Happy New Year!

This comes around faster every year I am sure! Best wishes to you all, and I hope you have great year  coming up.

This last year has seen an upturn more gaming in than I thought which has been really good. The social interaction on some forums and Facebook pages has also brought a number of us together virtually and literally that culminated in a full days gaming yesterday - I think that will happen more often next year too.

A few shots from yesterdays game day at Scruton :-

Project wise the Sudan has had enough completed to be able to put on very large games - I hope to get this to a a campaign game next year and to run a play by blog game of it later in the year to.

Projects for next year are - finish the Sudan , a 10mm ACW project , and a new improved larger man cave - more about those another time.

anyway - until next year .. have a Happy New Year!

Sudan - Last of the Naval Brigade

Here we have the final installment of the Naval Brigade for the Sudan collection. A further 24 matelots "at the ready" to flesh out the the existing company of 18, plus  various gunners.  

28mm  Perry Miniatures

And here is the full Naval Brigade accumulated over the last few years - various unreliable machine guns, crew and limbers, close-order and skirmish companies. 

The latest batch have soft caps, rather than the more interesting sennet hats that some of them have. 

When I take the the Sudan game out of the show circuit it is run as a participation game and part of this is providing some head wear for the participants - Pith helmets, fezzes - ok Tarbooshes really. So I recently commissioned a bespoke original pattern straw Sennet (boater type) hat from Philip Wrights, a traditional old milliners in Luton in the UK - the home  of hats. They have recently been making them for the Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth so that was good enough for me. I has a generic Naval Brigade tally on it. I shall source a few specific ship ones as I get some more information on units represented.

I have also added in a couple of new single figures as well- that appeared as my opening post in the painting challenge

The lady is the limited edition Mary Seacole figure from Partizan this year. The officer sipping tea was picked up from a mixed box of figures at a show and is of unknown provenance. The poor soul on the loo is part of a toilet humour set made by Colonel Bills - and the Thunderbox is by Foreground, if I remember. 

Its that time of the year again. So here is wishing you and yours a wonderful time.

The Christmas elves have been busy and have delivered a haul of stash for me...

Books , paints, 10mm ACW, 54mm cowboys and 28mm Sudan figures

This is from my Secret Santa - good choice! - so good its already now got some paint on it.. 

Getting ready for painting...

Its almost time to get the brushes put to work with the start of this years 7th Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. I have not painted anything in a while for one reason or another , but there has still be some serious levels of preparation going on over the last few months.

My aim is to "finish" ahem... the Sudan project, well perhaps be able to draw a line under it for the start of a new one.

I have been working on a large British Infantry unit - it will be 60 figures strong , made up from two Perry plastic sets. To make a change I will also do these with the classic red coats too.

Also some work on a British Limbered artillery battery.

The final forces for the Mahdi have also been prepared which will see the collection rise to 1000 Mahdists foot figures , and over 150 mounted figures, and a vessel for the Mahdist river forces.

The "before" shot - everything primed and ready to go - the preparation desk area is full. 

 I am looking forward to getting these all done - and getting ready for a few new projects in the New Year - more of that another time.