The View From The Hill

Doug, of EM-4 fame, has become another convert to the world of VBCW, having enthusiastically participated in the last big game. He has also started a rather natty blog, which can be found at http://velodoug.wordpress.com.

Please drop in and take a look!

 

...and thus I gain one extra point!

You know the drill by now- someone has a competition on their blog, and by linking to it on your own blog you get an extra piece of paper put into the hat.

Happily this particular competition also gives me another chance to highlight a cracking blog that is rapidly gaining in popularity as the word spreads: namely Thoughts of a Depressive Diplomatist.

Edwin, creator of said blog, is celebrating its first anniversary with a competition. He is giving away some interesting books and postcards, and the competition ends on the 8th September (not far from my birthday - just sayin'...)

 

Yet another 'blogging for freebies' post

Mike, over at 'Trouble At T'Mill' is celebrating his 50th birthday by giving away lots of Too Fat Lardies goodness.

To quote Mike:-

 

The prize is a £25 gift voucher with Too Fat Lardies, which will get you the basic Chain of Command rules-only bundle plus (most of) postage, or the tablet/PDF edition and some bits bundle, or you can add to it to get one of the other bundles.

 

Now I've always promised myself to try out some of the Lardies rules, but I've never got around to buying any and, as I'm a big cheapskate, am a sucker for giveaways, so I'm pimping away like a white, balding, middle aged Huggy Bear! (Who like to paint little lead men.)

 

Oh, and this blog is also an excuse to try my hand at blogging via my iPad - something which isn't as easy as blogging via a PC without the help of a particularly useful app called Blogsy, which seems to do the trick!

 

Triple Blimpage

With the weather continuing to be glorious and with work, wife and the little 'uns keeping your humble blogger gainfully occupied, little painting has been done of late.

So why not fill the void with not one, not two, but three blog pimpages!

First off is a man who is rapidly becoming the face of VBCW through his stunning artwork and his efforts in promoting the genre, illustrator extraordinaire Peter Barfield, AKA 'Panzerkaput'.

Panzerkaput's Painted Review

PanzerKaput's Painted Review highlights not only Pete's amazing illustrations, but also his figure painting. For anyone wanting a sneak preview of the latest VBCW publications, this blog is the place to go...

28mm Victorian Warfare

Next up is another cracking blog - Michael Awdrey's 28mm Victorian Warfare. It's another blog that, like Pete's, leaves me seething with jealousy at the quality of the miniature painting.

As the title suggests, there's lots of Victorian era eye candy on this blog, but lots of other genres are represented too - for example, currently the zombie apocalypse is receiving the talented Awdrey treatment.

Roundwood's World

Last, but most certainly not least, is Sidney Roundwood's World. If the other two blogs leave me a little jealous, then Mr. Roundwood's painting skills make me weep!

Here you can find lots of WWI miniature goodness to drool over, including some very useful WIP shots, plus game reports, reviews, size charts etc etc.

Please take a look at these blogs and, if you're impressed, follow them and leave lots of nice comments!

Blog Pimpage (hereafter to be known as Blimpage!)

Folks it’s high time I pimped another VBCW blog!

Today I’m highlighting Morts 1938 Scrapbook – not only because Mort has just posted his 100^th entry, but also because he is one of the originators of the Very British Civil War phenomena.

He’s also the creator of the Somerset Freedom Fighters, author of the Solway guide to the North Somerset Campaign and, judging by his regular attendance at the Herefordshire big games, will seemingly travel anywhere in the UK for a VBCW game!

Please check out his blog, and leave him lots of nice comments.

Blog Pimpage

I am ashamed.

There are lots of lovely folks who follow my blog and regularly leave lots of nice comments whenever I post something.

Some of them also take the time to highlight my humble efforts on their own blogs.

But do I reciprocate?

Alas no…

But that is about to change! I have made a resolution to semi-regularly ‘pimp’ the work of my fellow bloggers, mainly, but not exclusively, VBCW/interwar blogs.

Your starter for ten is the excellent ‘Thoughts of a Depressive Diplomatist’, brought to you by Edwin King – a medal collector and regular contributor to the British Medals Forum, with interests in 'redheads, dead bishops and smelly old books'.

His blog covers a variety of themes, including the aforementioned dead bishops, the various medals awarded to royals, obituaries and moustaches!

I cannot recommend this blog highly enough, so please go and see for yourselves!

Blatant Self-Interested Pimpage

Tasmin, AKA ‘Wargaming Girl’, has an excellent blog which has recently racked up 100,000 views.

In celebration, she has generously started a 5 day-long prize giveaway.

To be entered into the draw you must publically follow her blog, comment on the post and/or link it on your own blog (to get entered 5 times) – which is what I’m doing now!

Take a look and maybe bag yourself some goodies - Day 1 is here!

The Battle of St. Weonards

News has just reached your correspondent of a recent battle near the Welsh border at the village of St. Weonards.

It appears that the Reverend Meredith has got himself into trouble by splitting from the local Anglican League to go preaching around the Welsh border, drawing the attention of both the Welsh Nationalists and the Royalists...

I've been pointed in the direction of the Gloucester wargames club down in Lydbrook and this VBCW battle, as reported on Matt's Gaming Page. Please take a look, and also have a butchers at Matt's website at Glenbrook Games and Painting Service.

I’d like to thank my parents, my agent, my proctologist…

It appears that this humble blog has been awarded a Liebster Award by Stuart of ‘Dust, Tears & Dice’! What a nice surprise!

Erm, so what exactly is a Liebster Award?

Well apparently it’s one of these chain-mail ‘send on to x-amount of people that you know’ things, but with a twist, in that it asks you to nominate some of your favourite blogs.

The rules, should you wish to follow them, are:-

1. Copy and paste the award on your blog linking it to the blogger who has given it you.

2. Pass the award to your top 5 favourite blogs with less than 200 followers by leaving a comment on one of there posts to notify them that they have won the award and listing them on your own blog.

3. Sit back and bask in the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with knowing you have made someones day!

4. There is no obligation to pass this onto someone else but its nice if you take the time to do so.

So who do I nominate?

Picking 5 blogs that I particularly like is easy – I could nominate dozens, but most of them have already been given this award - however I’ve narrowed it down to these smashing efforts...

The Lost City of Carcosa

My gaming buddy Giles’ blog, which covers not only our VBCW adventures, but his Warhammer, Lazerburn, BOB and sundry other tabletop encounters, plus cats, pizza and global warming!

Morts 1938 Scrapbook

‘Mort’, one of the founders of this whole VBCW thing, has a great blog showcasing his collection and the various ‘Big Games’ that he has organised with a flavour of Somerset.

John's Toy Soldiers

A great blog by, you’ve guessed it, a fellow called John! John’s got some great stuff on his wargaming blog and I recommend you take a look!

Four Colour Super Minis

VBCW chum Rob’s blog, featuring everything from VBCW goodness to superheroes, zombies and all manner of stuff – well worth a good trawl through.

The Duchy of Tradgardland

A blog detailing one man’s imagi-nation of Tradgardland – lots of great miniatures and modelling on this blog, plus books, DVDs and suchlike.

Please check out these rather spiffing blogs folks!

Happenings in Worcestershire

My gaming buddy Giles has started an excellent new blog, The Lost City of Carcosa.

In amongst posts about Warhammer battles, his cats and various other musings, he’ll also be putting up some bits about his VBCW battles in Worcestershire, starting off with this scrap over a innocent-looking post box…

Please go and give it a butchers!

The other side of The Forest

While things are rumbling along between the Royalist/BUF and the Anglican League and allies along the Malverns, the Anglican League at Ross has opened another front south of the Forest of Dean, over the border in Gloucestershire - thanks to GWP member 'Wilfie Smith (CPO - Ret)'.

His excellent blog details the fighting around Longhope in a campaign set in the Forest of Dean, Severn Estuary & Bristol Channel area.

Check it out here!

Over the border in Worcestershire

The chaps at the Evesham Wargames Club have been gaming VBCW for some time now, and have an excellent blog which details their Worcester campaign (in which Anglican Leaguers from Herefordshire often feature).

Check out 'For God, England & King Edward - Wargaming in an alternative 1930's Britain'