A frosty morning walk .

Sorry for the lack of content of late , we've been on holiday to the Peak District , the weather was not bad - for November, however everything was very wet under foot  and most of our walks were through inches of mud . Back to normal now and my wife dropped me (and the dog) off this morning on her way to work and we walked home via Sizergh fell . Here is Charlie posing on a prehistoric burial mound - it was very very frosty ! .

Here we see another poor photo of the burial mound - I always wonder why my wife is less than impressed by these REALLY interesting landscape features dismissing them as "another one of your bumps in the grass" *- probably cos she's a girl !? .

Charlie pauses in his pursuit of rabbits when he realises I am stopping for breakfast.

It was a rather crushed toast and peanut butter sandwich and two broken digestive biscuits washed down by black tea - I did share with him .

The sun rises .

and a little higher .

Sizergh Castle peeps through the trees , originally a pele tower 14th century I think . 

This walk I seem to have a thing about sunrises , out of the sun it was freezing . 

Glad it was frosty at least it froze the mud . 

Your correspondent with seasonal embellishment (I need longer arms for a convincing 'selfie' ) . Busy cleaning up lots of figures ready for painting , more about this next post.

*I should post some of my very interesting photos of these - that would be fun wouldn't it ?

40mm Courtisan .

I have created a Mistress for my General of the Sublime Porte , dressed in a suitable Eastern garb (or rather not ) . The figure is a Irregular Miniature 42mm nude figures with trousers and yashmak added with 'green stuff' . 

Here she joins the entourage of Omar Saharif Pasha - I do hope the weather remains clement as she doesn't seem dressed for a cold snap. 

A problem solved .

I've been puzzling how to depict this chance card when it is drawn and allocated to a unit in 'A Gentleman's War' . I didn't want to have to provide a representative figure for each army , then I thought - boxing gloves ! . I modelled some from 'green stuff' mounted them on a base and painted and varnished it . Now when this card is drawn the base is put by the unit and they get the resultant advantages.

Wargaming from the Silver Screen .

Shamelessly appropriated off Facebook (thanks Shrewsbury Wargaming Club) , I did go and see the film in 1974  but can't remember much about it other than the Gettysburg wargame .

Last of the bunch .

Finally finished off my 'Unlikely Allies' box , here is the Devote Monk .

The Watchman with his lantern 

And last but not least the Tea House Hostess , she was a challenge to paint, I've always found it difficult to paint female figures convincingly and rather delicate Japanese ones especially so . Her face took a couple of goes to get right .

The whole box set finished , it has taken me a week , but I have enjoyed the experience immensely - so different from painting uniformed units of all the same figures and uniform . 

Four more 'Unlikely Allies'

Been painting more figures from my new 'Test Of Honour' box , here we have a Ashigaru deserter looking rather dishevelled and a Blacksmith .

A Wise old man (or is he a Ninja ?) and a Ronin marksman . These are rather nice models full of character and I'm enjoying painting them and when they are done I hope to incorporate them in a scenario for 'Test of Honour'.

Well I did it !

Well this morning I completed my 1000 mile challenge on a rather damp and dismal day , luckily this year I had my wife to take the obligatory photograph of myself and Charlie who has walked most of them with me . Will carry on counting - can I do 1200 miles this year ?  we will see.