December

 

A excellent read after a busy day’s volunteering, just the thing with a coffee. Highly recommended btw.

Traditional Advent calendar made in Germany.

That was the week that was

 

Plugging away at the Minoans…

60mm chariot is pretty big…

The force gathers…

Wee outing to see Anton du Beke at the local theatre with a friend.

Catch up in Edinburgh for lunch in a very festal National Portrait Gallery.

Beautiful dawn to start Wednesday.

Ancients in 60mm scale

 

 Working on some Ancients currently, Bronze Age and Minoans to be precise, 60mm size figures and in resin.On the workbench, love the cow hide shields they carried.

An interesting talk to listen to as l worked away.

Archers drying on the radiator. They will function either as a unit alone or be part of one containing long spears too.

Paint pot and 28mm figure for size comparison.

Unit based . Foliage needs to be added and the bronze spear tips painted.

Size comparison again.

Another photo of the spear unit , notice different shaped shields representing the personal choice of individuals within the same unit.

Mixed spear and bow unit. 

Some books from the Ducal Library on the subject. Some were bought 1990 or earlier and the one standing up at the back was bought a couple of years ago. Fascinating details contained within its pages.

I am hoping to to use the figures with the Neil Thomas rules, Midgard and l would like to have a go at writing a simple fun period specific set, one side of A4 at longest.

Other figures are primed and ready on the workbench …

Favourite photo

 This photo turned up as a fb memory. It is one of my favourite photos of me. It was taken at the end of a working day. I popped into the hall for a wee look. I was kindly asked if I wanted to hold the owl. I did so with delight and a colleague snapped this-

Anyone for a caption competition, for fun only…

Huge !

 

Pate News presents- Army Bleu on Manoeuvres

 

Once again it’s that time of year and plucky Army Bleu are on Manoeuvres. I say don’t forget the cheese , bread and wine fellows!

No one knows who is in that house, perhaps some Army Black sniper! Sound the charge , draw the sword and forward…

Later in the day a more cautious approach is taken- machine gun to the fore and a rifle grenade for good measure…

After the vin rouge is finished what better than a Molotov cocktail to end the meal!

Army Bleu brings up support for gallant elan filled fellows in the shape of the big little guns, mortar and machine gun. That’ll stop em…

Another day of manoeuvres over and it’s back to camp for frogs legs and campfire fun. Well done fellows!

Only the sniper team remain and an artillery spotter watched by the umpire from the woods.

The Chasseurs de pied have one more gallant charge as the day ends and it is off for them too!

This is your brave Pate News reporter and his new Spahi chums wishing you all a wonderful evening and Bon nuit!

Trials and trains

 Real life has been a tad trial filled of late , nothing horrendous but a combination of things leaving me exhausted and low at times. Did manage a wee training game at home Friday and an outing yesterday.

Britain 1940 - German mountain troops hold a strategic road junction. They await reinforcements to be air dropped by parachute.

The method to land. Action dice is placed by player , direction changed by opponent, two d6 thrown to show drift distance from aiming point, figures land at one inch intervals behind, any landing on impassable terrain don’t make it.

The parachute phase nearly over. Every unit gets a pin marker and needs to regroup next turn.

Landing paratroopers took few casualties.

Reorganisation in progress, orange dice marks number of pins.

The British diced for entry point to table.

The British commander making a point forcefully.

The junction is beginning to come out of German hands.

Yesterday, although l didn’t feel like it l went to the Falkirk Model Railway Show. They had moved it to Forth Valley College with excellent modern facilities and space.Some pictures-

Loved the wee crane and understated but effective modelling.

The quay was beautifully modelled as was the detail .

Charming scene on the above model. A feast for the eyes.

N gauge in a suitcase, terrific fun and use of space.

Loved this nineteenth century layout of Bavarian railway in winter. Didn’t know you could buy stuff of this period. So atmospheric, wonderful scenery too.

The bridge was charming to say the least. Wonder who makes it.

General view of big layout.

And here too .

Lovely 009 scale I think. Narrow guage at its best.

Can’t recall much of this , liked the quiz in the bottom right hand corner asking young people to try and spot certain things in the layout. Excellent scenic modelling too.

I had to walk into the centre of the town for my bus home and enjoyed my wee wander . Next summer will mark forty years since I moved to Falkirk, albeit briefly, time flies!