“Come Into the Garden Maud”

The blacksmiths and engineers of Herefordshire have been busy again, with another second-hand purchase – this steam tank from Ironclad Miniatures.

I’ve christened her ‘Maud’, after a very special lady in my life who, blind and in her late nineties, has recently survived an operation for a broken hip, and is still going strong!

Can you dig it?

After making dozens of road sign game markers, I realised that I hadn’t done anything to show units that have dug in or gone to ground.

Getting fed up with making signs, I thought I’d try something different, and came up with these…

Basically chunks of packing foam, cut into small wedges, with some stuff from my bits box glued on (a chap in a helmet peering over the edge, a rifle and mug resting on an earth bank, a spade and shotgun barrels resting on some sandbags). Add some of my new basing and voila!

Speaking of road signs, I’ve also glued some small discs (courtesy of Giles) to the removable bases to hopefully make them a bit less top-heavy.

Hereford Supporters Club

So I had some birthday money to spend and at the same time discovered Colonel Bills Wargames Depot – purveyor of second-hand miniatures. The result: four support teams for my Herefordshire Regiment!

Vickers HMG team (Crusader Early WWII)

Lewis Gun LMG team (Brigade Games WWI)



Mortar team (Crusader Early WWII)



Boys anti-tank rifle team (Crusader Early WWII)

Notice that the bases are different to my previous offerings. Giles, having finally, I suspect, had enough of my slapdash attitude to basing, very kindly gave me some tubs of his basing material and base-paint.

To make it go further I’ve mixed it in with my old basing flock and then splashed out on some varying shades of greenery from my local model shop – I must admit the results are far better than what I’ve previously attempted, and so begins the laborious task of rebasing the rest of my collection...

Partially Armoured Car

Recently I bought a couple of second hand, but un-built, Tamiya 1/48 models off the Lead Adventure Forum. One of them is a Citroen 11CV staff car, which I wanted to turn into an improvised armoured car.

However when it came down to it, I liked the model so much (apart from the bloody rear bumper which refused to stay stuck and got snipped off and flung across the room) that I decided not to stick squares of cardboard ‘armour’ onto it, but went for a more partially armoured look, sticking some strips of metallic tape ‘rivets’ around the window and using up my spare ‘Purdue’ turret from 6Mil Phil.

Add one scratchbuilt Vickers HMG barrel, a coat of paint, a wash and some dry brushed distressing and there you go!

I am the Music Man...

“I am the music man, I come from down your way…”

The good folks at CP Models very kindly gave me this Victorian one-man band figure in return for featuring their excellent miniatures in my VBCW Miniatures Guide.

I’ve no idea what to use it for, but it’s a cracking mini, if rather challenging to paint for a numpty like me, and will no doubt grace a tabletop very soon!

Altogether now:

"Pia-pia-pia-no, pia-no, pia-no; pia-pia-pia-no, pia-pia-no"

The Man From the Ministry

I present to you Sir Julian Jinks, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. This high-ranking member of the BUF is based on Jorian Jenks, real-life agricultural advisor to Mosley’s BUF (before his internment during WWII), environmentalist and pro-organic farmer.

In my little VBCW alternate universe, Julian Jinks followed a similar path during the run up to the abdication crisis, and when the BUF came to power, was knighted for his services and became a valued member of Mosley’s cabinet.

The miniature is a Black Tree Designs WW2 personality figure and will be used either as a BUF senior commander or an objective marker.

Countdown to Evesham 2012

The 5^th Evesham Big Game, to be played over the weekend of October 27/28^th at Gripping Beast HQ, is looming closer, and all the principle players are assembling their cast.

VBCW supremo ‘Mort’ will once again be at the helm and will be continuing his long-running Somerset campaign.

Using the ‘Went the Day Well?’ rules, players will take control of a platoon of troops, either as part of the BUF / Royalist coalition or the opposing Anglican League and the wildcard Somerset Freedom Fighters.

For my part, my Herefordshire forces will morph into a royalist platoon as I take the mantle of Capt. Stanley Horne. I will be operating under the command of Royalist hero Col. Dunbar, who himself is subordinate to the BUF commander Lord Winterfield.

Previous battles in this campaign have proved that there is no love lost between Dunbar and Winterfield, and as a Royalist, I will have to keep a weather eye on the BUF, as well as the enemy (in fact I have already accused Giles, playing BUF Capt. Oliver Cunningham-Smyth, of planning to knobble me in some way!)

Alas recently it looked like the Big Game would have to be cancelled due to space issues at the venue, but a reduction in player numbers (for instance I will only be playing on the Saturday, while Giles takes to the stage on Sunday) means that the game is back on – hopefully I will acquit myself better this time!

(That's torn it!)