Moving on...

Many thanks for the kind comments you left on my previous post. I hope to resume blogging soon with, amongst other matters, news of the new Duke in the Duchy of Tradgardland...

Sad news...

Events in Tradgardland have been superseded by Reality!

On St George's Eve my Mother died suddenly.Although she has been unwell on and off for years this came out of the blue,as they say,to us all. Please remember her and us in your thoughts and prayers...

The Battle of Drei Hugel- part two

The battlefield set up at the end of the first turn with the Duke's artillery having fired and missed

A few turns later the battle is well underway. Grenadiers advance across the stream,skirmishers deployed in broken ground and musket fire exchanged. Casualties have been inflicted on both sides...

A lucky shot by one of the light infantry has hit Duke Karl Frederick in his capacity as general.

With his army in disarray the Duke's body is defended by his fellow Tradgardlanders in the face of the onslaught from the enemy. The battle ended with the army fleeing off the table with the lifeless Duke being carried homeward by his loyal men

Another enjoyable ( albeit dramatic encounter) on a small playing surface. All forces involved could be stored into a  box file. The battle was fought using ideas gleaned from many rules sets with no formal rules down on paper. This approach was learned from Fitzbadger and his seminal "We don't need no stinkin rules " of some time ago. 

The battle of Drei Hugel

Duke Karl Frederick of Tradgardland has involved himself once more in the ongoing "petit guerre" waged in the Disputed Valley. As well as bringing a battalion of Tradgarland Militia , he finds himself in command on the battlefield. His force consists of ( as well as the aforementioned Tradgardlanders) some light infantry,a detachment of grenadiers,one militia battalion and an artillery piece. Below  is a picture of his opponents deployed across the battlefield-

Deployed behind the Three Hills  are three battalions of Militia- each from separate towns within the disputed Valley including one of the descendants of Syldavian mercenaries. A small company of rifle armed jaeger are present too.

The politics of the Disputed Valley are baroque in the extreme and it is impossible to give good reasons for the forthcoming battle save to say that it is part of an ongoing feud of shifting alliances which plagues the Valley.

The troops are ready let battle commence...

Update

It has been an awfully busy week here in Tradgardland.We attended the Requiem Mass for our Parish Priest  yesterday who has been here for around 23 years.Family probs reared up and were dealt with not to mention the grind that is work. I feel like the guy in Fritz Lang's Metropolis who stands at the clock thingy and moves the hands. I love working with the children but loath the rest of the ever increasing paperwork and pointless planning /reporting in what can almost be duplicate or even triplicate.

However it is Earlyish Saturday Morning and the weekend awaits. Much to do but I have two plans. Firstly to work on some 17th century Scots in 54mm and secondly  to get in a small 18th century game.I will let you know how I get on. Finally a picture of some flowers currently looking resplendent in the garden photographed on a much brighter day than today.

Spanam

A sunny day here in the Duchy and I am off work. Just a quick snap or two of the Spanam figures awaiting sorting/re-basing and TLC. They are all 15mm Frei Korps and tend to be a tad brittle hence the casulties.

Off outside to dig and weed and think my own thoughts...

The banishment of petrol and diverse matters...

Our petrol driven lawnmower finally gave up the ghost recently. My efforts to bring it back failed and so a new machine was ordered. It was hand powered- no electricity or petrol. The weather finally allowed it to be assembled and used yesterday,Saturday. We were all delighted at how well it cut the grass and without too much effort, I think I was recalling my attempts to use a rusty one as a teenager. We will not be returning to powered mowers here in the Duchy!

This brings me on to an almost Proustian memory of lying in bed as a small child trying to get off to sleep early evening.It was summer and the sound of hand mowing by my father came in through the window. The sound of summer indeed  ever since.

The above photos were taken on our brief trip up the fife Coast on Friday- chips @ Anstruther, coffee and a Gallery visit @ Crail- where incidently I picked up a very interesting wee pamphlet on the archaeology of the isle of May. The photo is of the Mercat Cross in the middle of Crail which is topped off with a splendid unicorn.

Hope to do a little painting today although the sunne is already up in a blue sky here at before 7 in the morning of Sunday.May garden instead after Church -seed sowing in trays I hope. 

Yesterday morning dug deep in the shed and found ( in need of TLC) my two 15mm armies for the Spanish American war. I have brought them into the house to sort through- still look great and they have whetted my appetite for some gaming.