Sunday 31 August 2014

More Wargame Terrain book - one month on



Sales of book two are proceeding well with 57 books being sold of the limited edition, signed and numbered 100 books. I have also been pleasantly surprised at the number of orders I have received for the re-print of book one.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this project.

Details of how to order book one - Building Wargame Terrain can be found here and book two - More Wargame Terrain here.

Tony

Friday 29 August 2014

Away-Day Parabellum, Birmingham



Image taken from the Web

I am now back home after a great day out at Parabellum, Birmingham where over some tea and cakes I met up with Mark, Craig and John to talk about wargaming, model making and the new book.

I also came away with some Flintloque Toads - thank  you Craig.

It would be nice to say  that the meeting and discussion was orderly and structured, but anyone who has visited this, most traditional of Olde Skool model shops will know, that most of the time was spent waltzing around the store to make best use of the limited space available. Parabellum is one of those 'stacked to the rafters' shops that is today so very, very rare.

I also forgot to pick up the Vallejo paints that I had planned on buying - Doh!

Between us we talked about Flintloque, Flash Gordon, Aeronef and even WW2 Normandy, discussed the best way to publish PDF books and what book three should contain. But in truth it was all about having fun and meeting like-minded modellers. To everyone who called in, I hope you didn't mind the cramped surroundings and enjoyed the chat (and the cakes) - I hope you didn't scoff the lot Mark!

One positive is that I think Craig has convinced Mark to write an article for Orcs in the Webbe - The Advent Calendar 2014 (maybe)?

I will be calling back some time in the next couple of months, I really enjoy the day out and must try to do it more often.

Tony

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Pin-Head Ogres



These are a couple of Pin-Head Ogres from the Monster in my Pocket miniature sets. I picked these up from one of the Pound Shops last year and they have been kept in my to-do box ever since. The figures are hard plastic figures that come with their own stats cards.

Photos Two and Three - The Ogre.

The model stands 38mm tall head to toe and is mounted on a 50mm round base. I have re-painted the figure in the same colours as the original.



Photos Four and Five - Another re-paint, this time a Cyclops! But a Cyclops with two eyes?

This model stands 42mm tall head to toe and is again mounted on a 50mm round base.



Both miniatures have been based, re-painted and varnished. I have no idea what I'll be doing with these two figures, but they were great fun to paint and given that they are cheap collectable figures - they are exceptionally well sculpted. I have a number of other Monster in my Pocket figures that were picked up at the same time, some have already been used as adversaries for my 40mm Flash Gordon collection.

Tony

Saturday 23 August 2014

The Commandery, Worcester



Sue and I have lived in Worcestershire for over thirty years and this week was my first visit to The Commandery Museum Sidbury, Worcester. Over the years I have visited the museum shop and even peaked over the fences, but this was my first ever visit to the museum proper. Full details of museum can be found here.





Once inside I was given a hand-held information terminal which allowed you to browse the museum in your own time, selection from different periods and ages of the history of the house/houses.


As you can see, a lot of the images are of the exposed timber framing, something that I find fascinating.











I also managed to take these photos for future modelling inspiration.




I thought the museum was very well laid out with lots to see and do, however I found the bare rooms could have been a better spectacle if they had been partially furnished.

During your visit you can explore both the interior and the gardens. I think my favourite part was listening to the re-enactment of the Battle of Worcester.

During our visit the museum was getting ready for this weekends Bank Holiday activities. There were many Civil War dressed soldiers all trying on their uniforms, helmets and breast plates. Unfortunately, I was not able to photograph them.

Tony

Thursday 21 August 2014

Gloucester Docks - part two



Even more images of the Alice through the looking glass film set - Gloucester Docks.






This fire-less locomotive would make a fantastic engine on a model narrow-gauge industrial layout.






Lots of modelling inspiration.

Tony

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Gloucester Docks



Earlier today, Sue and I visited the Gloucester Quays shopping complex. Before having lunch in one of the dockside restaurants we took a walk over one of the swing bridges and there under Llanthony Docks we saw these images.

This is the set dressing for the new Johnny Depp film Alice through the looking glass. All of the filming had ended, in fact we were told the cast had moved on to a secret destination in Oxfordshire. However I felt the images were well worth posting as they offer a huge amount of modelling inspiration - just take a look at all that clutter.














Tony