Thursday, 12 February 2026

Irregular Miniatures , a homage .




I've been thinking about all the Irregular Miniatures I have bought over the years and have decided to put up some photos of the figures I have bought and painted and played with over the yeats . The above are 40mm Turkish cavalry I have used for my Immagination collection.


Naval machine gun and crew in 40mm


Greek infantry and a personality figure made up from their 40mm bits and pieces range.


French Hussars in 40mm again for my Imagination project .


Irregular 40mm in combat again from my Balkans Imagination collection.


I have used Irregular 28mm for most of my Italian wars of Unification , here are French Zouaves.


Sardinian Lancers 


Austrian Grenz regiment, they do some cracking figures don'tthey !


Papal Zouaves 


Garibaldi volunteers 'Red shirts' . This is just a tiny selection of the figures I have bought from Irregular , I am so dazzled by the quantity of figures in many scales they have produced , probably unrivaled in wargaming history .



















 

 

Wednesday, 11 February 2026

End of an era.

 


It is with great sadness I have just read the news that Irregular Miniatures are finishing trading in March as Ian Kay is retiring . They have been running for 45 years and for most of that time I have been making orders to them and recieveing them promptly with their superb mail order service . A great loss to the hobby and I do hope somebody else steps up to continue their manufactor . I would like to wish Ian a well earned retirement and thank him for all the figures I have bought and painted from him and all the joy he has over the years brought to my hobby. I have sent a last order off to him to finish off my Franco-Prussian armies .

Thursday, 5 February 2026

First painting of the year.


With one thing or another I haven't go around to painting anything this year so far . But this afternoon I had a bit of spare time and searching through my 'to do box' I came across these Iroquios indians for my 'Close Wars' project which have been undercoated and awaiting the brush for months . Nice figures from 'Crucible Crush' with a very muted palette which is a bit of a challenge , got the bases to do and a coat of matt varnish to finish them off.



 

Sunday, 1 February 2026

Theraphy Wargaming .

 


Whilst getting over my operation wargaming was not a priority , however as a sign I'm getting better I have set up a Franco-Prussian game using AGM rules using the Grant Sawmill Village scenario. French nearest the camera .


The French High Command have based themselves at a rather nice establishment that has an very amusing wine list.


The Prussian Generals set up their command post at the Sawmill , not quite as commodious .


The French forces advance .


The Prussians have a good hand of cards and swiftly capture the village. To be continued ....









Friday, 30 January 2026

A medical update.

 


Found this old photo from years ago (with new sub-title) , my wounds seem to be healing well , visited my Surgery nurse and had a new dressing  put on one of them . Getting back to walking and my appetite has returned (huzza !) - onward and upward !

Wednesday, 28 January 2026

Toy Soldiers in art No. 33

 


We swap arts to the theatre this time , I had to do a Google search to come up with whats going on - It's a play of 6 acts called L' Aiglon by Edmund Rostand about the early life of Napoleon II , it premiered in 1900 with Sarah Bernhardt taking the leading role . I'm not sure what the Toy Soldiers represent and they seem pretty big , probably made just for the production (click on photo to enlarge it)


Sarah looking very fetching in her specialy designed uniform - but sadly minus toy soldiers 


And the amusingly named (well if you have a juvenile sense of humour like me) Minnie Tittell Burne in a Australian performance (1905)