Very nice, sunny morning first thing, but it gradually clouded over and from early afternoon we've had what one might describe as biblical rain. At one point I had to get the recycling out to the bin, and I stood in the downpour to watch what looked like a shallow river running down the lane outside our gate. Yes, I got a bit damp, but it was worth it - not much happens around here.
Among the boxes of soldiers from the Eric Knowles collection which I have here, waiting for refurbishment, there are some generals and staff figures. A lot of these are very early Hinton Hunts, and the quality of the castings is a revelation to those of us who first met up with HH in the 1970s. I've done very little with these fellows thus far, so I decided to have a go at one. The original painting was of a very nice quality, but, being singly-based commanders, they have been subjected to a lot of handling, so the paint is worn in places, and the colours have (obviously) faded during the last 50-odd years.
So here is my new General Lord Somerset (though he could be almost anyone), a vintage Hinton Hunt BN107 OPC figure, freshly retouched and based, fronting his (ex-Eric) Household Brigade, ready for Waterloo if required.
I also glued up some of these. This is the production run of the Max Foy Mark 2 Siege Doofer (Vauban version) - Michael of Supreme Littleness did a nice job on these. I shall slap some paint on them sometime this week. All taking shape on the siege front - I'm waiting for the postie to bring me my latest shipment of trenches (they're in transit from Fat Frank's emporium).
This evening I'm listening to the Burnley vs Spurs match on Radio 5 Live, while working to set up a battlefield for Thursday. Still some work to do, but a decent start. You may hear more of this. Note the bag of Orange Chocolate Minis, courtesy of Terry's Chocolate - other sweets are available, of course, but these are the official confectionery of choice of Foy's Battlefield Construction plc.
You have a F2F game planned? Hooray for you! Hope to see more details and a battle report.
ReplyDeleteOn the weather front here, we received six inches of snow on Friday and then temperatures plunged into the below zero Celsius range. Winter may have come early in the western USA.
Hi Jon - F2F not a possibility in these parts - we may not visit each other's houses (gardens is still OK, I think, but not houses). No - if I play a game it has to be solo or Zoom.
DeleteSnow with you? You'll have to check the static bike is lubed and serviced - change the pollen filters. Living on a farm, I am probably more aware than most that the seasons come around, and that they have to do so, and they are all important, but as I get older I find that it hurts more each year when the geese fly south - I'm never ready! - and this coming winter is going to b tricky, I guess, so any formal sign of it coming is going to be scowled at here!
I have been on the trainer for two weeks now with the arrival of a bout of unseasonable weather. Still managed to get outdoors two days last week and perhaps again later this week.
DeleteAs for getting older and less tolerant to the arrival of winter in the northern climes, my wife is lobbying to migrate south next winter. She says, this may be the last one she can endure up in the Pacific Northwest.
Obviously some careful thinking and discussion to come - your photo tours of the area and its cycle routes are breathtaking, and fill me with envy, but I can see that the reality of the winters must be a bit harsh sometimes. Do you and your wife originally come from these northerly climes, or are you incomers?
DeleteBattlefield looks great. I'm looking forward to seeing Thursday's match; on delay.
ReplyDeleteAs you intimate, resealable bags are great 'cause you can have one or two, put them back, take them out again...!
Regards, James
Battlefield is my take on Fuentes de Oñoro - I'll dig out the soldiers Tuesday night (during the Liverpool game!).
DeleteResealable bags - the jury is out for me. Apart from the fact that it would never occur to me to put a wee bag of chocolates away for later, these bags have tear-off tops, and after you tear them off the bag still won't open, so, as far as I'm concerned, this is a job for scissors. I'll get another bag in, so I can try the re-sealing experience.
I'm not really a habitual muncher - I can have a bag of sweets around the place for weeks, but when I open it, it evaporates. Something to do with having just caught the tail end of rationing when I was a baby! Also probably something to do with being one of Nature's ectomorphs - lucky, I guess.
I once saw a teeshirt which said "I can never sleep when there's a cream cake in the fridge" - I'm not really that way inclined, but I can see how it would work.
Cheers - Tony
Good to see that you are out of hibernation. Lovely command figure and that battlefield never ceases to bring a smile to my face.
ReplyDeleteThings are very quiet, Lee. I understand that we are very lucky out here, but it does get depressing if I don't keep busy!
DeleteChocolate orange! My favourite!
ReplyDeleteI thought you might be a chocolate orange man, Ray! The minis are great, because you don't need a crowbar to break them up.
DeleteHello Tony,
ReplyDeleteTable looks good. Fuentes de Onoro, eh? (Sorry, can't find the tilde on this keyboard.) Looking forward to the report.
You mentioned geese flying South. We live near the RSPB wetland reserve at Old Moor and the goose population seems to have exploded this year - literally hundreds of the things at a time and flying in any direction but South. Very spectacular. Wonder what they're up to? 'Course, it looks unusual to me, but it could be it happens every year but normally I'd be at work and would miss it. Good this WFH.
When I was half asleep, a few mornings ago, some bloke was saying that the migration habits of some species of birds in the North of England are changing because of the climate change. How confusing is that? I wish I'd understood what they were talking about now.
DeleteNow I know what that thing over the n is called - I usually refer to it as the squiggle - thank you. Every day we gain some ground.
Ah, could be on to something there. Climate change causing millions of geese to winter in sub-tropical Grimsby.
DeleteThat's the benefit of my O Level Spanish - first time I've used it since 1974.
You might laugh but I’ve got shares in land earmarked for a vineyard outside Immingham. Bloke in Spoons even said he’d throw in a gîte too. Says Trump was interested too.
DeleteWatch out - it's a scam - if Trump wins the election, your vineyard will be under 20 feet of water in a few years.
DeleteTony, you never told me I would be defending a bag of Orange Chocolate Minis - I will be re-writing the orders of the day! If only The Prince of Orange was available for this one...
ReplyDeleteAaargh! Cue orange jokes/puns! Jaffa good one to start with?
Delete[I confess that the Orange minis are no longer present]
The battlefield looks good, that town may be hotly disputed? Some guns on 'Terry's HIll' would cover it well..
ReplyDeleteFruit and Nut for me, or White Chocolate if the situation becomes desperate.
Fruit & Nut a good shout - bit crumbly, maybe. White Chocolate is a nice idea, conceptually (like), but I never cared much for it. It's like a scientific invention to replace something cheaply - also it tastes a bit like Imperial Leather soap with added sugar. I admit I've managed to force down a few packs over the years, mind you.
DeleteThe crumbly reference reminds me that a friend of mine reckoned the only safe way to eat Cadbury's Flake was in the bath. The chemicals reference reminds me that products like Wispa and Aero are obviously the result of some kind of accidental chemical reaction which a marketing hero somewhere realised could be sold as confectionery for the bored. Perhaps they are by-products of something useful? Ceiling tiles?
While on this digression, I am reminded that the other day I was tempted to try a RASPBERRY Jaffa Cake, which is one for the Oxymoron Dept - tasted exactly like shower gel. Nil points from me.
The storming of Terry's Hill should be assigned to Colonel Ferrero Rocher of the 70e Ligne.
DeleteI love both White Chocolate and Mint Aero but then I am a chocoholic who would suck a chocolate-themed bar of fancy bath soap if it were all that was available.
Excellent.
DeleteConfession time: when I was a kid, my mum was sent a big box of hand-made chocolates for her birthday (her father worked for a branch of Lever Bros in Paris which, at that time, imported most of the cocoa and coffee into Europe, and he had mates at Lindt, Bonnat, Suchard and similar, and used to arrange to get the occasional gift box sent), and when it was finished she gave me the box so I could keep my collection of sailing-ship postcards in it. I never put the cards in - I just kept the box in my drawer so I could sniff it now and then!
I also bought some "Cioccolato" writing paper in Italy while on holiday, a few years ago, and it turned out that it was chocolate perfumed - no, really. The girl who checked my hand baggage at the airport on the way home was very impressed, and took a note of the make, so she cold get some. Something new in chat-up lines?
Tony
ReplyDeleteBattlefield looks good looking forward to the game. That figure was my first Hinton Hunt model and I painted him as Maj.General Alten, then I had to glue all those separate muskets onto the British Infantry with open hands! Huff said about chocolate orange - who’d want to resell the bag anyway
Thanks Graham - these 1960s Hintons that came from Eric have been a revelation - now I finally understand what all the fuss was about! When we are allowed to get together for face-to-face games again, I promise Chocolate Orange minis will be supplied. In fact, now I think of it, there's no reason why packs couldn't be sent to participants of Zoom games - though they may prefer something stronger.
DeleteLooking forward to Thursday.
ReplyDeleteDid you find your regimental tie?
DeleteThat is an outstanding example of a Hinton Hunt BN 107: British General. I've never seen one with an actual nose before. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteIndeed - I have a few of these to work on, all with noses. On the other hand, I also have a c1965 Nansouty, and you will be pleased to learn that the mysterious slope from the back of his neck to the rear point of his bicorn is present and correct, so I'll have to get the needle files at that one. The moulds obviously started to break up quite quickly? The space under a bicorn was obviously a tricky thing to cast nicely - this seems a standard fault with a number of makers.
Delete