Tuesday 9 April 2019

Spain, 1 year on and looking ahead.

Hard to believe it's a year ago that we moved to Spain. We have no regrets about making the choice to come here to the Costa Blanca, Valencia, it's a beautiful part of Spain and the people are incredibly warm and friendly. However, it has become apparent that we are far more isolated up here on the Monte Corona hillside than we wanted to be, and we now want to be nearer the beachfront in Gandia with all of the social life that surrounds it within walking distance. We also want to be able to spend more time back in the UK with the family as we are really missing them. So, it's time to downsize to an apartment in Gandia to begin phase 2 of our new life in Spain.

When you spend time planning and thinking about the future you tend to think over all aspects of life, and in my case my hobby is always a consideration. Looking back I always said that one day I would own a large Napoleonic collection, and the acquisition of the 40mm's from Andy proprietor at Old Glory UK last year started me on the path to finally achieving that ambition, and since then anything else I do I quickly lose interest in. This must therefore be the main focus of my hobby time going forward. I absolutely love these figures, there is not a day when I'm not admiring them, handling them or painting them and I really want to get them on the table now and expand them.






So I thought I would jot down some random goals for the Summer ahead, I find it helps to get this stuff out and down on paper sometimes.

The collection has now topped 400 painted figures, including 60 cavalry, mounted officers and 4 guns and crews. But I really want to add the following:

  • French heavy cavalry ( I cannot resist cuirassiers) only a single unit in the Peninsular, but I must have some. Sash & Sabre from OG.
  • More British or KGL heavy dragoons - Sash & Sabre from OG. These are lovely cavalry figures in bicornes.
  • A full battalion of Swiss infantry (24 figures, 12 are done). French line infantry marching pack, Sash & sabre from OG.
  • British Light infantry deployed as skirmisher bases. 7 figures per base on standard 120mm frontage. I think 2 bases or 14 figures will suffice. These will have to come from Perry Miniatures, a good match for my S&S figures - I already have some in the collection. The Perry's are a bit more expensive at £4.25 per infantry figure and £9.50 per cavalry figure but very nice castings. I like their British Light Dragoons firing carbines from the saddle very much.

So far, so good. Another ambition I have is for some RHA guns and crews. Problem is that nobody makes them! I have been in touch with Steve Barber who is currently working on a commission for a set of 40mm characters based upon the Sharp series and they are wonderful, especially the 'French Spy' figure. Steve has said that he could make a set of 4 Peninsular RHA crew under his 'Shared Commission' service, and is enthusiastic about the subject matter. The cost includes the creation of the masters by Steve, and moulds by Griffin (excellent). To make this viable I would need to find another  40mm Napoleonic collector to share this commission.

Wargames.
Moving to an apartment will lose the 'underbuild' space I have for a permanent wargame table, but a temporary  table is certainly managable. My intention is to play DBN games on one side (plain boards) and C&CN games on the other using 150mm hexes 9 x 13.

I have abandoned the houses I was making below, just too big and not detailed enough, so in the bin they go! I found these, and they are perfect, although 28mm scale they are tall enough (around 125mm) to work with my figures at a scale down, they will also fit the hexes and make good modular areas for DBN. Oh, and they are supplied ready painted and are lightweight robust material which helps with postage to Spain.
http://www.tablescape.co.uk/Catalogue/Mediterranean/MediterraneanRange.htm

The winter project is on hold, I dunno, just something about painting plastic kit figures is not doing it for me anymore, although I still like the tanks, all are back in the storage boxes for now.

21 comments:

  1. Truly awesome looking collection Lee, I can see why you like them so much. I'd say if it's something you feel so strongly for its well worth focusing on!

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    1. Thank you James, as you can tell I'm rather proud of them!

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  2. Its good to have a plan!!! I never seem to keep to any plan I make so I've given up. Love those Tablescape buildings. I've looked at them many times at shows. One day they will be mine too!

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    1. Hello Ray, soon as I saw the Tablescape my efforts went in the bin :)

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  3. Do you intend painting your cuirassiers in brown (with baggy trousers) as per the illustration in the Blandford on the uniforms of the Peninsular War?

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    1. Hi Rob, I know the illustration that you refer to and I have no doubt that's how they appeared on campaign in the Peninsular. It's a tough call, historical accuracy or artistic license? Actually the brown coats would not look too bad but I really can't be doing with saggy trousers :) can't recall which regiment they were now, must look them up again.

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    2. It was the 13th - if you google images for cuirassiers peninsular and blandford I'm sure you'll find the image.

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    3. Hi Rob, cheers for that, just found and saved the 13th cuirassier image. I'm actually quite drawn to that brown coat, I think I will go with that.

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  4. The 40mm is indeed a joy. Good luck with your plans.

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    1. Thank you Norm. The 40mm's have kind of taken over my life, well my hobby at least, so I must run with them!

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  5. Hi Lee

    Sorry to hear that you are having problems with your scratch building.

    I like the comnmercial range you have chosen. They have a good range and the price seems very reasonable for painted models.

    May years ago we bought Hovels buildings, both Peninsular and north European. When Jan started her scratch building project she used them as a guide to scale. We now have many more of Jan's buildings that Hovels, but we still use them together.

    If you still want to try making your own you might buy a few commercial and try copying one of them, or perhaps making a one off model using to match them?

    Good luck whichever way you go.

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    1. Hello Paul,

      Thanks for your comments. Jan's buildings are so much more convincing than my humble effort, I went back and took another look and the level of detail, especially the roofs, is very good and combined with the bases makes for excellent models. I do lack a bit of patience at times and I could not see myself achieving that standard so they all got the chop! I think I'm best spending my time painting.

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  6. Dear Lee, I read your blog avidly but this is I believe the first time I have commented. I have Friends who live in Monte Pego and I know the Gandia area quite well. Taking an appartment down at the beach area is a really good idea, it's a lovely place. I am a DBN Player too, a cracking game and your collection will make a work of art out of a DBN game. Absolutely beautiful.

    With best regards from Germany
    Adrian

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    1. Hi Adrian,
      Thank you for your kind words. Although we are only 15 minutes from Gandia and 20 minutes from the beautiful beach area we have felt very isolated over Winter and could do with a bit more life!

      Something about the way DBN plays has really caught my imagination, it's just the type of game I have been looking for, good to hear that you also enjoy the rules.

      All the very best,

      Lee.

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  7. Hi Lee

    A lot of Jan's earlier efforts at scratch building also went in the bin!

    Also she was not very good painting model soldiers. I remember she gave it a try many years ago, but just did not have the patience.

    She has always been quite artistic, and has a good eye for scale that works.

    I have also tried my hand at making building, but my efforts always looked rubbish. Not sure why, because I often do the "donkey work" on her buildings. For example I always have to do the roof tiles.

    With such nice commercial buildings at such a reasonable price I think I would also go for them.

    regards

    Paul

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    1. Hi Paul, I probably should have persevered more, but I was not convinced they were going to live up to expectations so decided the time is better off spent painting more soldiers!

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  8. Lee - fantastic collection, and very best of luck with the move... PS. I'm with Ray - no task lists as all that happens is I end up beating myself up for not having done them all.. LOL!

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    1. Cheers Steve. I'm the opposite, I must have lists to survive!

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  9. Truly wonderful figures, and glad you are sticking with a concentrated effort, will be all the more rewarding I think!

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  10. Thank you very much Chasseur :)

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  11. Your 40mm are lovely,pity the scratch building didn't work out but I know that I was going to scratch build my Italian wars buildings but I've found an MDF range that are reasonable prices and do what I want,I might build one anyway!
    Best Iain

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