Sunday 31 July 2022

Kate Bush

 I spent a most enjoyable two hours last night watching tv in the company of my youngest. The first hour was a compilation of Kate Bush performances at the BBC and the second hour was a documentary. Time passed in a flash. Well worth seeking out both programmes on BBC iPlayer.

I listened to Kate Bush in my youth and I certainly am going to revisit her music, especially the later material I am less familiar with, via Spotify.  Why not treat yourself to her wonderful music this weekend…

Saturday 30 July 2022

A game and some craft

 Was over at P’s today , first session of our current ACW game-

My troops moving to out flank the enemy.
Enemy skirmishers in the woods awaiting my fellow general’s advance …
Confidently marching down the road with a picture below of the battle in the cornfield.

Also I saw another post box topper. I had seen one locally and saw another today in Linlithgow. No idea who makes them but they look terrific-




Friday 29 July 2022

1926 Interlude- neunundneunzig rote husaren

 Lilli goes over to the gramophone and puts on a record. 



As usual she chooses her favourite “Neunundneunzig Rote Husaren” by Nena and her band. 

As the music plays Lilli flicks through Herr Schneider’s catalogue and finds the figure she is looking for- 

She will get her father and brother to go with her on Saturday to the shop where she will buy the mould and the all important red paint. Meanwhile she looks across and sees the book her uncle sent from England-


Essential reading before Saturday and the coming game next week. Lilli closes her eyes listens to the music and dreams of horsemen riding through the cobbled streets…


 

Thursday 28 July 2022

Ideas please

 Found these eight figures in identical uniforms today. Looking for ideas for what they could represent on the tabletop ? Possibly Landwehr or Landstrumm? All suggestions welcome.

Army Blue or Army Light Blue, not sure yet…
Looked out this book below for inspiration-


Well over to you - what unit are they and what is their uniform?




Wednesday 27 July 2022

40mm semi flat Twenties imaginations

 Been working the last couple of days on my 40 mm figures. I want to get some finished in order to set up a few games. The light blue uniforms are inspired by Bavarian uniforms of 1914 whilst the dark blue ones are inspired by Wurttemberg also from 1914. The jaegers are in green or light blue with green cuffs and collar.





The figures are a mix of sizes, makers and types, it doesn’t matter , as what I am trying to achieve is a scene in an imaginary 1920’s nursery , in a world which never existed where the checkerboard of little Germanic states flourished with no ww1 in the past or ww2 to come. 

Simple paint job, gloss varnish and diverting, engaging fun for all ages.



Sunday 24 July 2022

Back catalogue etc

 Here’s a link to a 2010 post describing the Duchy of Tradgardland’s flags and military organisation-

http://tradgardland.blogspot.com/2010/07/tradgardland-province-of-smaaland.html

Useful background reading for my 1790 project…

Secondly had a day out to a model railway show in Cupar then onto St Andrews for lunch and a wander-








Saturday 23 July 2022

Busy day

 The morning saw me out in the garden trying to sort the hedge. After a successful time I was able to have a quiet afternoon painting some semi flats-

Some jaegers and another unit just being started.  Looked out this Almark old friend for inspiration, bought for me by my father, probably in John Menzies, many moons ago. 
Bavarianesque infantry unit and jaeger unit with some cavalry off stage left.
The semi flats are being painted up for some 1920s gaming in an alternate Europe where Germany never unified. Infantry units of six figures, cavalry four and some machine gun units etc. Idea is for small games on permanent table .


Friday 22 July 2022

Blend @ Abbot’s House

 Tried the new coffee place recently opened locally. Good coffee and lovely setting indoors and outdoors.







Who are you ?

 I am indebted to a reader of this blog for sending me these-


Excellent recruits to take on the Hessians. Can anyone identify them and tell me the make?


Thursday 21 July 2022

For David and others

 David, the other day , left a comment with a question about one of my ski pictures. I thought he and others might find this information interesting. I only took a photo of one coloured plate but there are others in the book.









Twenty shades of pink and green

 Up town yesterday and thought I would give the local sewing shop some custom. When in looking for white felt for basing. None in at all ! If I wanted any shade of green or pastel pink shades l would have been fine. I left disappointed. I know it’s July and Christmas craft isn’t high on people’s agenda ( that being said The Works has loads of Christmas card making stuff in) but plain white felt surely is a shop staple? Anyone looked on line and was confounded by the variety of thicknesses, need to have a think. 

Anyway glad the heat has been turned down here. Days were hot but nights were the worst bit. How did you, dear readers, find it?

Wednesday 20 July 2022

Tanks etc

 A while back I put up a picture on Facebook homecasts page of a semi flat tank I would have liked to have recruited more of. James Mc kindly got in touch and sent me a package l was finally able to pick up this morning-

It contained a mould and eight resin tanks, here pictured beside my metal original one l photographed.This afternoon I undercoated the tanks and some semi flat figures. I have gone with a light blue uniform, echoing the uniforms of a kingdom whose monarch nearly bankrupted his country building castles. I am still thinking of camouflage ideas for the tanks…


Many thanks to James for his kindness and generosity.




Tuesday 19 July 2022

Basing matters and a sneak preview…

 Been experimenting with basing options yesterday-




And also some figures arrived at lunchtime. Here is a sneak preview of some of them unpacked-





Monday 18 July 2022

Cool pics for hot weather

 Thought that these pictures might make you think cool thoughts in this over hot weather…






Keep safe everyone!