Celebrations Begin

Today is the 60th birthday of MrsJ and her twin sister, as well as our 39th wedding anniversary. Plans are made for extensive celebrations and the whole family, including her older sister and husband over from Australia for a 5 month tour  of Europe, are having a long weekend break at Center Parcs doing all kinds of activities, swimming, archery, long walks, seguay riding etc.
I had intended a different post here, but the pictures are still in the camera, so that will have to wait.

I am being told to "put that thing away and come pack the car", so until next week....

Back to Purpose - with changes

I'm fed up of spending hours feeding thin pieces of wood over the planer and through the thicknesser to make thinner pieces. Who knew a childs cot would use up so much timber? So I'm having the day off from that and re-visiting my assorted army projects (can't carry on with the ships, they're somewhere deep in the shed covered in assorted detritus) for a little R&R.

First up, a brief note of explanation. The 28mm figures forming my OOB cover both the 19th century Duchy of Humperstein and units that can be used as the various member states of the Heptarchy (q.v.), and I've used the British armies OOB for the Crimean War as a basis for this, giving me divisions and brigades. I've nowhere near enough figures to complete the army as yet, but enough to give a decent small game. One area I am nearly full is the staff, where I only need two more brigadiers and a suitable mounted chap to act as the C-IN-C the Earl of Garrick * I have a Great War model of Lord Raglan and may use this, as it would be theoretically correct.

Here is some of the mounted staff at the moment, a mixture of manufacturers, including Foundry, Perry, Mirliton, and Great War. All have names and designated posts and you'll meet most of them later. A few of them are here.

First up in the gallery are the Commander of the Reserve, HRH The Duke of Cambridge** and the officer in charge of the Engineers, Sir Francis Pashley-Drake

and here we have the four infantry division commanders, from left to right -
1st division - Lt.General the Earl of Ackleton
2nd division - Lt.General the Earl of Yaxley
3rd division - Lt.General the Earl of Havershot
4th division - Lt.General the Earl of Brangbolton

as well as the cavalry commanders, where we have, on the grey, the overall commander of cavalry, Lt.General the Earl of Emsworth, alongside the commander of the heavy brigade Brigadier  General Sir Harry Andrews and the light brigade commander Brigadier General Sir Trevor Howard.***

Finally, a couple of headquarters staff groups, without whom no army could function properly.

Well, I've waffled on long enough now, coffee time calls. Next time I'll explain the naming methods I used, and possible thoughts on re-basing all my current infantry units.

* Like the titles used by the Adjutant General and Quartermaster General, this is one of the titles used by HRH Prince Charles (and was. I believe, once one of Robert the Bruce's titles).
** Historically accurate, but really taken from HRH Prince William, who, as heir to the throne is actually 'in reserve'.
*** Unfortunately this photo shows the size difference between the old Hinchcliffe figures (Emsworth) and the more modern Great War ones.

Germans and Scrabble - A diversion

While in the middle of building a full size child's cot for number one son and expectant partner (putting all other constructional activities on hold to meet the deadline) I still keep up with various forums (fora?) and blogs in the morning after breakfast, until it's warm enough to get out in the garage. I came across this on the Model Boat Mayhem Forum's 'Humour' page and thought it might brighten someone's day if I shared. Normal service will be resumed eventually.

Yet Another Waterloo Book

MrsJ and I spent the weekend at sister-in-laws near Peterborough to allow the ladies to have a theatre trip to London. I took the opportunity to visit the workshop cum retail outlet of Deans Marine model boat kit makers, and spent some enjoyable time drooling over the models in the workshop (some beautiful warships, from pre-dreadnoughts to modern frigates) all in large scales, and a little glimpse of a couple of forthcoming models (a German 'flat-iron' style gunboat and a British monitor) both probably wargame size, as I think they were 1/96 scale - but likely to be too expensive for that use. Having seduced myself into buying a kit, I went back via Oundle and browsed the bookshop. There I found about two shelves of books on Waterloo, and spotted this one

At first glance, another book on the battle, but a quick look inside shows it is a different take on the day. As well as covering the well known details of the fight it has alternate chapters which give an overview on what was happening in England at the time, from a society scandal through mentions of Lady Caroline Lamb, Byron, and William Wilberforce down to the lower rungs of society, where a thief tries to fence some stolen silver and is 'done over' by the chap he takes it too. Only dipped at the moment, but I will enjoy the full read. 

HMS Exeter - progress

My modelling style is 'very slow', hence the relatively poor progress on my little flotilla. However, I have got a few months before they are needed - (thank goodness, son and partner have just requested I make a cot and changing cupboard for a new arrival due in April. Here is the latest photo, showing the Exeter at present. Only masts, boats and secondary armament to go now.

I have managed to get hold of a copy of this book

which is the same age as the plans I'm using, (late 1940s) and it includes a number of ship plans from HMS Hood to destroyers.  The methods used are superior to my 'hack and glue' ways, and include methods of making the turrets rotate and guns elevate. Perhaps next time? Mind you, according to the original instructions on the plan, all you need are a sharp pocket knife, a fine bradawl, a small saw, a light hammer and a small file.

My main preoccupation now is, do I put the ships on flat bases as shown, or leave them off, as was the practice in those days. Decisions! decisions!

Another birthday come, and gone

Yesterday was my birthday. I won't say which one, and to be honest, when MrsJ checked with me I told her the wrong one! One of the benefits of having such things is the arrival of presents, and this DVD arrived in the post. I was quite surprised, as I thought it wasn't due until March.

According to the blurb this is a BFI restoration of a film made in 1927 ".. on real battleships supplied by the Admiralty.... scrupulously fair in its treatment of the enemy.... presented with a new score ....performed by the Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines..",and comes with a number of extras including some short films from the era plus a fully illustrated booklet of original essays and full credits. The main feature is some 102 minutes long.

I just need the evening MrsJ goes dancing, a glass of wine, and a bar of chocolate.

The rest of the day was a bit of an anticlimax. I picked up my car after 3 weeks in the garage, and after a number of power failures on the A14 I spent four hours sitting in a service station watching the traffic go by while the AA attended and eventually towed me back to the garage for further tests. MrsJ had told me to take the day easy, but I don't think that's quite what she meant!

Progress

Further to my earlier post of "First Things", I have made a little progress and have a couple of photos to show.

The first one shows where I was at the beginning of the year, and is the hull of HMS Exeter at a scale of 1 inch equals 50 feet. Not one of the usual wargaming scales used these days, but my fingers and eyes probably wouldn't cope with anything smaller these days. 

The second shows the current situation, with a little more progress on Exeter, and basic hull outlines and bases for the other three ships needed for the scenario. One German ;Pocket Battleship' and two more British Cruisers.

These models are for use in the garden, where I will be trying to peel nine year old awat from his various computer games. In order to help in this I am going to make up very simple rules of my own, where the guns range will be the calibre in feet ( i.e. 8 inch gun = 8 foot range) and speed a similar idea in inches per knot ( 18 knots = 18 inches), hits, damage etc still to be sorted out, probably using playing cards (red = hit, black = miss). The idea being a quick game not bogged down in lots of calculations and tables, but where some thought will be needed.

If this works, I have enough plans to do a Bismark* or Scharnhorst scenario next year. I'll need time to make the models. More progress reports to follow.

*though, because they didn't do a plan of Bismark, I may have to use Scharnhorst as a stand in!