Open Cockpits & Straw Bales

 

My wife helps at a charity shop and I called in to see her to go for lunch and was perusing the bookshelves and wandered into the Sports section (an area I do not tend to view) and came across this book ! . The chap that wrote it was a vicar and as we know vicars write a cracking book ! , very interesting and just the era I was aiming for . It is illustrated by the authors paintings of racing cars - what a find ! 

I have also purchased the other cars I needed from the eBay , here a Talbot Lago , the card is going to be part of my racing car game , in black and white cos this is the 50s !

A Cooper Bristol , the driver is Reg Parnell - you don't get people called 'Reg Parnell' nowadays - and thats what's wrong with the modern world !

And finally a HWM (Hersham and Walton Motors) piloted by Stirling Moss - there's a name to conjure with ! - I remember Stirling Moss from my youth . I've made cards for ever car and for some strange reason my printer is leaving a white line through them (Grrr!)

The prototype track - a piece of MDF rescued from my neighbours skip , the rules are being worked on at the moment - keeping them simple and having no paperwork to record speed etc - hence the dice behind the cars .The rules are up next .

Friends bearing gifts .

 

My wargaming colleague 'A' called around as he had been doing some clearing out and brought me a large bag of old figures he had no use for , some of which are here .

The were of course for me to melt down and recast !

Some of the results of the mornings casting .

This weeks projects , another Battalion of Prussian Infantry and a converted unit of Prussian Landwehr Cavalry . Many thanks to 'A' for his kind gift which is being put to good use.

Finally the Horse Artillery makes an appearance.

 

I've finally finished off my Horse Artillery conversions , here is the Prussian one , I've added short tails to the coats and the heads are from the Prussian Infantry moulds . The cross belt should perhaps be black but white stands out better and adds a splash of colour to a somewhat boring uniform . The guns are French bodies with the smaller British cannon barrel used to look lighter.

The French ones next , again I added short tails to the coats and used the French Infantry heads . I have been a bit fanciful with the uniforms - the plumes add a bit of colour and they probably shouldn't have lacing across their jacket fronts but I wanted them to stand out on the tabletop . The guns are the same as the Prussians, French carraiages with the smaller British barrels to make them look lighter for Horse Artillery. 

Another of my childhood model cars.

 

Another of my old model cars has been returned to me , I must admit I don't remember owning this one .

It's a Maserati and I think rather cute .

I did a bit more investigating and found this from a old Dinky catalogue , there where six original models so I need to track down the other three .

Going with this vibe I think - not sure about "Chicago's 5 ACRES OF SIN" or the "SECRET SEX SOCIETIES" 

Perhaps this is more wholesome - gallant chaps pushing their cars to victory !

A different variety of madness .

 

The other day my neice called around to drop off some books she thought I might like as she is slowly sorting out my late brother-in-law's belongings and she gave me these ! - they had orignally belonged to me about 60 years ago and had been past down to my nephew, who now living abroad didn't want them ! . Ah ! the waves of nostalgia ! I remember having quite a collection of these - I don't think I got them from new but past down from my older cousins .

An Alfa-Romeo and a Ferrari , they have seen better days , but being about 70 years old they have worn better than me ! , the one on the right seems to have newer tyres on it !? - I wonder if that was my brother -in-law repairing it ? . Filled with enthusiasm I implored my neice to search to see if the rest are still about . 

I did a bit of Googling and found this a gift set from the 1950's I don't remember a box and having as many but I think I would like to try and collect the set . The idividual cars do appear on eBay in various degrees of wear and refurbishment and prices , watch this space.......

PS Could you make a car racing game for these ????

A brief moment in time.

 

Doing the round on social media at the moment . That brief window of time in the 70s when wargaming was 'cool' , White Horse whisky - you can take a 'White Horse Anywhere ' the young woman is Catherine Schell who stared in the Callan movie again with wargaming as part of the plot . I would guess the model figures and table are by Peter Gilder .

The Walkers on holiday.

 

Whilst on holiday Mr Walker takes Mrs Walker to visit Missolonghi Bay *, the location where Lord Bygone came ashore to help the Helenyka Republic in their struggle to free themselves from the Sublime Porte .

They finally find the exact place - Mr Walker is ecstatic and very impressed ! - Mrs Walker seems less so - in fact she complains the lack of a cafe or ice cream van ! 

Lord Bygone swears an oath to defend the independence of the Republic of Helenyka (painting on the works of Ludovico Lipparini )

Lord Bygone (in 40mm)

* any similarity to Anglesey is purely incidental ,