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Friday, 24 May 2024

Podcasts.....

 Well not too much happening on the hobby front, busy at work and in the garden, got to while the weather is good!, and other than checking out a load of blogs I have started listening to podcasts.  I have come to these very late, never bothered with them before but I was missing out that's for sure.

I have started listening to The Yarkshire Gamers podcasts and a mighty fine listen they are too!  Ken is a big game wargamer and interested in the history of wargaming amongst other things, so ticks the boxes for me, the first two I listened to really pulled me in and got me hooked.

 I listened to the Peter Morbey one which was really interesting to me as I am a big fan of Elite Miniatures and got a real good insight into how he works. Talk about a one man band! Peter designs the figures, models them and casts every thing himself, talented man indeed!

The second one I listened to was the interview with Robbie Roddis, his blogs are a real treat and I follow him as he always has something interesting to say, this podcast was a real treat, really good fun and some great stories from his life in wargaming, He also talks at good length about Peter Gilder, another of his blogs, and I found it very enlightening and very interesting, cracking listen.

Ken has a good sense of humour and puts his interviewees at ease and the chat rattles by and seems to pass in an instant, can't recommend them highly enough and I will be listening to a couple more this weekend that's for sure.

The other thing I have been poring over this week has been the various blog posts from folks lucky enough to have gone to Partizan last weekend. Coming from the far north, shows are not really on my radar due to work and life commitments but come retirement that will change and I hope to hit a few when the time comes. Anyway I really enjoyed seeing the photos of the games on show and I know a lot of people call it the premier show on the circuit and with the quality on show you can see why!  So much inspiration to glean from all the lovely photos taken, time well spent I think.

That's about all I have to say just now and hopefully some hobby time might be had on Sunday as Saturday is work in the morning and gardening in the afternoon, we shall see! So until next time....

Sunday, 12 May 2024

The start of the Peninsular project!

 While waiting for my initial order to be cast from Elite Miniatures I went and purchased two ready painted units of British line infantry off ebay, they weren't overly cheap but then again for the work on them they weren't too dear either, I feel they were a bit of a bargain to be honest.


Painted by Mac Warren and they look very nice indeed, two 36 man battalions that have given me a real head start for this project, I am aiming for three units per division and three divisions per army plus cavalry and artillery and command stands, so this plus what I have on order will give me the first division plus the start of the other line division and the lights division, things taking shape very nicely!  

The second line division will be one British line and a couple of Portuguese ones, the Light division will be the 43rd, the  71st and the 95th rifles, then it will be heavy dragoons some Portuguese dragoons and some hussars, then the artillery a mix of British and Portuguese, so a nice mixed Anglo/Portuguese force with different enough units that should keep me interested and stop the butterfly flitting about too much!

Thursday, 9 May 2024

A slight diversion! again.....

 

Although I was working last Saturday morning I had the Monday off due to the bank holiday but got next to nothing done on any projects. After work on Saturday it was gardening duties, much the same this weekend!, so that was a write off.

 Sunday saw me and my mate Kev set off at 6 o'clock for a whistle stop tour of the central belt, vinyl hunting, Glasgow, Stirling and Dundee, various record shops visited and some goodies bought for the collection, never got back until 8 o'clock at night so a loooong day but some great banter and a really good day out. Record Fair coming up in June back in Dundee so that is the next vinyl hunt!!

Monday was a real lazy day as I was pretty much washed out after the previous two days, this getting older thing is a real pain! Very little hobby stuff done, a little bit of touching up on some flag poles from the 10mm LoA figures I recently purchased, and some basing done on them and that was about all I did on the wargaming front, other than peruse various blogs that passed my day very nicely.

On the 10mm project, I placed another order from Hinds and will be doing what ever needs done to them this weekend, I thought I would have everything I need for this project but may end up buying some more from Pendraken and painting to suit the ones I have, not too sure on this but will have an inventory this weekend to see where I am with this.

The other big project is the Peninsular one that I embarking on, my order is placed with Peter at Elite and just waiting for my goodies to arrive, two British battalions one Rifle, a heavy dragoon regiment and a battery of artillery, a fair investment and a lot of unpainted metal, my focus will have to be strong and the butterfly must be repressed that's for sure!! Well that's all I have to say for this week, so until next time,,,,


Thursday, 2 May 2024

Things getting done!!!

 My Peninsular project is still in the planning stages, so I cracked on with some figures that have been part completed since a couple of months, good chance to finish this unit off!  This is my small GNW project, I finished a gun crew and I am now working on the gun, also on the table is a 20 man charging infantry regiment in karpus, they are well on the way to being done, just a few colours to block in and then a wash, varnish and base!!

My GNW project is going to finish up at around 4 foot, 2 cavalry and 1 gun and crew for each side, and I have most of the Swedish miniatures already bought and most of the Saxons that will face them as well, it is a nice little side project that I pick up and put down and is not too much of a priority, All the figures are Warfare miniatures and they are lovely figures, the charging regiments have a great sense of movement and are very good value if you buy the regiment packs. Should be able to crack on with them this weekend.

My other ongoing project this week is getting to the finished stage, over the last year or so I have bought various foot, artillery and cavalry figures of Ian Hind on ebay, These are 10mm Pendraken League of Augsburg range and are off course painted and based. Here is an example.

They are very nicely done and bar an odd paint chip need no work on them, when I acquire a few more I will have enough for a decent game, I think the totals are around 8 foot, 5 cavalry and 6 guns a side, then it's choosing the rules and getting a game done. On the Honours of War page on Facebook there is a WSS amendment that should work well, I think I will go down this route.

The other figures that are near to completion on my painting table are 5 Giant Ice Trolls of the North from the Wars of Ozz game, these are painted and ready for some varnish and basing and they are good to go, they are lovely animated beasties and could do for any fantasy setting.

So that's my update for this week, actually getting something done and finished is a major boost for me and the thought of finishing off the 10mm painted one is a real win for me, not having to paint or base them has been a boon that's for sure given my glacial painting!!! So till next time.....

War in Canis, Plans are afoot.....

 Well I emailed Alternative Armies with the first three units I want painted up by them, 2 line and 1 grenadier units, the two line will be ...