Dog problems .

Well I haven't been clocking up the miles this last week or so in my 'Walk a Thousand Miles' challenge mainly due to the fact that my walking companion Charlie has not been well - problems with his anal gland . He has not been a happy chap at all and has finally had to have an op to remove the remaining anal gland . (he had the other one removed about two years ago)

He has recovered remarkably swiftly (far faster than I would I think !) but is on antibiotics and some pain killers and has to wear this 'cone of shame' - which he is definitely NOT happy about - but needs it on to stop him licking his wound and pulling his stitches out .

Our two cats are very intrigued by his neck wear . He has to remain on his lead when going for a walk and of course things like narrow stiles are definitely out of the question which has limited our walking routes .

All in all he has managed very well so far and has to go back to the vets on Friday to have his stitches removed - so hopefully normal service will resume and we can get back to some serious walking .

 

 

Gaming in stereo .

So I'm playing through the four scenarios from the Command and Colors Russian Napoleonic box and I got the yearning to have a miniature game as well , so having half the table to use I set up a AGW SYW-ish game on the other half..

The fourth scenario - the French are attempting to storm the Raevski Redoubts, after three games  things are in the balance - so all to play for.

A  action with Allied Frei-Korps and Hussars versus  Uhlans and Swiss Infantry for the French, a small battle , but it should prove interesting . 

 

Hinchliffe 1970's promotional video .

From YouTube, I was informed of this video by my wargaming colleagues 'A' and 'S' ..

 

NHS (in 54mm)

Just had my first Covid 'jab' today (very well organised as one might expect from our cracking NHS) and thought I should post a picture of my Medical services for my 54mm Toy Soldiers . Here we see Mr Kipling (War Corespondent)(in white) who is doing a piece for 'The Times' on our Field Hospitals  , three hollowcast Nurses I repainted quite a while ago and Surgeon Reynolds - a rather odd resin/plastic figure I'm not sure the origins of , think he could have changed his apron for the photo though  !

 

On the painting tray .

As a change from painting 54mm figures I've started repainting these 25mm flats , these are for my Hyboria project . They will be Cimmerian mercenary tribesmen and so will be able to fight for both Hyborea and Hyrkanian armies . It has taken a while to get back into painting flats , but I'm getting into the swing of things .

Nearest the camera the basic figure as purchased and to the rear the 'tarted up' figure ready for basing and a gloss varnish .

 

Off at a slight tangent .

I bought four of these figures about 5 years ago and they have been busy marching across my bookshelves awaiting reinforcements  , I have managed to pick up another two, so building a small detachment for AGW.

The two outer figures are the new ones - a slightly different paint job . They are Britains hollow cast Russian Infantry , initially brought out after the Russo/Japanese War and luckily I'm fairly lenient with my composition of 'ArmyBlue' so they will be joining their ranks as a small detachment of Jaegers .

The face of a veteran , I've just based them and will not be touching their paint jobs or the bumps and scratches they have accumulated over their service .

 

Death's Head Hussars .

I've been busy casting the last couple of weeks and have managed to cast up and paint a unit of Hussars for my 'Blue Army' . The molds are of course by Prince August in 54mm 

It has been a bit fiddly as each figure is made up of a two pieces horse , a base , two bits of saddlery , the riders body , arms , carbine , sabretache and scabbard . Times this by six figures and it has taken quite a while to get all the bits cast up correctly and glue then all together .

Luckily I had a lot of scrap figures (donated by 'B') as they have taken a lot of metal to get them cast - they weigh a ton - the horse being solid . I painted them using late 19th century Prussian Hussar uniforms as a guide and will join the Uhlans in the Cavalry arm of 'Blue Army' .