Napoleonic & ECW wargaming, with a load of old Hooptedoodle on this & that


Tuesday 23 July 2019

Janitors of the Guard

Goya very kindly gave me these chaps some weeks ago - three odd figures from the collection of my late Edinburgh friend and erstwhile wargame opponent, Peter Gouldesbrough. They are, as you see, French engineers - Peter converted these from Hinton Hunt French line artillery gunners. I never saw his 20mm armies in their glory, since he had moved on to 5mm by the time I met him.


I have smartened them up a little (I hope you can tell). I guess Peter probably painted these around 1968-70, and he didn't really believe much in varnish, so there was some touching-up required to get them ready for duty. I thought they looked a bit like janitors, with the home-made hammer and shovel - ideally the third fellow should have had a bucket of sawdust. So they are currently known here as les Concierges de la Garde.

Of course, they are nothing of the sort. These are regular line engineers - I also have some more sappers and miners to paint up for the French Siege Train box, but they are all in full cuirass and helmet order - I didn't have any in campaign dress until now.

Peter had something of an Impressionist painting style - I've deliberately tidied them up a bit. I think he might disapprove of my painting, but he would be pleased that his boys are still around to cope with the odd job. Anyway, they're fun and I'm pleased with them. If you need any shrubs planted, please get in touch.

11 comments:

  1. Well they can start with sorting out that 20mm lawn of yours!

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    1. Hi Matt! - They're standing in the moss on top of the gatepost - pretty scruffy, eh? Rainforest vegetation.

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    2. Daylight and vegetation in Scotland in July?

      How bad really is global warming getting?

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  2. Replies
    1. The sergeant tells them they are a disgrace, but he loves them really. The majesty of the working man.

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  3. These chaps look quite smart to me!

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    1. Fit for purpose, Jon - businesslike. I can't get them to wear the hearing defenders though.

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    2. Very nice indeed. You were right to leave off the hi-vis jackets.

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    3. Thanks Chris - I was a bit worried about that. The Bardin regulations don't mention the hi-vis, but I've seen prints in the Venkhuijzen collection which suggest that it was still worn.

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    4. They look very nice. Now you have three guys standing around, will there be one (perhaps resembling Bernard Cribbens) actually digging a hole?
      P.s. I have no hand/eye co-ordination and hence am rubbish at painting figures, but I think I will now claim I have an 'impressionistic style'.. 😀

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    5. Hi David - their colleagues with the cuirasses and helmets are very serious hole-diggers indeed (the helmets may be protection against falling ceilings). To give myself a little break from my French Refurb efforts, I think I'll paint some of them. Another attraction is they have a very simple colour scheme - blue and black and faces and hands and tools. That's about it.

      Yes - you've spawned a worthwhile diversion here - nice one!

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