Damn those French!

 

Two latest battalions painted for Mark, Peninsular War Young Guard 18mm AB figures. The low relief brewery building intended for a future possible Yaldbury extension!

I've been tempted back again!

OK, so I knew it wouldn't last!

With Yaldbury nearing completion - just additional detailing to do - my attention has been drawn to the 'One Hour Skirmish' wargame rules and the possibility of a small  card table gaming set up that would enable me to paint a few figures for myself AND continue to enjoy my recent enthusiasm for terrain building in a modular form. The rules are completely card driven, no dice are used, and employ small 'squad' sized forces of around 12 to 16 figures per side and can be played in numerous periods. My feeling is that they work best for WW2, where the representation of suppressive fire tactics with units comprising riflemen, a light machine gun team and an NCO carrying a SMG give a surprisingly realistic but fun game.

After much thought I am going to begin with early war German v French using 15mm Peter Pig figures (because I love them!) and will use my 2'6" x 2'6" folding card table which is already covered in a fleece battle mat. More as things progress but in the meantime this is a nice little introduction to the rules.

French command, I love those early helmets and greatcoats.

Early War Germans in 'jackboots'!

MG34 teams, must have been a right earache!

So well animated the Peter Pig sculpts.

             Introduction to the rules, completely card driven, no dice at all and a great fun game.

Passenger service departure at Yaldbury!

This little project is bringing me a real sense of achievement which is why I'm sharing it here, and it has me thinking about how I used to feel the same about wargaming but no longer do and why. I don't intend to overthink things though, just enjoy the moment. I'm considering extending the layout beyond the tunnel  which would allow a longer run in and a brewery with siding (good Kentish Ale!)

On the painting front it's Peninsular Month, starting with 2 battalions of the Young Guard, 18mm AB figures for Mark. I have also now secured the remainder of Hannibal's Epic Army which comprises 28 bases of 5 skirmishers, 24 bases of 5 cavalry, 12 bases of  20 Libyan heavy infantry (strips), various mounted command figures, the 'Specials' Generals packs and of course the Elephants so I'm pretty solidly booked now for a few months ahead. 

The 4F tender loco has pulled the branch passenger service into the station and uncoupled to run around the loop. 

Still on the workbench, more to do!

3F tank loco awaits departure in the siding with a short goods delivery.

A view along the non scenic end, 4F has now reversed to re couple and is ready to take out the limited passenger service.

Waterloo Day 1975!

I came across this the other day on Facebook and thought it might interest some here. What struck me was seeing 'HQ, 1A Craven Passage, Charing Cross' listed as one of the exhibitors because it was where I first started buying Hinchliffe ECW figures around that time. In 1976 I was 18 years old and had started work at the Municipal Mutual Insurance Company, Old Queen Street, Westminster,. My short walk to work from Charing Cross station took me across Trafalgar Square, under Admiralty Arch and along past Horse Guards and the lower end of Downing Street. I can't recall how I discovered 'HQ' possibly from a hobby magazine advert but once I had I became frequent visitor and all of my first Hinhcliffe ECW figures were purchased from what was a tiny shop, barely able to fit 3 customers and that at a squeeze! I don't though remember anything about this event, I wonder if anyone else does?

Craven Passage, you can see the platform level of Charing Cross and 'HQ' was just along from the Ship and Shovel, a Victorian  pub connected underground by cellars which occupied both sides of the alley.

A Quiet Morning at Yaldbury & Celt-Iberian Epics!

The crossover between the two hobbies becomes very apparent when you get to building up the terrain and starting to add detail.  Yalding and Wateringbury in Kent were two places I spent a lot of time as a child and was where my Grandmother and family would go 'Hopping' or Hop Picking in the 1950's. Special train services called 'Hopping Specials' were put on from London Bridge to take families down to the Kentish hop fields for two week working holidays in the countryside, so 'Yaldbury' seemed a perfect name for this fictitious rural branch line terminus layout. I'm still working on this Summer project adding fine detail and can tell you that threading fine fishing line into 30 tiny wooden MDF upright posts with laser cut holes took a LOT of patience but proved very rewarding and had to be done to prevent the sheep getting onto the rails! The three trees are by Woodland Scenics and supplied as 3 cast metal armatures and a bag of foliage which needs to be fixed and glued on. They would make realistic Wargaming trees but are a expensive at £10.00 for three. 

'Yaldbury' - N Gauge branch line 'micro' layout, just 72cm long x 22cm wide (plus an 'offstage' fiddle stick of 20cm behind the tunnel). Points are Peco Electrofrog  medium radius controlled by underboard 'wire in tube' switching method, simple electrical wiring of just two feeds which connect to a Gaugemaster combo hand held controller. 

   

I'm still enjoying painting the figures though, just finishing off the 72 strips of Epic Ancients for Leo in the U.S. below are some of the Celt Iberian bases underway, pre final checks and highlights and varnishing/basing. July will be mostly dedicated to Napoleonics for Mark.

Commission painting update!

 Right then, so back to the business of painting model soldiers!

I'm currently basing 24 strips (12 bases) of Warlord Epic Spanish Scutatri for customer Leo in the United States as part of his 72 strip order, the final 12 bases set for July. Really enjoying painting these and trying to capture those typical Spanish shield designs.

This coming week I'll be painting two more British Infantry battalions for Mark Lodge which completes his second 'batch'. I have spaced these out over the month as the 18mm AB Napoleonics are very demanding to paint compared with say an Essex Miniature because the detail is so much finer, an example being the strap work which on an Essex figure stands up more which makes accuracy easier. This said the results are very pleasing, latest battalion being the 81st Foot with Buff facings and thus belts.

Need to gold edge the drum and flag pole heads.

Old John Cunningham of course still has plenty left here to work through over the next couple of months at least! A box of Austrian infantry firing line and more Stretlsi units of 24 figures each. John told me that has now covered most of the 96 different poses available in his units and I estimate to have painted at least 20 such units so far which must be an incredible sight on the tabletop.

For Noel in Ireland I have yet another Epic ACW order for July, being mounted cavalry and Zouaves.

I also need to finish the remainder of the Space Hulk figures for David which were exchanged for his copy of 'Battle Cry' ACW 150th Anniversary Edition boardgame ( my painting time for the game which is very hard to find anywhere except at very high cost.).

Overall I'm pretty well booked but will be in a position to accept one more rolling commission once Leo's Ancients are completed and shipped in July. and I'm discussing another possible Warlord ancient project at the moment to replace this.

Model railway progress.

I continue to enjoy the challenge is building my first model railway 'micro' layout and am now at the stage where I begin to add the fine details such as post and wire fence, model sheep, lighting/lamps etc platform furniture/trolleys , flower beds, postbox in the street, maybe a milkman, leaning bicycles etc, the list goes on. I started with a 1960's Ford Anglia on the road over the bridge as my Father had one and I remember going to the car showroom as a boy with him to purchase it so it's pre nostalgia. Lovely little resin printed models and they come pre painted for £4.50. I'll be ordering more 1950's/60's models to dress the road up a bit more. A few more shots.

Graham Farish 3F 'Jinty' tank loco (front) and 4F tender loco (rear)

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Something different!

Work is progressing well on my first model railway 'micro' layout representing a steam branch line terminus. There are many crossovers between the two hobbies, especially around the scenic work. All wired up and running just fine at slow shunting speed I'm finding it incredibly rewarding. A few shots so far.