Looking forward whilst looking back.

 

A somewhat sinister Father Christmas with a box of rather nice Toy Soldiers. It is about this time of year I do a brief summary of last years gaming and a tentitive look at next years, this year I have been quietly slimming down my collection of figures - getting rid of the ones I haven't used for a while and don't see myself using again - and so far I don't think I have regreted getting rid of anything ! . I find I tend to use the same half dozen sets of rules (the simpler the better) and really can't be bothered to learn new ones - however promising they seem to be . I have played a LOT of Command & Colors boardgames which I enjoy using a very simple solo mechanism - these are not very photogenic so I don't bother recording them on the blog. I think I have painted less figures this year as most of my purchases have been the Wofun 2D ranges which rapidly lets you deploy ready painted armies onto the tabletop. Next year I will continue weeding out the unused figures and probably 'round off' the collections I use regularly. A positive thing is that my Wargaming Colleague 'S' and I have started to do regular Friday morning games and trying to link them together in an unofficial campaign mode and using a collection of figures and rules for several games rather than chopping and changing which allows use to get to knw the rules so they don't get in the way of the game. I do enjoy painting figures but don't see any major extentions to collections, so painting for fun rather than necessity ....... (watch this space to see how this pans out)

Christmas Fayre and a meeting with the shades of Wellington and the Corsican Ogre !

So it's the season for Christmas 'Fayre' , Mrs K and I took ourself off to the nearby Levens Hall which is doing a series of Christmas themed weekend events and remarkably only charging under half price admission ! (which probably factored into our decision to pay them a visit as well) .

They boast the oldest and finest topiary garden left in Britain !

For somebody who hates cutting hedges this is very impressive .

I'm told it remains the finest as a change in gardening fashions caused a lot of topiary to be rooted out and the gardens re-modeled.

I could see myself making a right pigs ear out of trimming this !

A sundial - but no sun !

The topiary with the Hall in the background .

Very impressive even to a non-gardener like me .

And so indoors - all very historic-housie fancy plaster cellings and dark carved woodwork . The building started life as a Pele tower guarding the crossing of the River Kent in the 13th century and altered much over the following centuries.

This is where things get interesting - Napoleon's saddle from his less than successful Egyptian campaign - I assume left behind when he scutteled back to France and the British arrived.

My admiring of the horse furniture was accompanied by a choir of carol singers ! 

Wellington's leather gloves worn on his entry to Paris after the Battle of Waterloo (click on photo to enlarge)

Wellington's specs (from later in his life I expect) this memrobellia was past onto the Bagot's  from his sister-in-law - who was probably having a Spring clean - as you do !

A cabinet with porcelain (?) figures of the 'Corsican Ogre' and his Field Marshals .

A book belonging to Joseph Bonaparte (Napoleons brother ?) taken at Waterloo .

A blotter belonging to Napoleon taken from his abandoned carriage after the battle .

And perhaps finest of all - a clasp from Napoleons disgarded cloak found in his carriage after Waterloo (click on photo to enlarge description)

There was even  Wellington's campaign bed which he used in the Penninsular campaign ! , I was rather pleased with these exhibits , I had been around the Hall but it was many years ago and I had quite forgotten about the Napoleonic memorbilia - so it made my day !

Back to the more mundane 'Xmas Fayre' .

Another view of the great hall - the event was well attended as can be seen by the numerous visitors.

The obligatory 'Civil Warre' arms and armour - I think every stately home in the UK has these - how many are authentically ECW might be up to debate - however the wheel-lock pistols belonged to the owner of the Hall and are thought to be early examples. For more info try this site -Levens Hall :: Country House South Lakes

Just as we were leaving I spotted these on a windowsill - my wife was somewhat taken aback by my evident joy and enthusiasm - they are 18th century Grenades abandoned by the Jacobites on their retreat North over Shap Fell when they had to lighten the baggage train to get over the Fell on the appalling roads ! - the icing on the cake ! - as Wallace and Gromit would say "a grand day out"

 

The lost photos of the 'Gallant Captain Parker'

Whilst having a clean up of my stored photos I came across the following sequence of photos , which I think must date back over 10 years or more , I can't remember them appearing on my blog so I think they deserve saving and publishing .

I do vaguely remember converting the Grenadier Officer figure using a home cast Prince August 40mm mould , which obviously involved a head swap and an added musket.

And there is even an atmospheric 'period' print of the completed figure. It's a while since these figures graced the tabletop , so maybe it's time to get them out again .....

 

This years 1000 mile Challenge achieved !

 

So this week on a rather cold blustery day on the River Kent estuary we past our 1000th mile of this years challenge ! , a bit earlier than last year and neither myself or the dog (Charlie) show signs of slowing down so we will be doing it next year which will be our 8th year I think .

Toy Soldiers in Art No.21

 

Found on the 'Toy soldiers in art" Facebook group,  guessing at the early 20th century . I can't  make out the make of the cavalry figures but they don't look like typical Britains? , rather a nice castle though!

Wargaming wishes from my childhood.

 

Many many years ago in the childhood of your blogger I was occassionaly given an American comic - Superman, Batman etc, our next door neighbour, Mr Sharp who bought them and past them onto me (Mr S was an unusual chap who you wouldn't think would be interested in American Super Heroes !?). The facinating thing about these magazines were the adverts for various sets of toy soldiers ! . The one I always wanted was the American War of Independence - my exposure at this time was limited to the early Airfix HO/OO Guardsmen - and I lusted after these exotic figures ! . It was a wish that was never fulfilled - they wanted your 'zip code' - what was that !??? (of course it was the post code which didn't arrive in the UK till many years later) . Of course these figures where semi flats and at that time I would have been disappointed with them as you couldn't tell this from the dynamic advertising . I found this version of the advert which actually shows the figures being viewed  by two clean cut American children . . I had to wait a few years till Airfix finally brought out their range of British Grenadiers and Washington's Army.before I could realise my dream.

And so to the Cinema .

 

Me and the Mrs K went to the local cinema to see the latest Ridley Scott blockbuster - Gladiator ll . There are very few modern films that entice me to the pictures , and this new one I have seen mixed reviews about  , but I think it is a good follow up to the original ! . Shakespear it is not - but as a 'Sword and Sandal' spectacular it's good - very bloody , lots of CGI - I enjoyed it ! . People will moan about the historical accuracy and military equipment , but when has Hollywood ever bothered about that !? . I often judge a film by if I find myself checking my watch during the performance - I didn't whilst watching this one.

Recently on the tabletop.

A recent rather undocumented battle from the 'Back of Beyond' involving the Chinese Warlord Fung Shui and his quest for the 'Jade Buddha' in which his forces attack and try to cut the railway line thus depriving the Russians supplies and reinforcements - it did not go well for him.

The Chinese have Artillery !!!

That didn't shoot all game ! 

A strategically place White Russian HMG ., this proved the undoing of the Chinese left wing attack.

The Chinese Infantry move out of the cover of woods into the hailstorm of Russian fire .

The Chinese Mongolian Cavalry charge into the village and having driven off one Russian unit are shot to pieces in the deadly crossfire ! - Oh dear things are not going well for Fung Shui !

The White Russian Priest (with the look of Rasputin) encourages his parishioners in defence of the village and the impetuously charge across the battlefield and capture the Chinese Artillery piece ! at this point Fung Shui thought it was time to call it off and retire . Sorry for not recording more of the action but in the heat and excitment of the game I forgot !

 

On the painting table .

 

Finally getting back to painting and got these four Flint and Feather Indians armed with muskets finished - they have been waiting ages to get finished. They are Crucible Crush 28mm figures .

I also cleaned up added weapons and  based these Huron Great Warriors (?) to be painted next !, again Crucible Crush. I've got quite a lot of these done now and should get around to getting them on the tabletop soon 

Quick Friday morning game .

 

Well we have got the decorating done (for now !?) and having cleared off all the detritus that had gathered on my table I quickly set up a small 2D AWI game and I invited my wargaming colleague 'S' the "enfant terrible" of wargaming round for a Friday morning game.

The inital set up , I started with a force of three American militia and some Riflemen hidden in the woods - I would be reinforced by a couple of Continental Line battalions .'S' had four Line Battalions , Artillery and a few Light Infantry.

'S' advanced quickly to get into contact before my reinforcements arrived . Unfortunatly my Militia proved rather brittle and one by one fled the field .

Just as the Militia exited the field my Continentals arrived and counter attacked driving the British first line back ! - but the damage had been done with half  my army in flight, I conceded the game ! . The game was played using a simple free set of rules by Andy Callan which gave a quick fun game . We hope to link these games together in a loose informal campaign .

A view from the past .

 

The decorating is still in progress which is preventing much modeling/gaming - everthing is seeming to take longer than it should - all the painting is taking 2 or 3 coats and as I suspected all the walls are not level or plumb ! , flat pack furnishing is next ! ( Oh joy!!) . One thing the cleaning and tidying has turned up is the above photo of myself and Mrs K . It was taken about 20 years ago when we were camping at Whitby in a very small tent (we forgot to pack all the camping cutlery , plates, mugs etc and had to scourer  the town for replacements). There was a photographic gallery that did sepia period photos and so we had our picture taken . It may be a trick of the light but my beared and hair look a LOT darker than they are now ! .... It will be taking pride of place in the finished room !

The Quest for the Jade Buddha (part 2)

 

The 'Dare to Die' unit discover the body in the cabin ! 

And are attacked by the Russians - who they promptly slaughter - almost to a man ! 

The Mongolians spotted the Russian Commander all alone and charged him - he had to flee off the table and didn't return for the game ! (horse bolted !?) , not good leaeership at all !

Things get worse for the Russians the Cossacks find it hard to rally (absence of the General did not help !) and flee the table !

In the centre the Russians charge into the village to try and capture the centeral objective .

The Officer unit trys to help but are caught in a crossfire and are whittled down to below 50% and have to retreat .

TheMongolian cavalry drive the White infantry back and the infantry is driven out of the village - things are not looking good for the Whites !

The Chinese Warlord Fung Shui enters the Temple and comes across the Buddhist Monk . That is all three objectives controlled by the Chinese forces .

With the Commander absent , the enemy holding all three objectives and having lost half it's units the Russians retreat off the table - a resounding victory for the Warlord Fung Shui , what this means will become apparent in the next episode !