The Improved Industrial Dwelling Company - a bit more research.

I have long been interested in Social History as well as Military History so I hope you do not mind me sharing this here as a blog post. 

I posted here recently about the flats in Southwark SE London where research showed that I was living in 1962 then aged 4 in Cromwell Buildings, Redcross way, Borough. I have been fascinated by the history of the buildings for many years having learned that the block had been built in 1864 by The Improved Industrial Dwelling Company based upon a design displayed in the Great Exhibition at Hyde Park in 1861 and attributed to Prince Albert although in fact he commission the design based upon his ideas. The design was for small 'building  block' type flats for the families of the 'Labouring Classes' complete with internal WC's, a rare thing back then as most dwellings still relied upon the outside privies often communal. I was delighted to find only recently an image of the original 'Model Dwellings' as it appeared at the exhibition thanks to a virtual tour on youtube so I grabbed a screen shot as seen below. A  block of 4 such flats, each of 3 bedrooms, was built outside of the exhibition hall an image of which can be seen below along with the floor plan. A Scullery with sink  and coal store along with 'Dust' shoot (refuse/waste) was also incorporated along with a larder/meat storage cupboard  ventilated by air bricks. Cromwell Buildings consisted of 4 floors containing 8 flats with the central open stairway by which access was gained. The block is grade II listed and still occupied today and still, I am told- owned by the Local Authority. It is also worth noting that the block is just a stones throw from the famous Crossbones Burial Ground for Paupers ( Link) also in Redcross Way. These dwellings became the model for many thousands of Tenement Blocks across the Country as a means of solving Housing Shortages at a period  when even large families occupied single rooms in multi occupancy houses.

Cromwell Buildings today, Grade II listed, I lived with my parents on the 3rd floor and played on the open roof garden!.

Thank to the Virtual Tour of the Great Exhibition on YouTube I was able to see the original design upon which Cromwell Buildings was based, albeit less cell like!

4 flats stacked 2 above the other, open front central stairwell and internal WC's this building still exists in London today.

Paper Soldiers - something a bit different?

 Over recent years I had seen many of Peter Dennis' wonderful paper soldiers on Facebook and YouTube and had often thought about having a go if just to see what all the fuss was about! When I saw his 'Peninsular War' title pop up on Amazon for just £10 I could not resist ordering a copy. For those unaware it contains every type of British, French and Portuguese soldier for the War that can be printed, glued and folded to create armies in 28mm scale for wargaming as an alterative to painting model soldiers. They are of course 'flats' but the artwork is very clever in the way it portrays for example, cavalry. I'm sure that I will have a go at a couple of units just to see what I can do with them! Patience is required as you need to cut carefully around each individual figure including muskets and bayonets to remove all trace of white edges but Peter does explain the method of doing this in his video linked below. It looks fun and it looks really therapeutic, and while it will never replace traditional metal or plastic figures it does offer a cheap alterative way of getting into the hobby.

So. Paper Soldiers, what do you think? 

Back on Epic Napoleonics!

 Tim has commissioned me to paint 2 units per month of Warlord Epic French Napoleonics, each of 80 figures (8 strips) based on 2mm MDF bases (supplied) 60mm x 40mm with a 10mm black painted strip along each back edge so that unit labels can be attached. There will also be cavalry units. Having painted literally thousands of the Epics over the years I have a fully tried and trusted method, I know precisely how and where to apply each colour and how to build them up from a black undercoat at reasonable speed. It's very much a controlled production line process although these days I only paint two strips per day since I have cut down my workload. I still  enjoy the painting on these and find them far less mentally demanding than painting the 18mm AB's that I had to give up on so/me time back. On this note I'm happy to report that I was able to recommend another painter to customer Mark and I understand that things are progressing well for them.

Very impressive sized battalions for Black Powder, second battalion coming along behind. Flags will finish them off nicely. More WoR's are next in line for Noel.

It's that Old 'Black Dog' time of the year plus some C&C artillery units and a new video!

What feels like weeks of endless rain and grey skies here in the UK is certainly affecting lots of people but for those of us who suffer from Depression and Anxiety it's more than just feeling a bit low. It can be a right bast**d to live with at times and impacts seriously upon your daily living. It's hard to get motivated and to find pleasure in anything that you used to enjoy. As one who has a clinical diagnosis and lived with it for the past 18 years at least I know that it will pass as we move closer to Spring so in the meantime we battle on as best we can. 

The Royal Mail situation continues to frustrate me! 9 days ago I ordered a couple of pots of Vallejo varnish from my regular and reliable supplier which were  dispatched via RM Tracked 48 the same day but have yet to arrive. As a result I'm backed up with painted figures waiting for their protective coat, all paid for awaiting shipping including all of the recent wagons etc for Old John. Really annoying to say the least. I noticed that this story has now made the front page on the BBC News online so it's clearly a nation wide thing. Must admit that I was not aware that RM was sold to last year to a foreign Billionaire so is no longer a UK owned company?

Family History Project.

Finding some great info and old images. This is Lyndhurst Way, London SE15 in 1915 with the Royal Artillery exercising the horses on the street. Its a road I knew very well growing up as it was the home of my late Aunt and I spent a lot of time round there Great photo?  Also a poor quality Google screen image of the same spot today. I hope you find these of interest.

I'm still painting to keep myself busy and focused which is a good thing. Having painted the most recent batch of Epic ACW's for Noel - also awaiting varnish - I have a couple of units of Epic French Napoleonic battalions next for new customer Tim, we have agreed two units per month going forward on the usual rolling basis which is good.

Onwards and Upwards my friends :)

Latest YouTube video on the C&C project below>

C&C Napoleonics - progress report!

I seem to be motoring through these figures! Just a few artillery units and I'll have enough for a small solo game to get myself back into the swing again. My initial aim was for 10 foot units, 4 cavalry and 3 gns per side before I expand to take in the first published scenario. I have gone for the 1812 uniform style as I like it! 

So far I'm really pleased with how the individual figures both look and feel, the steel washers add a little more weight to each of  them and offers me the chance to magnetize my storage box (see photos below) using magnetic steel paper.to line the bottoms. I decided to use a larger washer for the guns with the 3 figure crews based individually for casualty removal as per the game.

Storage is the large wooden boxes shown below bought fairly cheaply from Hobbycraft for which I have made two shallower trays from 5mm foamboard to sit inside, the cavalry tray being slightly deeper. All very neat and tide, just as I like things!

Off Topic - Cromwell Buildings, London SE1.

 Nothing to do with wargaming this one, but following on from my previous post re the house I was born in my research tells me that by 1962 -  then aged 3 - I was living with my parents on the third floor of  Cromwell Buildings, Southwark London. Built in 1864 this was an early example of Social Low Cost Housing in London. Strange to think these were built 20+ years before Jack the Ripper stalked the streets of the East End of the city across the River.

Still look the same today and you can see them if you pass on the train between Waterloo East and Charing Cross ( You can see the railway bridge in the third photo). My abiding memory is of the stench of vegetables from Borough Market a stones throw away! 

I hope that some find this of interest?

A busy February ahead!

Sorting through what I have here this morning, lots to do. A quick rundown:

2 more Wars of The Roses Factions for Noel ( huge bag of Peter Pig figures).

WW2 German resin gliders for Noel. (These are in kit form)

ACW Black Powder command stands for Noel - 2 packs of metal Warlord command strips and 4 sprues for the rear ranks.

Assorted Wagons for Old John - plastic kits and very fiddly to put together with the ttraces etc!

Resin Cossack  command figures, a Cossack wagon and load, a couple more Winged Hussars (3D) and numerous assorted other figures etc.

I also have a few Epic sprues to do for new customer Tim, just a couple of Black Powder units per month going forward and that's me at full capacity now for several months ahead :).

I have also had another week adding to my own C&C Napoleonic figures to replace the wooden blocks.

Lots of photos!