New recruits

 These arrived today bought on eBay. New recruits for my Minifigs Napoleonic set up.

Old guard and dragoons in the uniform l am very partial to since l had a Historex figure in it as a teenager.

Infantry in great coats.

All in all delighted with additions. Will varnish tomorrow, paint the bases and get on the tabletop for a game.

Plans hobby and otherwise

 Next month sees a family wedding where l will be father of the bride. It has been a roller coaster of emotions and plans for us all but we are getting there. I also have been thinking of what l feel like doing hobby wise currently.

On a bus on Friday in the midst of thunder , lightning and torrential rain. It was quite something. The return journey at one point was through a flooded road. Awful and unseasonably vile.

Finally after months of trying got shoes! My foot is collapsing and l need insoles. Nothing seems to fit but finally got something that fits, is comfortable and also acceptable to my daughters. As one who doesn’t drive l rely on walking…

A strange sighting.

June’s swim in a choppy sea.

Coffee and pastry at a favourite cafe

Lovely walk along the back braes.

Reading an old favourite for the coming games…

Scotland finally out of the World Cup.

Repurposing some old awi Minifigs.

Colourful corner of the garden.

Some estate workers, townspeople and game keepers/ hunters/ marksmen await the French invaders who have landed…

I will dice to see their reaction upon encountering the French,🇫🇷. Will they fight, flee or embrace their liberators ? We will see. Portable Napoleonic Wargame coming very soon…

Visitors

 

A day of two halves

 Yesterday morning l accompanied a class to East End Park for a class trip. It was a numeracy focused visit but the reality was much broader. It was a fascinating behind the scenes tour of a football ground through the medium of numeracy. We went pitchside, the club shop , dressing room and more and did some challenges in each. For example we measured the pitch width with tapes. All in all the visit was very interesting and enjoyable for everyone inspite of the gruelling heat.

Later on daughter number two and l watched Scotland v Brazil. Not an easy watch to say the very least.

A day of two halves indeed! I am finding the heat oppressive and look forward to it cooling in the next few days. It is a battle to keep cool and hydrated. Too much. I hope you and yours are navigating it all well.

Anyone recognise this figure?

 This Sean Bean figure was in with the sailors, anyone recognise the make?

I ask so l could perhaps buy some riflemen to go with this officer.

Or perhaps rather than SB he could someone else

Loyal Masonic Volunteer Rifle Corps / Manchester and Salford Independent Rifle Regiment / Manchester and Salford Rifle Corps / Royal Manchester Riflemen 

Lieut Col Comm Joseph Hanson (wrongly, Handson), Lieut Col Comm Samuel Taylor. Date of earliest commissions 9 August 1803. A prosperous cloth merchant with no previous military experience, Hanson vigorously promoted the organisation of his rifle corps in 1803 in the face of opposition by established volunteer officers such as Ackers, though the original “Masonic” title was soon dropped. Hanson’s dispute with John Leigh Philips is outlined above, but in a pamphlet of late 1805 he again courted controversy by his fierce criticisms of “independent”, or self-supporting, volunteers. In December 1807 he resigned his command of the Rifle Corps, and launched himself into radical politics and petitions for peace. In 1809 he was arrested, on unreliable evidence, for his role in a large meeting of weavers at St George’s Fields, Manchester, tried and jailed for six months. After a period of declining ill health, he died in 1811.

The Rifle Regiment was apparently disbanded in early 1808.

This corps originated in a modest resolution at a meeting of 15 July 1803 to form an “Independent Company of Volunteer Riflemen”. By the time of his proposal of 31 July, Hanson’s offer was to raise “four companies of riflemen to serve in the first instance in the towns and neighbourhood of Manchester and Salford and in case of invasion, in any part of Great Britain.” By late August the offer had been augmented, to include two additional companies of riflemen.

Hanson’s original proposal included: “the Corps to find their own clothes, accoutrements &c.” Willson’s chart gives green faced black, black officer’s lace, green pantaloons. Aston’s Guide noted “handsome uniforms of dark green and … rifle guns and sabres.”

Might work for  Hanson? Hmmmm

Father’s Day

 Belated Father’s Day greetings to one and all. The sun was out early.

Day began with a read and coffee in the garden and opening of my Father’s Day purchase.

28mm Tlingit from Eureka, 24 figures, Beautiful sculpts. They will provide skitmish opponents for my naval landing crews. Recently l have become fascinated by the story of George Vancouver. 

Inspiring walk church ward bound. Dappled shade along the old railway line.

The pizza oven set up , it wasn’t out last year. Need to remedy that situation…

Gifts from the family. They had heard me enthusing about this camera ages ago but l was completely taken aback to receive it. Book choice mine , looking forward to reading it. Can’t go wrong with M and. S biscuits imho. 

The gangs all here.

The oven made some lovely pizzas aided and abetted by everyone who manned the oven fires and made the food.

A grand alfresco day.

A picture of the cake made by my eldest daughter, it was as tasty as it looks.

Village people etc

 

A visitor to Portharthur shares the time of day with a local fisherman.

The local policeman looks at the closed shop with a mix of grave concern and puzzlement.

Another busy train leaves on time for Penedredfel.

An abandoned boat provides interest in an otherwise deserted village early in the morning.

After a busy morning yesterday in the garden time to sit with coffee and the Test.

Currently on the painting table ,some naval gun crews and landing parties. They will be used with my 1790s collection as well as for the navy in the 1745.

Notes: thanks to Colin for the sailors, a welcome gift finally getting round to be used. Thanks too to M of T Mark for painting these lovely figures ( policeman and sailor with kit bag) as a present for me ages ago. Finally got round to varnishing them yesterday. They have taken their rightful place on the PLR finally.