Compliments of the Season

I expect most of us will be rather busy for the next few days, so I thought I'd wish you all the compliments of the season today, and wish you all the best for the new year.

The Doctor knew that Christmas was the time of goodwill to ALL, and thought the best place for his party was Narnia.

Cuneo's Mice

Many people have heard of Terence Cuneo, the artist who was famous for his railway paintings, many of which adorned railway stations around the UK. What fewer people know is that, in every one of his paintings was a little mouse, his trademark, if you will, and many hours have been spent trying to find these creatures in the paintings. About 20 years ago I bought a large illustrated book of his pictures called 'The Mouse and His Master', and discovered that Cuneo didn't just paint trains! He did portraits, landscapes, ceremonial occasions, wildlife and military subjects as well. At the back of this wonderful book is a short segment of whimsical paintings of anthropomorphic mice in assorted situations, and, as it is the season for daftness (among other things) I give you these two examples relevant to our interests. The book is worth searching out from inter-library loan, for the pure browsing pleasure.

 

Colonel Sir Thomas Cerise-Blue Vinney O.G.M

at the charge of Catnip Valley, 1854

Brigadier Sir Terence Vole-Souris

Hero of 'The Traps' and Commander-in-Chief, 43rd Rodent Light Stoat

A vintage game for Christmas?

Recently I managed to obtain most of the old Hobbies Weekly magazine, volume 1 (1890s) through to volume 16 (1903) as part of my collection. This magazine, as specified in the title, covered many different hobbies, including stamp and coin collecting, metalwork, photography, taxidermy, gardening, etc., though very little was found on model soldiers. As I was working my way through the various volumes cataloguing the fretwork designs I found two issues that mentioned wargames. As the articles were fairly short I wrote to the current owners of Hobbies Ltd and asked if I could reproduce them. The answer was a yes, "as long as I showed their logo and acknowledged origin"; so here goes.

I think that will cover the obligation, and here's the first article.

From issue number 231, dated March 17th, 1900

ATTACKING THE FORT. A WAR GAME.

Next to bravery, the two most important aids to success in war are good marksmanship on the part of the soldiers and skill on the part of the officers in placing the men.

The game of "attacking the fort", though intended especially for our young readers, will also afford amusement to their elders. With the exception of the toy cannon, everything can be of home manufacture.

THE CANNON.

The toy cannon can be bought for fourpence or sixpence. It has a string spring which, when released by a little lever, will throw the missile - a dried pea or a small cylinder of wood - clear across the room with considerable force. 

HOW TO MAKE THE SOLDIERS.

The object of the game is to knock down an advancing column of soldiers according to given rules. These soldiers are either of flat wood or paste-board and mounted on small woden pedestals to keep them upright. Fifteen soldiers are required, and these may be bought or else made in the following way:-

Take fifteen tracings of the soldier here pictured, which serves as a model. Paste the tracings on cardboard and colour them brightly with water colour; after which cut out each figure with strong shears and mount on wooden bases. These bases should be one-quarter inch thick by one inch depth and one and a-half inches in width. Saw with the longest dimension and half way through. Into this crevice put some glue, and then slide in the bottom of the soldier figure. 

THE BATTLE GROUND.

The battle ground is a sort of chequer-board, twenty-six inches square. It is to be laid out in a strip of cardboard and divided up into two-inch squares, as per illustration.The alyernate squares are to be in black, and on these, and these only, the soldiers are moved about like chessmen. There should be seven black squares each way - that is, a black square starting at each corner (as A, A-B, B in illustration). The fort wherein the cannon is placed should be marked off as described in the illustration. The mouth of the cannon may be made to describe a circle, but it cannot be moved either forward or backward of its given place. Its exact location is to be determined in the following way: The distance from the mouth of the cannon to the rear rank of the fifteen soldiers must be precisely four feet.

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME.

At the outset of the game the soldiers should occupy the fifteen black squares which are shown with white centres and which form a pyramid. Two persons are supposed to play the game - though it can be turned into a game of solitaire if neccessary - one to shoot the cannon and one to move the soldiers.

one shot from the cannon starts the game, and as many soldiers as lose their balance are removed and counted among the lost. Next the soldiers are allowed to move five moves - that is, to traverse five squares. One soldier may be advanced five squares, or five soldiers one square each. It does not matter how the moves are made so long as it all amounts to no more than five squares advance. To capture the fort three soldiers must succeed in passing the line BB. If a soldier is on the last row of squares, of course one move will carry him over the line, and then he is placed in the space marked "surviving soldiers". When three are thus landed on the safe side the fort is taken, and the person who handled the soldiers wins the game.

The great point to bear in mind is to spread out your men as they advance, so that the least possible damage may be done by the gun; for if two men are close together, one behind the other, it means that they both fall if a shot hits the first one. Work your men one by one up to within four squares of the last row, so that your turn for five moves will carry them over the dead line. If you leave a man within a couple of squares of the end, of course your opponent will do his best to pick him off with the cannon.

You keep on alternating a shot from the cannon and five moves with the soldiers till the fort is captured or held.

It will be found advisable to raise the cannon up by means of a book or small box, so that its shot will hit the soldiers well above the waist; otherwise it is hard to upset the men, even when hit.

The best place to play the game is on the cleared dining-room table, and to prevent the shot from being lost or doing damage a back-stop of some sort should be placed behind the soldiers.

The foregoing rules may be somewhat modified, according as the marksman happens to be skilful or the reverse.

The game is highly entertaining, and particularly because a good deal depends on the scientific manipulation of the men

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That was the article. I can see it in use with the wooden soldiers provided by the blog known as 'Skull and Crown' and using one of those guns sold with toy pirates, that fires ping-pong balls. It could even be adapted for outside use. Following are a couple of illustrations taked from a 1940s Hobbies Annual, showing some alternate soldier styles.

I hope you enjoyed that little foray into the past, and I'll post the second game, which was later in date and more complicated, ready for the new year.

Of Dinosaurs, Islands, and Inflation

One of the blogs I follow is '28mm Victorian Warfare' and this gentleman has just written about his latest project to produce a model of the steam truck, complete with dinosaur skeleton, from the Disney film 'One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing', starring Helen Hayes, Derek Nimmo and Peter Ustinov. This was one of my, and my children's, favourite movies; more especially as I had read the original book by David Forrest. Called 'The Great Dinosaur Robbery' it was published in 1970, and apart from the basic premise the film was completely different.
First of all,, the poor British spy only lasts up to page 13 because of a drastic accident with his cyanide pill outside the American Museum of Natural History, there is a most individual team of detectives from the American counter espionage service investigating the robbery, the nannies 'get naked' during the robbery (for the best of reasons) leaving some very unusual clues, while the actual plot McGuffin has to do with Chairman Mao's plan for 'The Great Leap Downward' to destroy Western civilisation.

This was the author's second book. His first, ' And To My Nephew Albert I Leave The Island What I Won Of Fatty Hagan In A Poker Game, and is a Cold War farce involving a little island only 75 yards wide and 150 long off the coast of England. Unfortunately a Russian fishing trawler/spy ship runs aground. The American Marines arrive, the island is divided, then the fun starts. Fraternisation begins, the various groups mix (there's a piece where one of the Russians is bartering in the American zone  when a General arrives for a snap inspection.
A good basis for a small game? The whole island would fit on a small table, and it wouldn't need many figures. Have to find some rules for barter, etc. But it would be different.
The book originally came with two dustcovers, the outer one was a standard cover with the title (taking up most of the room), while the inner one was slightly risque, having at the bottom, a photo of a young ladies 'upper body parts' acting as the island with the stars and stripes and hammer and sickle painted on. Needless to say, I have both the original jackets, and know which I prefer!

Finally, I've been having a clearout of a number of old kits recently, putting them on a well-know site with mixed success. While checking prices I came across someone selling a number of figure sets that I used to do some 20 years ago under the 'Old Hall Miniatures' banner at about £25 per set. Being offered now by this chap (who looks as though he's a trader) at £119. Such a pity the original moulds no longer exist, I could have produced a few more for my own benefit.

Apologies for the lack of pictures. I have none prepared for this entry.

Distractions

I thought that, with the wedding over, I could get down to some action in Humperstein, but things conspire against me.

A year or so ago my son began the 'restoration' of a 60 year old pond yacht built by my father and languishing for years in my nephew's loft until he decided to dispose of it. Unfortunately, once his nibs had reduced the boat to its constituent parts (photo) he lost interest. I promised to complete the job, and rashly mentioned Xmas!! Hopefully he won't remember that I didn't specify which one.

I'm also in the process of building a model railway (7mm=1ft, 16.5mm gauge) in half of the shed and want to take as much advantage of the reasonable weather we are having to get some track laid

And in the evenings I have continued the rebasing of my Humperstein infantry, I've nearly completed all the current units, with only a couple to go. I had intended to use a couple of days next week, when MrsJ goes away overnight for a works meeting, to use the dining room table for a first battle in the new (old) style, but am now informed that my sister in law who was been given a BEM in the honours list, gets her gong on Sunday the 8th and we are invited to watch, so that is half the week away from home. 

The good news is that, when I bought my paper from WHSmiths a couple of days ago I was given a discount voucher, which I immediately spent to get a couple of books cheaper that priced.

These are both quite hefty volumes, with 'The War in the West' being volume one of a new history. These will be my main bedtime reading for a few months.

Life Resumes its Normal Pace

After a whole year in the planning, assorted panics, and MrsJ's search for the ideal 'Mother-of-the-bride' outfit, the wedding of the year finally took place on Saturday last. Service in Sudbury registry office and reception at the East Anglian Railway Museum (they use the Goods Shed) as our daughter Mary married her partner of ten years James on one of the hottest days of the year so far. I'm biased, but must say the bride looked stunning, and the 'father-of-the-bride' speech was unusually different as I'd written it in verse, and it's not as easy as it sounds!

So, the shed beckons, those little blokes who have been stood about in undercoats for months are calling out for gaudy uniforms, and I  have a long list of things to do. So must get on.

Who's on holiday (9) and back home

We've finally made it home, about middday, after a gruelling slog to Dunkirk yesterday afternoon and spending the night in the ferry port car park (a regular thing, and good place to vehicle watch, not as noisy overnight as you'd think) catching an early 6.00 ferry, then once in the UK up the M2, round the M25, along the A12 to home. MrsJ has a weeks worth of washing to do and I have to arrange a caravan repair after damaging the electrical connection wire. Somehow it had dragged on the road and worn through the insulation, so I had to do a quick splicing job to get us home.

We had a great time with friends, plenty of sights to see, beautiful scenery, I tried out my schoolboy french, and that's it till next year.

There were some complaints about the travel arrangements!

Tom Who - I've heard of travelling steerage, but going by carrier bag is ridiculous.

Pat Who - At least Bill got the occassional trip in a pocket or camera bag               

               Bill Who - True, it is uncomfortable, but I heard the Biguns talking about us having our own

                                 caravan next time, so we may get lucky.
                Brigadier - I don't see what your all complaining about, as a soldier I've had some pretty                                         dicey accomodation in sticky situations, this is luxury.

And there we leave them. I do hope the Dr (all of him) enjoyed his trip away, and that you have enjoyed this slightly different view of our trip.

Back to normal from now on. .