Ta darrrrr

Yes I am back. Easter was spent at the coast with the family & outlaws. Very enjoyable but now lots to do. Plus the grass is a foot tall as there was no snow at Easter this year. Regular viewers will I am sure remember last year's fun at this time.

Now a funny via H.

Why Parents Drink


A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an Envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to 'Dad.' With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Dad:

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you.

I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercing, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it' s not only the passion...Dad she's pregnant.

Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. S

tacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy.

In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it..

Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren.

Love,
Your Son John





PS. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house. I Just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than a Report card That's in my centre desk drawer. I love you. Call me when it's safe to come home.

If Angelina Jolie was a wargames unit....

She'd look summat like dis.....

More goodness from the brush of Young Imrie. Stirs the loin area dunnit?

Pips

Dave

Corrr

www.cvi-insignia.com/don.htm

Nice stuff eh?

Been catching up on t'web this very morrow whilst making tea to builders strength. Footbo later then a late night of pigmenting metal & plaggy.



Found these chaps on my travels - Corking aren't they? Pigment nicely applied by Mr Dave Imrie. he's been busy whilst I have not been looking. Blurb here - http://www.leagueofaugsburg.com/gallery.php?req=view&id=1489

Inspirational eye candy for those of us with a similar army in it's shiney form. Once Easter is out of the way & the bulk of my building costs spent I may have to spend a bit of time on mine. If only for motivation to get out of bed & do something other than make brekkie. Yes people I have been slacking. Some days I have not been getting up before 6am. Time, with summer approaching, to be up wid de larks innit?

I like the idea of the vignette bases. Of course you can still use WAB but I know where Mr I is coming from. Apart from Scotland. Got the Crusader rools. They are based on ...er bases..... of multiple figs...& Mr Steve Jones saying they "look ok" was enough to convince me they are worth a go. So I might follow Mr Imrie's lead here & go multiple based. Making use of all those cracking vignettes the Soapster did for the Beast.


Also need to get me sen some of that grass - "Silfor" innit or summat?

Geeetar Andy has been busy, emersing him sen in all things Arfur -http://www.guitarheroandy.blogspot.com/ It's gone all poetic though as Andy get's his Eurovision entry ready. This bit looked a bit dodgy "Their standard is taken and their booty is ours". Not sure if that refers to plunder or owning someone's ass. Might be both.

Hmm 800pt games.....be an idea to get stuff going quick & sur le table....likes it...

Oh & belated congrats to Giles. The boy done good. Married a very pretty lady then went off on the razz by the look of it. Well done sir. Oh & back in time for Salute too. Nice.

Pips
Dave

Ps Pictures stolen from the LoA site & Steve Dean forum with absolutely no thought of asking for permission or owt. I am such a dangerous rebel living on the edge.

Back from the Abyss

Well no not really.

Sit rep at EVM Towers is as follows. Mucho building work this week. Dust creation a plenty.

Master bedroom window in, check & that. Plastered (the room, not me) er check. Colours & wallpaper feature wall to be decided still.

Grand hall

Plastered & that. New improved lighting purchased. Awaiting paint on t'ceiling afore fitting. New loft hatch was fitted too. Old one was on the small side & leaked muck. Understairs has been ripped out & replastered too. New door has been fitted to the understairs. All awaiting paint once the plaster is dry in about two weeks. End of the Easter Hols I'll be switching to a bigger brush for a bit. The understairs will require new shelving but it's all looking quite swish. The grand staircase is having new spindles & handrails n stuff. To be stained to match existing woodwork. Paint work to be in a cream & the walls in a Dulux shade called Calico. Nice. My better half has spoken on the matter. Let it be so.

Had a fair bit of family support to get this far & a very good week on e-bay. Ta to anyone that placed a bid. Bit of an overspend on the building works so new carpets, curtains & that will have to wait for the foreseeable. Still progress is being made on the old place.


Been busy,busy,busy. I hope everyone saw the Perry Mins 42nd chaps in kilts wot I did. No?

Oh ok....http://www.sdean-forum.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17221&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 Sweet minis & a cracking paint job. Big me sen up ay?

Got t'finish off some new Perry British plaggys that should have been at Salute. Will debut now at Partizan in May. The 73rd if you want to take a look. Love 'em.

Got a couple of newly done Artizan Pulp bits to go on E-bay this weekend. Trying to get that more of a regular thing as I need the income. Seem better able to get single figs done at like 8/9pm at night if I know there's a return off E-bay at the end of it. That said I did some new Artizan Minis, US Airborne in fact, for North Star. Nick being a kind man & having nay use for them himself has allowed me to to add them to my collection. Bonus! Other than that....not managed owt for me in a looooonggg time. Oh well, minis gathering dust for me earneth not a penny to the cause.

Done some of them nice Successor minis by Steve Saleh for da Beastes. That chap knows how to make a pleasing mini. They deserve to sell very well. GB kindly sent me a few pics. I'll try & up load them when I am on the main PC.
OOOO there they are.

Had a first run through of 40k with the boys 2 weeks back. Just a couple of squads a side but it went ok. Must try & do more games soon. Or even paint them a few minis.

New radiators to go on once painting is done & funds allow. Jaysus I am cold tonight....,,,lol

This weekend will be mostly spent cleaning up after the builder types. With a bit of footy chucked in. Then not sure if the kids are back a couple of nights before heading off to the outlaws for a couple. They will then head off with them to the coast for Easter on Thurs. Surely it won't snow again?

Pips
Dave

Well

Had better days. Been an odd one, some days I cope better than others. Don't know what it is really.


Tried the old distraction technique.....i.e. lets muse how far could a U boat have travelled along the Trent from Hull. All I am looking for is justification for getting the Artizan U boat crewmen from the Pulp range. I figure, what the heck they could take over & use a boat anyway. Dug out the 8 Foundry Rezistaunce (helps if you imagine Vicky Michelle when saying that)..........



Ok back with me?

Yes dug them out. Had all sorts of ideas for using them along with some of the new Marquis Artizan minis in some Disposable Heroes (or DH7 on da street) games. Paint them as generic militia & they will do as 1938 VBCW/ECWIII types too...just don't look too close... Pierre & Jacques one day..... Peter & Jack another.

"Daddy is that a Luger?"

" Yes son, captured off a Facist supplied by Germany clearly"

" Daddy isn't that a French helmet on that one"

"Er yes he's a migrant French communist veg picker, or he got that fighting in Spain.....or summat"

"Isn't that stock on the sten only available from 1942 onwards?"

Look kids it's all pretend, will you just roll the chuffin dice....

Oh & I have no idea on the sten either, just used it to illustrate that reality can sometimes get in the way of things if you let it. This isn't historical so I won't get too hung up on the details. Already read one post where a "Facist" uniform on a mini is declared "wrong".

Anywho. They will pass for now, probably as the aforentioned miners & wives too. Need bulking out with the Crusader SCW International Brigade chaps. Of course I'd wager the Players cigarette & Raleigh bike workers would flock to the red banner.

Yer actual Gedling pit.

The slags of Gedling pictured above.

Of a mind to get a nice wealthy industrialist type figure, one Bradley Hardacre perhaps. He'd be able to arm & equip his own men to protect his interests, 'appen. He'd be keen to get his mine back & protect his munitions factory too. Selling to all the factions no doubt. Don't know what I am talking about? Oh dear where were you back in the day? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_(TV_series) Worth buying the box set & one day I may just do that. Classic. Trust me I am a doctor.

Then there are the Territorials to field & maybe even a few regulars. All good stuff.

Oddly EVM Towers was built in 1938 or 35 or summat so I clearly need to make a replica. Or not.




Pips
Dave

I blame the Welsh see

Not for everything of course.

Ok what now I hear you ask? Well some one at the back muttered something. Yes ok, The Very British Civil War thing of like 1938 that never was. I heard the rumblings, being naturally here at the very epicentre of wargaming. With a finger placed firmly on the throbbing er.. pulse of the hobby. So yeah, I knew there was a froth on t'interweb & in the gaming halls of Albion & maybe even beyond to the Colonies.

Not really anything that interested me until this

http://www.mikehobbs.co.uk/?paged=2

Mike's VBCW or ECWIII ( ya pays ya monies, ya take ya choice) set up in the Welsh Wales valleys atop the green green grass of home

Nice, liked the ideas they came up with..hmmm... a few figures...it's all in the scenarios really....

Ok so far still not lured in.

Then there was this:

......http://paintingshed.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-01-27T11%3A48%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7 Now knowing Mr Jones (Welsh see) I know he'll paint a rather spiffing set of minis within a few months AND source buildings AND write some decent rools AND probably write & sing the theme tune.

Ok so now I'll admit it's beginning to get a little interesting.

Then I watch a programme on t'miners strike from back in the day. Hmmm so what if..... back in 1938....Communist miners seized control of the pits....Hmmm. Be a three way fight over Gedling, a former pit village a mere stones throw away ( using a trebuchet admittedly.....The beast do a nice model of one, I may have mentioned it before)...where were we, ah yes, the threesome: Communist workers , the Royalists & indeed the Facists types supported no doubt by Nazi jack boot wearing paratroopers dressed as nuns...well I like Fallschirmjager...and have some painted & a nun.....also got Home Guard that could be pressed into service too.


All this without even seeing the 1938 source book they are raving about. Oh well.

So you google and http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%2030.htm

Vehicles are readily available from Sloppy Jalopy or any early WW2 range. Figures are out there too & mucho fun can be had putting together a small characterful force for each faction. Buildings should be out there too.

Why not just continue with my WW2 stuff? Tis much the same....


Finally the fates conspired totally against me & BilliamT called asking me to paint some of his new fine VBCW/ECWIII chit for the show stand. I've built up a credit for painting over at Moosekateer Minatures & guess what he'll be sending me shortly from....Welsh Wales. Of course when I will paint them lordy alone knows.

In the meantime, who makes a suitable 1930s pit head in 28mm?

No one?

Phew! Thank f for that.


Also seen some suitable minis in the Pulp range from Artizan...hmmmm

Madness I know, but takes ones mind orf day to day innit. Like I said, blame the Welsh, it's mostly them causing the trouble.

Pips
Dave

yep

Still here. Trying to keep busy but it's not easy when the kids aren't here. Trying to remain positive. The wrecking bit of the renovation is done. Time to start putting it back together.

Pips
Dave