A hot weekend

MrsJ  recently expressed a desire to get away for a weekend in the caravan, so I obliged by booking a couple of nights at a site in Bearsted, just of the M20 near Maidstone. I did tell her that I had an ulterior motive, and that was a visit to Chatham Historic Dockyard, some 20 minutes away. She thought it would be a short visit leaving time to go somewhere else!

We arrived about 10.15 to a nearly empty carpark, paid our fees (one and a cheap oldie) and spent the next 5 hours there. As we left the entrance building we saw the three historic ships that can be roamed around. HMS Gannett, the epitomy of Victorian gun-boat diplomacy currently being restored (I hope they fit replica engines, the boiler room looks so empty) and I took a few photos of the interior.

 

 

photo taken from bridge of HMS Cavalier

 

 

booked a timeslot for a tour of HMS Ocelot, the Cold War submarine (I know submariners were volunteers, I didn't realise they had to slightly barmy too). Various little snippets from the guide - crew only allowed one change of clothing, often wore same clothes all week then turned underwear inside out for a second week, 21 crew members living/sleeping/eating in a room not much larger than my garage, - I realise that those old films don't exaggerate the crowded conditions at all.

 

An audio tour of the 1940s/50s destroyer HMS Cavalier. we covered the whole ship from deck to bridge. Again, surprising how cramped everything was.

 



Mrs J to give a sense of scale. According to my memory of the information plaque (nothing to write with) this is a scale model of a Kilo class submarine, and was one of those used in the Bond film "Thunderball". We also saw a model of HMS Victory used in the film "That Hamilton Woman", again larger than expected.

A tour of the Ropery, still producing rope commercially but under private enterprise, was a joy. Our lady guide became a Victorian ropewalk worker and went through the whole process, ending up with assorted group members helping make a rope. It must have been extremely noisy when going flat out, and no Health and Safety either.

The various "show sheds" of models and paintings didn't allow photography, and though there were only a few of the models on display from the NMMs collection, it was possible to look through a window into an environmentally controlled  storeroom and see others. I believe that if you want to view a particular model this can be arranged In advance.

All in all, an enjoyable day, and MrsJ says that she wasn't too bored by it. I'll have to go somewhere feminine now, to repay her.

Book of the Month (really a DVD)

Things are quiet chez Joppy at the moment, holidays and outdoor projects taking precedence. However, I have just taken delivery of a recent DVD issue which may be of interest to those of you with FLW interests.

                                                     Virgin of the Secret Service
Some of you of a certain age and with long memories may remember this series from the 1960s, but here is a reminder. The box holds 4 discs containing the complete series of 13 episodes. I have only watched the first so far so the comments are based on that.

The series is set in the early 1900s (pictures of Edward V11 on barrack walls) in the early days of the Secret Service under the guidance of Colonel Shaw-Camberley, and Captain Robert Virgin (Clinton Greyn) is the pseudonymous hero, aided by his batman Doublett (John Cater) and an attractive lady 'journalist/spy' Mrs Cortez (Veronica Strong). Their antagonist throughout the series is the wily free-lance villain Karl Von Brauner (Alexander Dore).Their adventures take them from the North West Frontier to Russia, Brazil, India, Egypt and other places, safeguarding frontiers, protecting secrets and thwarting assasinations.

The episodes are in black and white, though there are colour photos on the jacket, so perhaps the later episodes are colour. Don't expect modern 'Spooks' style programming. The photography is decidedly dodgy and the acting is very OTT and 'hammy', Carry on up the Khyber is a masterpiece in comparison. The dialogue is long-winded and static appearing to be very much tongue-in-cheek with fighting sequences being very staged. I think the writers saw this as a comic show rather than drama.

Having said all that, I think all aficiondos of FLW would enjoy the series, and it could produce some scenarios (exploding sweetmeats delivered to the British commanding officer) or character possibilities (the colonel who thought a game of polo more important than the safety of the frontier).

My copy came from Simply Home Entertainment - www.simplyhe.co.uk - at £34.99

A few oddments

It is MrsJ's fault really, she suggested it! One of the projects I'd planned for this year was the building of a sectional surface to fit over our flap-top dining table, giving me a square gaming table. Recent events, beginning with the collapse of the sofabed in the spare room and ending with our recent caravan trip to France, led her to suggest that we a) bought a couple of camp beds rather than a new put-u-up, and b) we needed a larger folding table for our awning.

This is the first fruits. Opened, as here, it is 2'6" x 6, and you can see a unit of 54mm rifle volunteers sitting on it'. What MrsJ doesn't know is that I have a second one on order. This will give me a beautiful table that fits the room with space to move. Pity about the gap in the middle, but a cloth should hide that.

Second, I promised myself that I would stick to my three eras and projects. No willpower, you see. It was the sight of the Toytown tables in the photos of Triples (various blogs) that did it. I sent an order off to Eureka. Eventually the land of Blytonia will have two small armies, Army Red and Army Blue, based at Fort Not and Fort So respectively. but that is fo9r the coming winter. No more for now.

While I was rooting round the shed this week I came across an old margarine tub full of bits and pieces, amongst these were some old GW dwarf miners, a few 54mm Brtains railway figure recasts, some GZG 'steampunk' figures (now I believe part of the Eureka line, and those shown below (forgive poor photo)

 

I think they are supposed to be Waterloo Life Guards, but three seem to have lost their swords, and the paint job is atrocious, possibly never finished. Does anyone recognise them or can suggest a good home.

 

Finally, just to show the problems I create for myself, here is a picture of the worktop side of my shed showing the chaos created by the various projects currently on the go (at least 5 by my count).

 

Military Observers - Part 2

I've dug out a suitable figure from my collection. One that I know isn't around too much. He is a constable of the RCMP in the late 1800s, mastered for me as a kit by Keith Over of Whittlesey Miniatures a long time ago when I 'did' a toy soldier range. I think I only sold a couple at the time, though I still have a few kits left which I hope to use eventually. I see that I painted this one back in 2003.
I hope to get a note up on the FLW forum as well, so that interested parties can put their two penn'orth into the equation.

This is Captain Sir William Widdrington of Her Majesty's Observer Corps, on his mount 'Trumper' ( he really should be kept out of the brussel-sprout fields). His passport is ready, paperwork produced and suitable transport prepared. Soon he will be on his way to his first posting (pun intended). I hope he will have a wide and varied journey. It will be interesting to see where his travels take  him.

Military Observers

Just a thought I throw out for consideration and response.

One of my other hobbies is railway modelling (not that I get much done) and one of the groups I follow have been sending a wagon round, photographing it on the various layouts it visits.

I wondered if there would be any interest in my sending out a figure (54mm, Victorian) to act as Military Observer at various sites occupied in Funny Little Wars style operations. If I were to send him to the first, he could be photographed in some situation and passed on to a site of visitee's choosing, and so on, eventually returning to me. His progress could be followed through the various blogs, and I could keep a diary running as to where he is.

Any thoughts?

Rested and Recuperated

Well, we're back from our 10 day sojourn around France. We thought our convoy of three caravans along the French roads was bad enough (try keeping station when your tail-end Charlie and get caught at every red light going!) but one site we stayed at had 8 motorhomes running a 'Doggy Tour of France' - I kid you not, they had a sign to say so.

Anyway, apart from shopping, (how can you visit supermarkets three days out of four?) I managed to squeeze in one or two of the D-Day sites, Juno Beach, Arromanches and Mulberry Harbour, and Pegasus Bridge. Will have to go back - alone - soon to cover the rest. We had a trip to Caen, but that was more shopping. Even MrsJ was a bit fed up with it by then. I did get a walk round the outside of the castle.

I had hoped to do some painting, even made a gadget for it, but the rest of the party were socialisers full time, so I only managed about an hour all told, before they rose in the mornings. I now have a batch of half painted figures to complete.

This sits at the front of the van on the small flap between the seating. Good light but bad sitting position. When travelling it goes on the floor at the front, when not in use it sits on the bed. It will be coming out again soon.

When we got back our daughter phoned to say that while we were away she'd got engaged. Long time boyfriend, so no problem.

Holiday coming up

MrsJ and I, along with some friends, are disappearing on Monday for 10 days in Northern France. The laptop is going with us, but contact depends of wi-fi operation and time available. In the meantime chez Joppy is in the care of our daughter and the beast of Sudbury!

This pony is only a pup, with but two thoughts, "play" and "slobber", and his tail is lethal to anything at coffee table height. Daft as a brush, and you need to wash your hands on a regular basis, as he drools over everything and everyone..

See you on the 20th of May.