Interesting video

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W9WVA9L5jow

Fascinating video about early wargaming and lots of lovely Elastolins on display…

Recommendations sought

 Currently in bed with flu like symptoms ( had the jag so hoped l would be fine) and am looking for suggestions for Wargaming Podcasts to listen too, preferably not too heavy and a bit old schooly would be just the ticket. Thanks in advance!

The Governor

 Here is the Governor of North Tradgardland -

Suggestions for a name for him most welcome…

He has been looking with great interest at these paintings from the Castle that forms his residence -

What is he thinking or planning? Your guess is as good as mine…

Sunshine on Leith

 Had an enjoyable wander about Leith yesterday with some of the family.Train to Haymarket, Tram to The Shore then brunch . I will let the photos speak for themselves. The area reminds me of København especially the new housing.

When two tribes go to warre

 With forthcoming hostilities with the Duke of Albion just around the corner l thought l ought to get some command figures ready for the battle-

To the left is Duke Erik, Duke of East Tradgardland, influenced in military fashion by Russia.

To the right is Duke Karl, Duke of West Tradgardland, influenced in military fashion by the Kingdom of Sweden. He is accompanied by his beloved hound Dorey.

Whilst the forthcoming battle has brought these two men together in order to defend greater Tradgardland , they may fall out again in the future and civil war remains a potentially. Only time will tell…

Forgotten sons ( of wargaming)

 I’ve been reading through Charge! recently and was intrigued by this passage-

I had heard of Captain Sachs’s gaming - 

http://vintagewargaming.blogspot.com/2009/04/captain-sachs-early-pioneer.html and 

http://www.wargaming.co/recreation/details/ewvol1.htm

However WG Holmes was new to me. I am intrigued by the line that refers to his buildings and his use of  54mm figures in his gaming . Can anyone enlighten us about this forgotten son of the hobby?

26/1/91

                          Married this day in 1991. It was a cold but very bright day. A happy day.

Medieval bee keepers

 Worked on some medieval bee keepers today-

28 mm figures by Midlam Miniatures. For some background reading-

https://www.medievalists.net/2015/06/medieval-beekeeping/

And by Bruegel-

Rules question

 What rules do you use to fight the Jacobite Wars? Recommendations welcome…

Wild night weather wise here in the Duchy. It continues…

Black Dog Thwarting

 In order to thwart the Black Dog I did some basing this afternoon-

Just the thing, little creativity but something useful done. I so like the exuberant animation of these two handed axe men.

As I like the look of thicker bases l had to glue one base upon the top of another prior to adding the figures.

That’s me used up all the bases l have and will therefore need to re order in the coming weeks…

P.S l was sent a very interesting one page set of rules for the syw ( written by Phil Robinson) today . They were written with flats in mind. I very much look forward to adapting, or trying to adapt them , for use with my ancients.

That was the half week that was.

 My hand has responded well to the antibiotics so far, might need another course but reviewing things in the coming days. I might try a little hobby stuff later today. Otherwise-

Yesterday saw Ronnie and I at a day of talks lain on by the folk at https://www.falkirkmuir1746.scot/

A interesting mix of speakers ensured that there was much to think about and much to talk about too. Lots to look up . I was particularly taken by a talk by an archaeologist on Falkirk in 1746 and one by Hugh Cheape on Gaelic poetry and culture as examples of other views and voices on the battle of Falkirk Muir.

Friday saw me beginning to come to grips with the new ACW rules we are using. They are beginning to fall into place giving an enjoyable experience with less chat. They could definitely be a way forward for the gaming of the period.

Wednesday Thursday saw me doing not a lot. I really enjoyed discovering/rediscovering , can’t recall which , some episodes of the ITV Hornblower series from way back when. A particularly enjoyable episode involved invading France with French Royalists and British Redcoats. Fun to watch , and an enjoyable way to spend time when under the weather.

Pause

 It is very cold currently in the Duchy, colder than I have known it for sometime. I was out very briefly this morning-

Beautiful under the heavy frost. It is not to last many more days…

In other news little is happening on the hobby front. I have eczema and managed to get an infection into my left hand. It went swollen and very painful quickly and I am glad I got antibiotics when I did. The result is I am not really able to paint or kitbash currently. Hopefully this will change over the next few days. I got the Turnip 28 rules printed and am reading them.

In other news due my my vacillating l was too late to get on a course this term. They were full sadly. A bit of a disappointment but there it is. I am thinking what to do with the extra time..

Finally with Charge games coming up and noting the current events in Denmark l wonder if it is time for a new ruler for 18th Century Tradgardland…

Year of the French

 2023 saw me completing my long planed but never completed later 15th Century French army. Ages ago I started it using metal figures, got so far with the painting and then sold it. However this time I completed the army. It  was something that gave me a great sense of achievement. Mainly composed of  Perry Plastics with some metal figures too , the army looks suitably spectacular on the table. They lost to the Burgundians in their first outing but a rematch is planned for the near future. As ever we will be using DBM . 

However I would like them to be part of my solo gaming too. So,it was off to the Ducal library yesterday and with the aid of a rickety library ladder I found the volume I had been looking for-

Much read and enjoyed over the years it is about time for it to be used. So finding the size for a unit, according to the author , for 28mm figures ( 120mm by 80mm in total area) l cut out pieces of paper to try and see how it would look on the table. I then added my French bases to it -

Firstly the archers. They come in two flavours - Ordonnance who are efficient troops and Franc Archers who had a very poor contemporary reputation. 

Secondly Towns people, mercenaries etc with pointy sticks and halberds. They are heavy infantry.

The artillery train , two bases locked the part together.

Finally the heavy armoured Ordonnance cavalry, with more banners than in a Ridley Scott movie!

These will serve well using Neil Thomas rules. Now a wee think about the opposition…

Terrariums

 An enjoyable time spent Saturday afternoon-

Followed by another splendid meeting of the Virtual Wargamers club…

All too much , with apologies to Steve Hillage

 Sometimes I am almost overwhelmed by modern wargaming, especially when coming to new rules. Friday saw us playing ACW and trying to learn new rules . Although it is only a matter of weeks since the last game I have forgotten everything, well a lot anyway. 

The table does look good with the troops arrayed in brigade formation.

The side table with charts, rules , dice, casualty markers , so much to keep track of.

An aerial view.  I found myself saying out loud to my friends something about oh for some Don Featherstone rules. They just looked. 

So much time spent, flicking through charts, finding factors, playing the rules not the period, endless discussion and delay. Perhaps it is me or the time of year or what.

P.O

 I was putting the milk bottles out when l noticed a parcel had been slipped behind a plant pot by the P.O. It was small and easily missed by me and was now rather damp. It was a wee EBay purchase-

Thankfully the figures were not damaged by low temperatures and rain. I got some nicely painted sailors for a very reasonable price. The other lot intrigued me-

They were semi flat French ! I have never seen them before and was keen to get some. All will serve well in my gaming.

Kitbash

 Kitbashing this afternoon and music to accompany it…

Ice etc

The day started badly. I went out before 09:00 to buy cards and ended up falling on black ice. Fortunately l did  little damage (apart from to my dignity ) to myself but went home immediately to change , feeling rather shaken by things. More shaken than l cared to admit to myself l sat quietly drinking tea for some time.I hate black ice having knocked myself out for a few seconds on some early one morning over twenty years ago on my way to work. I never really regained confidence ( if I had any in the first place) after that.

Anyway G came over with  laptops, monitor etc . The idea was to have a go at Ardennes a board game but played on a computer- 

We were really just trying to get our head round it but I have to say I was rather impressed. The information was presented well visually and I  found it both fascinating and challenging.

We will definitely continue with this.

The other night I started watching Hornblower  from episode one and am quite enjoying it . Master and Commander it ain’t but diverting nevertheless.

Manoeuvres

 40mm semi flat, cavalry, tanks, artillery and infantry on Manoeuvres.

P.S any newish readers might enjoy following the HRE label on this blog post to get a feel for some things l am doing with semi flats, alternative history and toy soldiers…

http://tradgardland.blogspot.com/search/label/HRE