The Duchy of Tradgardland

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

Monday, 21 July 2025

Brigadier

I came across this recently-

https://tradgardland.blogspot.com/2021/04/revisiting-charge-rules-peter-young-and.html

It got me thinking again about Brigadier Peter Young. We know of his 18th century gaming via “ Charge” but what do we know of his 17th century ECW gaming? My link is to an old post about the Brigadier’s organisation for a ECW unit coming to us in diagrammatic form. Did he use Suren Willie figures for his armies. Were they ECW or perhaps his 18th Century imaginations back in the TYW ? Can anyone shine a light on this?

Train

The small halt was rather sad and neglected-

This was some days back . Yesterday the rain gave way to sun and l decided to go for it-

Laying the line out on the slabs to see where it will go in the border.

Weeding takes place and the wooden is lain in the border. The track will go on it.

Wood in border and track on it, just lain for now. The halt needs further attention.

At the corner of the slabs the track will go across the slabs making for the pond area. Need to do something about the corner!

View from inside. I am pleased to be taking it forward. Rain came and stopped play and continues this morning.

Some locals admire their. Work so far. That halt shelter really needs a bench in it !

Sunday, 20 July 2025

WW1 in plastic and 1/32 scale

Been working over the last few days on Italian and Austro Hungarian troops for WW1 in 1/32. The Italians are made by Waterloo 1815/ and are as they came out the box. The Austro Hungarians are Airfix Japanese with replacement metal heads.

Airfix Japanese being based and head replacement work.

Italian troops being based and painted.

Inspiration old and new.

Two eight man Italian units.

Austro Hungarian reserves and Schulzschuten in the foreground and Bosnians in the background. New heads have been ordered for the rest of the troops. I have also been working ( less successfully) on these-

Replacement head and masking tape to make armour.

He is based on a Funcken illustration-

Thursday, 17 July 2025

Manöver der weißen Armee

Army White are on manoeuvres today!

Army White show off the latest armour and infantry joint attacks.

Note use of machine gun company supporting the assault.

The first tank in Army White’s army has been named “ Federstein” by the men after the great pioneer of warfare.

View from the church tower of the assualt.

Armour and infantry enter the village.

The village is defended by artillery and machine guns.

Army White has learned much by their manoeuvres and await the coming campaign season against Army Red White…

Follow the link below for some inspiration-

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5EYX8l-OJqE

Two in a row

On Monday friends came round to play this Seelowe set scenario -

I umpired and we used Second Edition Bolt Action. A few game photos-

The Home Guard defend the road block. Red dice is number of pins btw.

German paratroopers move through the woods…

A Home Guard Smith gun is deployed beside the village post office.

Section number one takes heavy casualties but returns fire.

The road block has few left to defend it now.

The end of game when a German section assaulted the roadblock. All in all an enjoyable game.

Yesterday saw a return to the Continuation War when one of Monday’s gamers returned for a board game, the other chap doesn’t like them.

Game set up and a coffee break taken.

Whilst at coffee in the garden my opponent saw this chap on a neighbour’s roof. Five minutes later there was a commotion in the tree by the pond and the aforementioned bird flee by us with lunch in his talons in the form of a small bird. Quite a sight.

The game was complicated and needless to say we didn’t finish it. It is more challenging than the other game set in the same period. Activation is by drawing chits from a cup. Each chit is a command, The Russians have four whilst my Axis has fourteen! I seemed to be constantly activated with little time to think. All in all a good if challenging simulation.

During the game the postman arrived with a parcel for me…