Lardy Event

 A friend asked me a while back if I would like to help him put on a game of Sharp Practice at a Lardy event . I said yes as I had the rules and wanted to help. I didn’t know the SP rules well at all but l read up a wee bit. So the day of the event came round yesterday and l got the train to Musselburgh where it was held. Some pictures-

Getting unpacked and organised. The game was set in the War of 1812.

Another table at the event. Interesting looking marker for tracking morale as well as a great looking table.

Our game players and the game organiser on right.

Table next to us was ww2 . I was particularly interested in the organising of units on a side table.

Some in game shots with advancing troops going along a road…

Failed selfie by this blog’s owner. Game in progress.

The attack on the fort and artillery emplacement. Smoke and noise.

A unit takes casualties . I can’t recall which unit it was but it was a regular one.

The artillery placement and fort. 

Troops massed ready to engage the fort and its defenders.

I enjoyed the game and the players did too. A big thank you to C for the invite and encouragement. I had to leave at lunchtime but other games took place pm. 

I would definitely attend/ help again. I really enjoyed Sharp Practice, found the system and the story telling element exciting. I was intrigued by the  other games and periods. All in all an excellent outing.

Game

 Got the train to my game today-

This is the only bag big enough to take the French Ordonnance DBM army in their boxes. The bag causes great hilarity for some. The contents of the bag -

Measuring stick, novel, rules , dice and figures. Just trying to get our head round DBM 3:2 currently.

Game was left up until we can finish it next week-

Base fellows

 Having no opportunity to get to a beach yesterday , nor the desire to lug home a desert load of sand from a shop, I went ahead with what I had to hand.

Results fine so far. I found a lot of grass tufts earlier in the week but forgot to put them aside for this project. I hope they will turn up again soon…

The right kind of sand!

 What sand is the right kind for basing?

Biting the bullet

 Last night saw another zoom game hosted by Jon, this time set in Sumer. A most enjoyable time was had by all. Here is a screenshot-

I attempted to battle for my Lugal, Stephen against our foes. If you want to know what happened l am sure Jon will post an account very soon..

This morning, inspired by last night, I rebased ( finally I hear you say) my New Kingdom Egyptians. I have gone for BIG BASES-

These l will use with Big Base DBA, Neil Thomas, Basic Impetus and hopefully some home grown rules. I will let the glue dry properly before finishing the bases, possibly just paint, possibly ballast , we will see…

Back

 I was in London at the weekend for the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop David, the new Ordinary of  the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. 

I also had time to have a good old wander about. I really enjoy a dérive in London and love looking upwards at the ever interesting cityscape.I am fascinated by the buildings of London, for example this fire station-

For more info see this link- https://manchesterhistory.net/architecture/1920/firestation.html

Another building was this one-

More info here-https://lookup.london/tj-boulting-sons-fitzrovia/

En route to Daunt Books l popped into the Wallace Collection-

Always an interesting place to stop by and have a good, close look at armour and weapons from the past.

On Sunday en route to Warwick Street l saw this famous blue plaque-

I recall seeing the  footage of the Beatles playing here . https://www.savilerowbespoke.com/2019/05/beatles-blue-plaque/

A good trip with good weather, which always helps.

Off to ancient Sumer for a zoom game tonight, can’t wait!

Ancients

 There has been a lot of Ancients chat flying through the ether this week amongst folk I email etc with. It is good to see people enthused by what to me is a fascinating period( or multi periods) to game in. It has led me to reading around it with renewed enthusiasm-

Got this old friend out for a wee read and wallow in nostalgia. It is an undoubted classic.

In 1991 on my first visit to Copenhagen l became enchanted by the Lur Horns on display plus the other Scandanavian Bronze Age artifacts. Subsequent visits to Denmark reinforced this enthusiasm via bog bodies etc. Then circa 1996/97 Foundry made their wonderful figures for the period! The above photo is of a file of information, army lists, letters l compiled about the background to the Late Scandanavian Bronze Age. Looking at it this week I was struck by how helpful people were and how much time, energy and enthusiasm had gone into collecting the material. 

I recently added to the figure collection. Now all I need to do is commit to basing size and rules…

Finally a photo of a business l saw yesterday with splendid shutter artwork-

Oh did I mention l have a Sumer based game in the offing next week, can’t wait!

Further Father’s Day

 A thoughtful selection of gifts from the girls-

Father’s Day remembering

 This is my father Harry Gruber-

He was the first one in the family not to go into the family business . He got a scholarship to the Royal High School in Edinburgh, went onto Edinburgh University and became a solicitor. He died 1986.

Collected Jane’s Fighting Ships, bought me Military Modelling on his way home from work when it first came out, took me to museums , was fascinated by the Romans, drove me to Hadrian’s Wall where he got me Roman nails  ( for a boyhood museum in a box) and guide books, encouraged my interest through Almark books and died a relatively young man.

After his death , when clearing out the attic l found his collection of Airfix vehicles and figures, collected and boxed into units, figures in envelopes marked and identified. Lots of the made Airfix post war missiles too. I heard that they were up there because my late mother felt it wasn’t a suitable hobby for one in the Law. Hence the project stalled and stopped completely.Later on when l had to down size l passed the collection on.

This blog wouldn’t be here today had l not been encouraged at an early age. Thank you Dad!

Book

 Charity shop find this morning-

Good cause and good price, not to mention it looks full of fascinating period info. Anyone read it?

Sizes

 I was asked for hex size by a couple of folk-

Hex are 10 cm across from face to face.

Figures are four figures on 40mm square bases, 2 to a hex.

In the Ducal Library

 I was browsing in the Ducal Library in Tradgardstadt this morning and came across these wonderful illustrations of the Duchy of Volare Cantare in the mid eighteenth century-

Later l was looking through a copy of a book about Boswell’s Grand Tour of Germany and Switzerland. Some authorities claim he spent a few days in Volare Cantare but I looked in book and could find no mention. Here is an online version in case you wish to look yourself-

https://archive.org/details/boswellonthegran006270mbp/page/n5/mode/2up

Personally I blame Professor Pottle for this omission due to his shoddy editing.

Eighteenth Century Hex

 Having enjoyed Jon’s games set in the War of the Austrian Succession recently and just getting into this book , not to mention a set of rules sent recently to me from Brian, I thought l would see if my 18th century troops would fit onto my Hex mat and hills-

Success, they fit! So I set up a wee set up on the mat-

A successful experiment and the promise of some interesting solo games ahead…

Fantasy gaming , of a sort

 Yesterday the postman brought these tokens I had commissioned from Warbases, a delight of a company to deal with.

I was encouraged , by myself, to get these made as I always forget which machine guns are jammed! The morale token are a nice size to use too and will not be too intrusive on the table. I have added in a figure of  Edward vii in 28mm for scale. The rules the tokens are to be used for-

Of all the games I currently play these rules and the whole VBCW background gives me most joy. I was reflecting why yesterday. It is fantasy gaming but rooted in a past just out of reach. It has fascinating lore, characters galore and the rules are fun, yes fun but “ realistic “ within the parameters set.

I love the creativity the period allows, sorry wholeheartedly encourages, folk to use. Moving from the real,  to the  possible to the unlikely but fun. Getting into the period, unexpectedly opened a door to interwar period for me, the art, architecture, social history,the literature, the politics the totality of  it. I learned about things that were new to me . People like Dr Stephen Cullen were kind to a novice like me and shared their knowledge with me. An example of where these rules and this period took me are represented by these books-

Exhibitions to visit and buildings to seek out and enjoy.

 

The arcane and the fascinating too. I even got something published in the lore- The League of St Andrews. Researching backgrounds for units is such fun and seeing your ideas incarnate in sections and platoons on the table top is satisfying. The scale of the rules at platoon level, one man to one man , allows identification with the figures in a way l really enjoy. Enough of this over enthusing, tell me what periods work for you and why…