British Grenadiers and 'Cocked hat' not Tricorne!

 A base of British Grenadiers added to my growing AWI collection along with a bunch of based up casualty markers. For the artillery I made a couple of 'shaken' markers from Peter Pig guns which I'm rather pleased with too. I'll be adding more including Indian and cavalry markers. 

Setting the scene.

With much of the scenery and terrain ready now I have had a cunning plan regarding the card table battle field. I had been giving a lot of thought as to how to improve lighting quality above the table for photographs and then had an idea! My painting desk sits in an alcove with lamps on both sides, the desk is 60cm deep by 90cm wide so it's possible to place the card table (75cm x 75cm) with legs folded up onto the desk, against the wall and set the lamps back on either side above it, perfect as the solo games can be played from my comfortable office chair. The final touch will be to add a hand painted North American backscene around three sides to create a kind of model railway style 'Cameo' look which I hope will add to the overall aesthetics. I'll be tackling this little project this week and have been researching 'how to' videos on YouTube.

Research, research!

Speaking of YouTube I have been watching/ listening to a lot of AWI related videos so wanted to mention a few here. I have to say that my love of the period started back in the 1980's when I went to watch a re enactment at Audley End House in Essex put on by hundreds of Americans who had travelled to the Uk for the event. All had been supported by the US Air Force who provided logistic support, travel and accommodation at a local base, to say that it was spectacular would be an understatement and somewhere I still have the full colour programme of the weekends event. After the battle we got to speak to lots of the participants  and to ask questions about unfirms and equipment so I was hooked. 

These days I follow the '10th Regiment of Foot' who make excellent videos on all aspects of a British soldiers life during the war. Channel link:  https://www.youtube.com/@HM10thFoot

Another is the excellent 'Woodland Escape' from which I have learned so much about rural life in the 1850's onwards so if you want to understand how to strip down and clean a Brown Bess musket , to hand make a pair of Winter moccasins or an authentic period hunting shirt or even build a long hunting rifle from scratch using period tools then I would recommend this as a great channel when painting.  Link: https://www.youtube.com/@TheWoodlandEscape  

Another I must mention is Brandon F who offers an engaging and very well researched channel on military subjects of the 18th and early 19th centuries. I have long been interested in the development of military headgear, especially the Tricorne and how it turned into the so called Round Hat worn by many British units in the AWI (yes, I'm a bit Geeky like that!) and so this one was right up my street, if you enjoy it and find it entertaining please do let me know what you think?

If  you like it maybe check out more of his videos as painting background, I also recommend his piece on the wearing of White bearskins - is there any contemporary evidence - by some British  Musicians and even Grenadiers in the mid to late 18th Century (I said I was a Military Hat Geek).