They think its all over! It bl**dy well is now!

Well, what can you say about the World Cup. Rated up there with the best and yet fell at the second hurdle. No doubt there will be much wailing, finger pointing, distancing from any limelight just in case and gnashing of teeth from any number of the footballing hierarchy but it's the supporters I feel sorry for.  The poor bu**ers spent well above an arm and a leg to follow their beloved country's  team to the bottom of the planet and what do they get... 360 minutes of shambolic ineptitude from the top down. Sort it out for God's sake! How is it we can invent games but within ten minutes the world and his brother are better at them than we are?
And another thing, possibly trivial to some of you anti-royalists but important to me at least, shouldn't you be proud to be chosen to represent your country? Next time its on, watch the England rugby players when our National Anthem is played, chests are thrust forward and they are singing their lungs out with pride. England footballers, hardly any of them move their lips and even that seems an effort. Perhaps they don't know the words? Too busy getting their heads into the 'right place/mindset' I suppose. Overpaid prima donna's the lot of them. So they got kicked out early, never mind eh? Come back home on a specially chartered plane to a safe area away from any possibly angry fans; whisked away in German cars (how's that for irony?); home to their respective companions before jetting off to the Caribbean or the Maldives or somewhere equally exotic to recover from the stress. Good, get rid of them and replace them with footballers who play for the love of the game and country not just for the outrageous salary it can bring.
 For one mistake, Ashley Cole was booed for several games afterwards. Except for Green-who to my mind was exonerated after several other keepers had similar problems with the new ball at the tournament- and James who was MotM against Germany, for such a lacklustre performance it should happen to all of them when the new season starts...for a long time.
The FA, (thats Football Association by the way, not the other abbreviation),  needs to take a collective step back away from their sinecurist positions and start getting people in place who know the game: then listen to them once they're there. Wilkinson and Brooking are the proverbial voices in the wilderness, banging their heads against a brick wall of white collar aggrandizement.
Plus, don't get me started on the new Jubulani ball and that goal. 
So now I have a bit of a dilemma. Being of Anglo-Saxon descent from way back in the genealogical mists of time and a proud Englishman, I naturally follow England. But the Saxon bit is very important because my surname is one of the few derivations of the word sax and actually means Saxon. So now I will transfer my allegiance to Germany, the better team on the night and eventual winners of the tournament. I hope. (Still, 5-1 is still better than 4-1 by my maths, so we are ahead overall.)
Bloody Hell, I could go on all night...but luckily for you I won't. I've had enough now anyway. Only two years to wait for the European Championship. Bring it on!

Mick

Period Building Post

The other weekend the good lady and myself  went off for a break in Stratford upon Avon. Now the last time I went there was in 1978? when I was working in Redditch and staying in Halesowen (a few miles across the other side of south Brum for those geographically challenged amongst you. No great shakes if one drives but I didn't then and still don't). So anyway a few friends and I went to Stratford for an evening out. In the darkening light we strolled along the riverside, found a pub, had a few, ate a curry and came back, end of non-eventual trip.  

This time it was a whole different experience. For starters we got there in daylight and I was armed with my trusty 7 million pixies camera -still can't work out how they all fit- and, over the two days I took sh*tloads of piccys...of buildings; over a hundred at last count. I have never seen so many period buildings in any one place. Amazing, absolutely amazing. So I am putting a few random shots on the blog as a taster. 

If anyone is interested in the look of 16th and 17th Century buildings for Renaissance generally and ECW in particular then let me know and I can post some more. 

Damp is good,

Mick

P. S.  The first is of someones house, the second is a line of someones houses. Third is of a local hostelry. Fourth piccy down is of the house of a 17th Century rather well known local playwright, Mai Will Rapesheake; the author of such oft plagiarized classics such as Thamel; and gave us such unforgettable lines like A Shroe, a shroe, my dingkum for a shroe and Beot or Botneot, tath is the nestquie (homage to the M. Python team for that one). The fifth is of a Tudor period building which is now a museum.

The Glorious game!

It happened. Zola came to the Midlands looking for a point with a 5 man midfield, 4 at the back and young Nouble up front for his first game, and he got it. The whole team did well; Faubert, Upson, Spector and Tomkins were great in defence, ably supported by Noble, Parker, Kovacs, Collison and Behrami in the middle. I felt sorry for Nouble as a lone striker up against the man-mountain that is Richard Dunne in the Villa defence. The young lad could have put the Irons one up within five minutes but a perfectly timed off-putting tackle kept the scores level.  Green played out of his skin with at least 3 great saves.
Then you look at Villa. An attacking side if ever I saw one with Heskey (later Carew), Young, Agbonlahor, Milner and Downing all playing. AND THE HAMMERS HELD THEM, speaks volumes, don't it? I ran out of superlatives three days ago. Now last night the local claret and blues put 6 past Blackburn with a response of 4. Amazing, innit? Excellent game last night as was the one the night before between the real Manchester team and the one in red.
There, that's the end of that.

Not a thing about wargames

Well, not much has been happening outside of 15mm at the mo (check out other blog). BUT the good news is that I have found out that EO and one are going to watch The Hammers on Sunday afternoon at the local club, Ashton Villi or something similar. Should be good, hopefully the Irons will come away with all three points although even one will be okay.

Da! Da! Numidians finished

Been a fair old time since the last post so a quick update is called for. Most of my time is being spent on 'This Years Project' which is being chronicled at http://subedaissassysassanids.blogspot.com/  so input for this blog has slowed down for a while. that notwithstanding, I do have some pics to share. These are of the 25mm Numidians for the on-building Carthaginian army. Several conversions in this unit, two casualties and a sword carrying bloke who has lost his horse on one end. The rupert is a Warrior figure from way back although the company is still turning them out...nice figures when painted up; the rest are Mini Figs from back in the day.

The Start of Something Else

This blog was started with the intention of writing about 10mm figures. That, as regular readers will know soon went out of the window. Now this one covers just about everything that concerns me about wargaming. Therefore, to ensure that I don't digress any more than is absolutely necessary, I have started another blog purely for this years project...Sassanid Persians and Maurikian Byzantines in 15mm, the startings of which were purchased at Derby this year. any further information on this subject I would like direct the reader to my Links List on the left.

Mountain reducing

A never ending job really, a bit like trying to empty the old Norse Horn of Plenty (or whatever it was). Just finished basing up the total current cavalry contingent of the 25mm Carthaginians - 10 bases of Numidian light cavalry. In fact 18 cavalry, one infantryman (a conversion using the top of a Numidian cavalryman and the lower half of a Spanish Scooterati bloke,  gave him a sword insted of a javelin. Standard bearer is also a conversion with a Libyan infantry head on a Numidian cavalry body and a Roman head stuck on a stick. All by Minifigs. The rupert is a rather nice Liby-Phoenician heavy cavalry wallah in dramatic arm-in-the-air pose and made by Warrior. Not bad figures and very reasonable prices.  Pictures to follow when the bases are finished. All I have left to do for the army are about forty Scootorati and Cartrati. Then I should really start thinking about more cavalry.
Slowly clearing the decks in readiness for this years big project.  Getting the figures on Saturday for two compatable armies from the Ancient period... well, mid to late ancients really... actually 6th century AD.

More pictures

At the same time as I was clicking away at the Chin I took a few of my ongoing 25mm Carthaginian Army, (remember them, the army using Mini Figs back from when Noah and myself were young). So here they are; the Gallic Warband chaps are from Mini Figs while the hoplites are Lamming. Both units have a number of conversions including head and body swaps - there is even a couple of left-handed warriors in the Warband!
Oh, and by the way, the butterfly mind of yours truly has made another tangential leap of wossname and is now focussed on something completely different. Something that has all the colour and spectacle of 25mm without the mega expense. Yep, 15mm -but not as we know it, captain. More later, when I come back from Derby, which incidentally, is on the weekend after next. If anyone is interested, I will be the madman wandering aimlesly about on the Saturday wearing an Irons  shirt. (Much more modern than a folded copy of the Times under one arm and a pink carnation in my lapel.)
Talking of the Irons, they gave the Reds a run for their money so I heard. It was on Silly Telly but I had to work (not impressed). I got home after the match had been shown on MoTD then refused to get up at 0700 on Sunday to watch it repeated. Saw the goals on MoTD2. That blond Spanish bloke is the best striker in the Premiership at the moment, bar none...unfortunately he wears a Liverpool shirt. Still, can't have everything -at least he doesn't play for Arsenal.

Photo's of Chin militia infantry as promised

Really pushed the boat out the other week and bought myself one of those ten megalo-pixie cameras; so here are some photo's of the Chin militia (Irregular Miniatures), taken this morning outside in the gardens of ma maison. As I said before, I was quite chuffed with the standard, basic in both colours and ornamentation, but nonetheless looking alright. Standards must be on the up, ha, ha.
As you can see, only basic conversion work on these fellows. Wobbly edged hats, plumes removed, replaced the flag pole...that's about it really.

Staying faithful

So, as the title says, I'm still knockiing out the 25mm Sung/Chin/Khitan/Xsi Xsia/Khitai (delete where not applicable) spearmen. So far, all the chaps are finished, its just the rupert and his flag waving sidekick to do. I tried the LoA method and I must say, without a shadow of a doubt, I'm definately impressed by the whole thing. Once the whole unit is painted, based etc I will post some piccys. Also found a site which translates English into Chinese so some standards with proper trad writing on them is happening. Bit of a personal thing with the standards...more later when the piccys are here.
  Found another tree makinig idea; this time at http://www.matakishi.com/fiwtable.htm. This site is amazing for its simple but brilliantly effective scenery construction. GO AND LOOK---NOW! Clocked it for future reference.
Now, the Irons. Not too bad a start to the League -one of each- shame about Calum Davenport, bloke who did it should have the same done to him, see what problems it causes him in his career.
What have the 'authorities' been doing, eh? West Ham v Millwall = Powder keg of the first order. Bleating 'Shame', 'Disgraceful', 'Disgusting' is like closing the door after the horse has gone. Sheep disguised as the powers that be again. You cannot tell me that two groups of hooligans (you can't call them supporters) weren't going to cause trouble. So now, because of a few, the name of football is being dragged through the mud again. I even read that it may go against us for our bidding for the World Cup in 2018. What! Wake up and smell the advertising hoardings -IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE! Russia, Germany, Poland are just a few examples. Danny Dyer had a whole Silly Telly series on just such a topic and he travelled all over Europe.  In Poland, one team actually burnt all the opposition shirts that they had 'aquired' throughout the year. This was at Half Time. A line of burning shirts along the railings inside the ground. During the last World Cup, two groups decided that there were too many police around so they organised a little soiree in a field outside of town. they still do it, even though in these countries, the Old Bill don't mess about, its a cohort of police legionnaires advancing, shields up, happy-sticks at the ready. Why are we being singled out, eh? We go abroad for Internationals, get goaded, respond and who gets the blame. No prizes. Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. Yes, there is a problem that hasn't really gone away and if anything, the advent of the interweb and mobile phones has made it a lot easier to organise.  I lived though the original, wasn't nice then and certainly isn't any better now. Answers? I really don't know but hopping with the wooly herd isn't going to solve anything.
Political/Sport diatribe finished. Back to wargaming for the next one. Promise.
Mick.

Could be sticking with this (for the time being anyway).

Weeelll, after much deliberation I have decided...to paint the 25mm Chin spearmen that are to be the start of a new army. Irregular chaps and not too bad for it either. I have painted another half dozen leaving six inc officer and standard bearer. Now I am aware that Chinese units -one gentleman on the China History Forum reckons as many as one in twenty soldiers carried a flag- but I'm sticking with one per unit, mainly for sanity sake! And I'm goping to try out the League of Augsburg method of flag construction. More as it happens, maybe even some pics. Done a bit of cutting and slashing on the fellas but not too much; just the odd arrow in the shield or the occasional missing plume or even a bent hat brim. These are figures that don't really lend themselves to drastic conversion. On the Irregular website they are advertising a 24  figure infantry unit for £15 or 8 cav for £10, so Derby is now looking like 25mm.  Don't mates do yer ead in sometimes? Be assured, we shall discuss this further next time I speak to him.
On another 25mm theme, remember the part army of Carthaginians I have? Well, Warrior Miniatures offer extremely reasonably priced 'army deals' at 100 pieces for £30. 76 infantry and 12 cavalry for the first Carthaginian Army and 56 inf, 12 cav and 2 elephants. With a half decent paint  job, these are not bad looking little fellows. Could be doing some more of them.
Mine are straight, how about yours?
Mick

Change of Heart (2)

The other day I got on the mobile jellybone to a mate of mine back darn sarf whom I haven't spoken to for a while. We wargamed together from the ages of about 16 for a a good dozen years. (The best of my wargaming life by a country mile). We did the usual warm up banter... hows the family, whats happening etc, etc., before hitting the big time. Now he has no idea about this blog because in his own words he is NFI in the tinterweb ( no, its not a typo for some furniture company. it's an acronym for Not F***ing Interested). Hopefully, I may have changed his mind but I doubt it. Anyway, we got to the important stuff and he was telling me about his 25mm ACW armies -2 of 16 x 25 Union regiments and 13 x 25 Confederate. Now I have not the slightest (at the moment) interest in ACW but the magic numbers 25mm got to me, especially when I thought about my 10mm. 25mm I thinks wistfully, pretty colours, shading, grand spectacle et al. What have I got in 25mm? The ever present Mongols, a fair sized mix of Mediaval Poles and Russians and a Polish Renaissance -which you know about after seeing the all the posted piccys.
Then I had it. Several years ago I bought a trial unit of Irregular Sung spearmen and I only ever got 10 of the 24 finished. So now, the remainder are on the painting table, undercoated by the famous Blue Peter  method (here's one I did earlier) , and ready to go. So I will.
Ta, ta, the brush is calling.
Mick.

Another change of heart?

I been thinking. I have a nice Mongol 10mm army of the equivalent of a single tumen (10,000 at optimum strength) -3 units of heavies/mediums and 7 of lights, all from Irregular Miniatures. Then I had a look at the Command Base, which is not Irregular but is from... for days I couldn't remember the b****y company name. Checked all of my manufacturer Bookmarks. Nothing, sod all, not a sausage. Then, yesterday evening I had a St Pauls moment -well part of one anyway- begins with a K says I out of the blue, much to the surprise of OH who was watching something on the oblong picture box  about military ghosts and aircraft -para-normal I think it was. Got told off for being silly (not quite the words but you get my drift).
Then I had it, Kallistra!
You ever get that? Trying desperately hard to think of something that it's never going to happen as long as you have a hole in your a... Then, suddenly, usually about a week later it will hit you like a brick to the boat race and you then have a Eureka moment...normally when people who haven't got a clue what is going on are like sardines in the room. Same as if you go a over t in the street; there is nearly always a de Mille sized crowd of people who just happened to look your way as you go over! Never, never when no-one is around. (Are we getting into the realms of quantum thingy here?)
So anyway, I dashed up the rickety staircase to the north tower and had a quick Google.
Slobber, salivate. Pictures on the website. I had forgotten how nice their little chaps were. A little larger than Irregular but if I was to get a whole tumen of them...
At this point brain went into hyperdrive and I worked out that I only need -at 16 figs a bag- 2 heavy, 6 light and 2 command bags for the lot. £45. Bargain. Money well spent, thank you very much.
Then partial reality sneaked back in.
If I was to get another tumen, I would need shed loads more Chin. Not so, I argued with myself, some of the Mongols could be used as disaffected steppe nomads who hadn't wanted to join GK's little merry band and had done a runner for safer climes -i.e. China. Or as Tanguts, or Uighurs or anything really, including Kanglis for a Khwarizmian Army! (I'm still trying to work out whether I won that particular argument.)
What a b****y tangled web I weave for myself and no mistake!
So now, after a couple of e-mails to Mr Kay at Irregular about the availability of figures, I may be reneging on my deal. Don't know yet, might even get another tumen and the Arabs.
Keep em straight.
Mick.

Back to wargames.

I have been ruminating incessantly for the past couple of weeks an I have come to a conclusion. The next 10mm army is going to be... either the generic Arabs or Samurai. Now, I know there are two to choose from but I still have until a week before Derby to work out which. (I will phone that nice Mr Kay from Irregular and ask for couple of battlepacks.) Something else that is niggling is that the Irregular Carthaginians look rather tasteful as well -but out of period; so I think that army is going to be one for later.  

I keep looking over to my painting table at the last unit of Mongol 10mm cavalry and thinking, I'll get them done soon. But you know how it is, life keeps getting in the way. Still, need to get a wiggle on so I can start afresh after Derby.

Make sure it's wet.

Mick

PS It's looking favourite for the Arabs.

Ha! Ha! Fooled You!

Whilst going through my Blog Settings just a moment ago I noticed a little tick square to show location on readers page...so I ticked it. Now you can all see that I live in Middle England in a small village called Brummagem, a mere stones throw from Sutton Coldfield. But, I hear you cry, you are a follower of a football team that wears claret and blue and is not Aston Villa (or Burnley for that matter). Of course not! I originally hail from further daan sarf, at the eastern end of Thames River to be exact (Google it if you're not sure, why should I do everything for you?) I moved to my current domicile in just-before-the-middle-of-the-eighties and have been here ever since.  The Irons is an easy one, my family originally hail from Romford and Chadwell Heath area and -as I found out only a few years ago- most of them were/are West Ham followers anyway. (Apart from one cousin who is a Spurs fan, but no one's perfect).
Now this is where it gets a tad confusing. I have what is now called an Estuary Accent (but a bit upmarket; what with me pronouncing 'th' as 'th' instead of 'ff' and missing the 'k' from the end of words such as something (sumfink) or nothing (nuffink). EO (Eldest Offspring) has a reasonable Brum accent but takes after his old man and is a Hammer. MO , like father, has an Estuary Accent but even more upmarket than mine coz he is an actor an all, who has had electrocution lessons, don't you know -he is an ardent Bluenose (Birmingham City Supporter to the non-locals).  See what I mean? Confusion abounds. Oh, and by the way, YO and OH have no football interest whatsoever.
Keep it wet,
Mick