The final countdown…

 Final briefing is held prior to the forthcoming manoeuvres. They begin tomorrow…

John Ruddle

 Wonderful link to John Ruddle’s garden gaming BBC footage-

https://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive/videos/406874286352274/

Railway- PLR

 I returned yesterday from an inspiring weekend away. 

This morning I found this useful blog post about setting up a garden railway-

https://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2022/03/a-beginners-guide-to-garden-railways.html

I have been thinking about my stalled railway over the winter and been making tentative plans. So welcome to the Penedredfel Light Railway, a small corner of Kernow here in Fife…

New recruits

 Picked these up recently for less than a pound a figure. They come with their factory paint job which will do for me very nicely. The top row might serve for 1838 but I am not certain. Any suggestions where to deploy them most welcome. The middle row( with another figure I have already) will make a unit for 1838 along with the Dorset 1830 marines I ordered making another. The bottom row will be added to my Albion  army of the late nineteenth century.

P.S I haven’t forgotten about the Borsetshire Manoeuvres but have not had the opportunity to game them yet. The Guards and their opponents have waited patiently in camp but the day is near…

Cramond Roman Fort, Edinburgh, some reading material…

 Looked out my Cramond  books-

The above is from “ A gathering of Eagles” by Gordon Marshall

Morning walk before breakfast today.

 

Guns across the River

 As I mentioned yesterday this book was waiting for me on my return from Edinburgh. As I began to read it and look at the maps and illustrations I was aware this was an excellent purchase. Written by Donald E Graves, it reads well and is well written. Someone has recommended his 1812 books to me too but I haven’t read any yet. The pictures are very well chosen and will aid my wee 54mm project along very nicely indeed…

A walk to Cramond 2- Romans!

 The Romans built a fort at Cramond . Very little is left. A fascinating piece of Roman monumental sculpture was found in the river in recent times. After my walk to Silverknowes I got a bus to the National Museum of Scotland to see the sculpture which resides there now.

On my return this was through the letter box waiting for me-

It looks a fascinating read as well as containing useful illustrations. 

A walk to Crammond 1

 I had a lovely walk to Crammond along the river having got the bus over first. I then walked along the front to Silverknowes.

Getting ready in Borsetshire

 The Volunteer units having arrived by train or bicycle are getting ready for the forthcoming manoeuvres . Amongst them are the 26th Middlesex with their bicycles and The Penny Hasset Rifle Volunteers in green.Already they are under scrutiny as they prepare to take on the Albion Guards…  

Travelling to Borsetshire.

 By train and by bicycle the Albion troops are making their way to the Annual Manoeuvres and Camp in the beautiful countryside. 

Albion Annual Manoeuvres in Borsetshire…

 The General Staff look on with interest as the Albion Guards are put through their paces prior to the annual camp and manoeuvres in Borsetshire. Guards officers look on and add an encouraging word or three. This year’s opposition in the coming manoeuvres will be some local volunteer units and others . Observers from throughout Europa will be present. The Guards are well aware of what is expected of them…

A road less traveled or the Petrie museum of Egyptology

 I came across this place mentioned in reading I was doing for a art history course ( which sadly was cancelled last term) about icons. It talked about the Roman period mummy covers as feeding into the influences on early icon painters. So I resolved to visit when in London. Last week gave me an opportunity.

Using my legendary , or infamous, or even non existent,map and sign reading skills l couldn’t  seem to find it. Eventually I asked a UCL employee for help and found it . It is a small, charmingly old school looking museum packed with fascinating exhibits. The person on the desk was very welcoming and there were only a few other folk in. Here are a few photos-

I would thoroughly recommend a visit, here is a link to the museum website-

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/petrie-museum

Pre Feudal Scots v Hiberno Norse

P & G came round for a game yesterday. We played a dark age skirmish using a heavily modified version of the DBV rules. It was just long enough since the last game for us to have forgotten the mechanisms. At our age years of gaming can confuse as you remember things that you are sure in the set you are currently playing but in fact are not there at all! DBV uses opposed dice throws for combat and shooting. One feature of the game was the inordinate amount of Ones v Sixes thrown, especially by one person. In the end my Scots won through. Good fun and good company. 

A very lazy photographer (me) couldn’t be bothered to remove the detritus of gaming before taking the pictures.

I was reflecting on whether it might be possible to play an ancients game with the aesthetic of Ross’s nineteenth century games from his Battle Games of the Month. I have had great fun using his Gathering of Hosts rules with my 25mm figures but hanker for some 54mm games set in the ancient period. A sort of Little wars, on a grid, in a small space with toy soldiers . I guess I need to have a think…

Memorials and Artworks

 These two memorials or artworks are to be found in Craiglockhart. One is to Wilfred Owen and the other to some aircrew who crashed here in WW2. Read the story here-

https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/day-bomber-crash-landed-craiglockhart-1684355