://www.mansfieldtraquair.org.uk/
A beautiful building, well worth a visit , you will be astounded by the beauty of it. Anyway one aspect of guiding l really enjoy is the conversations you have with the visitors. You have no idea where people are from or what their interests are , how much they know already and how in depth a tour they are looking for. All becomes evident quite quickly . It is a joy to meet them and share the place and artist with them be it for five minutes or half an hour plus. Time flew by and three point five hours had passed leaving me tired but with a sense of another interesting open day successfully accomplished. Open monthly but lots more in the coming Festival / Fringe in August.
Earlier in the day I had been given my presents-
Thoughtful gifts with something on the way too.
Yesterday evening saw me putting my feet up and watching Stranger Things enjoyably with my evening meal . A good day.
A couple of thoughts. I wonder if summer is best hobby wise to not be a time to commence big projects? With the garden calling and al fresco days l feel this is probably a time to potter hobby wise, trying to take a few things forward, finishing off and doing the manageable. What do others think?
Finally one of my favourite films is currently on BBC iPlayer- Let the Right One In. A Swedish movie atmospherically set in winter , it is well worth a watch.
Sunday, 19 June 2022
Saturday, 18 June 2022
Invasion!
The National Guard of Army Star Spangled have crossed the border into Maple Leaf Country. They are currently advancing through dense forest, preceded by skirmishers. Unbeknown to them a hastily gathered force of Yeomanry , stiffed by some Guards, awaits them..
Thursday, 16 June 2022
Neo retro news
Saw this today and thought you might find it interesting-
http://nstarmagazine.com/marks_little_soldiers.htm
I enjoyed the rationale and backstory very much indeed.
Trying out scenery
This afternoon I tried out some semi flat scenery and 40mm figures to see what the look of the thing was. The chalets are heavy lead homecasts, bought as such. I wanted to try a 3d grid effect. Interesting but hard to stand figures on. Maybe next stage is cardboard boxes or wooden blocks with grid marks on them rather than the felt cloth…
Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Pen etc.
Folk were asking about the pen I used to line the semi flats in the previous photo. Here it is-
I don’t know it’s provenance as it was one of my daughters who got it and left it lying about . I use it after painting but before the first coat of varnish, leaving it some time to dry. I have also successfully used it after the first coat of varnish but before the second. When using new paints or varnish I always experiment just to see how non runny it is, saves time in the long run.
Yesterday saw me helping out at a school trip for the first time since 2019. We didn’t go far but it was a lovely day enjoyed by all. I was on Loch beach patrol and watched in fascination at the artistry and civil engineering put in by the children to create such wonders as this-
Finally, although busy over the coming days, I am am of a mind to sort the below, clear the battlefield and set up a game. The dumping ground needs to be used for far more interesting things. I enjoy having a solo game on the go, leaving it, looking, pondering and then playing the next move…
Monday, 13 June 2022
Trying out uniforms
I was inspired by the forthcoming 30mm figures in my post of yesterday and got some 40mm semi flat Schneider homecasts out of the shed. They came to me cast in soft lead via EBay. They are probably from the 1920/30s. In between other things that needed my attention I began to paint them. I wanted to try out different paint colours for uniforms as they depict the forces of some tiny interwar imagination. They were fun to paint and I lined them with marker pens. Any uniform that you think is particularly successful?
Sunday, 12 June 2022
Perth
When walking around Perth I noticed this sign for the first time-
I was most intrigued by what it said especially the battle. I had never heard of it ! Later in the day I saw this painting and accompanying signage-
Further info here-
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09523369108713772?journalCode=fhsp20
Saturday, 11 June 2022
Exciting developments
Saw the below on Facebook and Instagram. I do hope Mark Copplestone won’t mind me giving this forthcoming range a plug-
Very exciting indeed , so many uses for The Portable Wargame, for Funny Little Wars and many more. I genuinely haven’t seen anything so fascinating on Wargames social media for ages. They remind me of my interwar 40 mm semi flats but being 30mm they would take up even less room on the table top. Can’t wait for these to become available, tell your friends, this is something special…
P.S the picture of the game (?) is so charming, l just want to see more and find out more…