Stoneleigh Swing Dance 26/1/13

I went to a big 1940s dance last night. The dance was great fun but I think it was rather more about WW2 given the number of non-dancing uniforms present. Still that meant the dance floor was never too paced for a little jitterbug action! To think that just 12 months ago I went to my first dance lesson; I never thought I'd have the fun and the friendships I've had and made since then. Marvellous!

Here are some photos a friend took which I've lifted from the relevant Facebook album. Thanks to Dawn Fitzgerald for taking the pics in the first place.

All the best!

All photos by Dawn Fitzgerald.

Megablitz Continues.........

I love Zvezda's Art of Tactic toys. They're such good value at less than £3 for a crewed 1/72 scale artillery piece or 1/144 scale combat aircraft it's got URRAH! written all over it. So much so that I went a bit mad today and bought this lot:

• 2 x 76mm Infantry Guns
• 1 x 45mm Anti-Tank gun
• 1 x M-16 Quad AA
• 1 x LAGG-3
• 1 x Hurricane Mk1
• 1 x Infantry

The 1st Westmidlandsgorsk Front grows in strength daily at its Birmingrad headquarters! Tremble in your nest of evil, fascist vipers, for vengeance is coming!

I'm An Action Figure

I don't know, you wait ages for a 45mm M1937 and then two come along at once!

No one believed me when I told them BUM had used a photo of myself and two chumrades manning the said anti-tank gun. The pic was taken during an SCW event at Castellon de la Plana in 2007. We were blowing holes in fascist trucks and the back of a Republican officer's head who popped up in front of us at the wrong moment. Qué lastíma!

Now, finally, here's the proof. I am a toy action figure:

That's me at the back.

RKKA All The Way!

The saboteur responsible for the recent technical failures has been detected and dealt with. In the Soviet way; he is no longer on the ration strength.

I, in the meantime, have not been idle. Megablitz has grabbed me by the lapels and said 'DO ME!' In a fully consensual way, of course. So here's my first efforts in that line. The Glorious Red Army is the obvious choice and I thought I'd start with a Rifle Corps. So far I've got the three divisions and anti-tank regiments done. I still need to source and paint up the Corps artillery, transport and headquarters. The figures are Italerai 1/72 Soviet infantry from the, frankly, poor winter clothing set. The next toys are from the 'summer set' and are much better. The anti-tank gun started life as a weapon of the fascist vipers and is now re-branded as a 45mm M1937.

There are also four vehicles. Most likely bound for postings to an armoured unit but we'll see. Two are definitely LOG vehicles. One of which has a load of sacks in the back that were once cement bags but now contain Lend-Lease food for Ivan. One looks like a good propaganda wagon for The Commissar. The last one could well be used by The Boss himself, hence the out-sized star.

On To Berlin!

Where's The Rest Of Us?

URRAH!

PS Hello to new blog followers: Ray Rousell, Laffe, JOMPS & Friendly Fires. Welcome!

Names And News

One of my cupboards. Yesterday.

Hi all,

I've been a bit quiet the last week or so. There are several reasons for this:

• The batteries in my camera need recharging.
• I have no re-charger until the weekend.
• I've been having meetings with RBL & CAB.
• The meetings have led to promising outcomes.
• I've been out dancing. A lot.

I have been working on some stuff too you'll be delighted to hear!

• Three uniformed cozzers for Geezers
• RoK infantry company for Cross-Fire
• Soviet 41st Rifle Corps for Megablitz (I finally gave in)

As regular readers will know I possess several cupboards of seemingly limitless storage. The latest hunt turned  up:

• 2 x I-15 a/c
• 1 x Hurricane MkI
• 1 x box of 1/72 Soviet infantry (summer clothing)
• 3 x 1/72 Soviet style trucks
• 1 x 37mm German anti-tank gun which will become the Soviet 45mm.

There was a lot of Italian stuff too; I must study those Megablitz orbats again.......

And names. Has anyone noticed that when you do the anti-spambot test to publish a comment on a chumrade's blog how the randomized letters are often name-like?

For example today yielded:

• IIlystor which sounds like a fine fantasy hero to me. Possibly an elf.
• Gargedy Mr Gargedy - Dickensian and/or character from Victorian sci-fi.

Laters taters!

I'm Such A Rotter!

I am. I completely forgot that my friend Virginia runs a smashing website. She sources and sells only real vintage clothing; none of your retro/vintage-style for this girl! Her stock is almost solely women's clothing so if you know someone who is looking for vintage heaven then she might be able to sort you out.

Have look at her website here: GingerMegs. Her shop is in The Custard Factory in dear old Brum.!

TTFN!

A Career In Korea 1

With Christmas and New Year consigned to the dustbin I was at something of a loose end. So, I went exploring and I found yet another abandoned project in another forgotten cupboard. This project must have happened around 2010 and the 60th Anniversary of The Korean War. A quick look at the bookshelves confirmed my possession of Max Hasting's book The Korean War and a number of films which are set in that war. The Hunters, The Bridges At Toko-Ri, Pork Chop Hill and my favourite: A Hill In Korea.

All of the films tell good stories with believable characters. They are also full of wargaming suggestions, possibilities and ideas. Noteworthy is the 'friendly fire' incident in A Hill in Korea.

Anyway back to my find. First onto the bench was a box of IMEX 1/72 Chinese PLA troops. The box contains a large number of dead, dying or surrendering figures. I decided that most of them would be found work in the ranks. Three became machine gun loaders, one became a political officer and one was given a rifle and placed in a rifle platoon.The remaining three dead were turned into disordered/pinned markers for Crossfire.

Once painted and based I organised the toys into a PLA infantry company based and organised for the Crossfire rule-set.I found this site invaluable: Steve's Balagan. Light on heavy weapons but with plenty of man-power for the human-wave assault. The first platoon is armed with SMGs, A/T Bombers and LMG. The other three platoons are rifle armed with supporting LMG. From what I can gather the Chinese used a massive variety of weapons including kit left over from WW2 especially Japanese stuff.

Here are the toys:

2nd Company

Company HQ 1

Company HQ 2

1st Platoon/ 2nd Company 1

1st Platoon/2nd Company 2

2nd Platoon/2nd Company

Note the A/T grenades and petrol bombs!

3rd Platoon/2nd Company

4th Platoon/2nd Company

Close-up Company CO & Political Officer

Note Politically Conscious Bugle Boy of Chinese People's Volunteers in Korea.

Pinned Markers

Next on the bench: freedom loving RoK troops. (Still WIP I'm afraid)

All the best!

PS Welcome to newest blog follower Baconfat. I've had a look at his blog and, well, WOW!

End of 2012.....

Goodbyeeeeeeeee!

.....And the beginning of 2013 beckons. I've had a relatively good year after losing my wargaming mojo completely. Setting up the blog has been instrumental in this. Photographing and writing up the projects has given me new impetus as well as an insight into the thinking of others' via their own blogs.

I've enjoyed building my two 54mm FLW armies, especially since the Anahuacan one started life as a Villista army for a Mexican Revolution project. My favourite is the Tarbooshian Army with all its contradictions and impossibilities. All made possible by the fantastic nature of FLW.

On other fronts I've re-activated two 28mm projects. One based around the movie Underworld and the other around 1970s Cops & Robbers. I've enjoyed the detailing of these figures after so much, equally enjoyable, toy-soldier style paint jobs.

I want to play more games and visit more wargames events in 2013. I've managed one game only this year: a 1/72 scale Crossfire one and that simply will not do!

This is also the first anniversary of me starting swing-dancing. I wish I'd done it sooner but I didn't. That said it remains the best fun you can have with your kit on. I get to dress smartly in a 1940s style and dance with the most amazingly beautiful and stylish ladies too.

And there was cake.

To conclude. Thank you for your support, advice and guidance since late August 2012 and I wish you all a happy 2013 and a bright future too!

All the best

Bienvenidos a mi blog!

To newest blog follower: Virginia.

She's lovely, goes dancing with me and obviously loves boys toys. Outstanding!

And

Steve whose own blog is well worth a look!

Un abrazo!

Get Your Trousers On! You're......etc etc

Back on the backlog clearance trail and I've opened a box of figures & rules for Geezers! Shut It! Yet another project that's been languishing in development hell for, oooo, ages. I do remember sub-contracting some of the figure painting out to a girlfriend of mine. We split up not long after but I don't think this had anything to do with it. She did quite a nice job considering she'd never painted 28mm figures before. Their time spent in storage porridge had left them knocked about. So I was forced to tidy up the blaggers she'd done. I also painted up two armed coppers; one chap with a Sterling SMG; two women, sorry birds. One of whom looks like she's on her way to a Lambs Navy Rum photo-shoot via a Hai-Karate advert. The Lynx of its day. The other bird is best left undescribed........

I've been watching 'The Sweeney' & 'Life On Mars' DVD box sets over Christmas. For entertainment value but also for, vibrant, background colour. Especially for the clothes of that decade. The clothes.............

The toys are painted in what I believe are authentic renderings of 1970s fashion, colours and taste. Whether that is good or bad I leave to you, Dear Reader. Any migraines or flashbacks induced by the images posted below I apologise for.

I also have a collection of vehicles and buildings for the game but more of them later. I've also left out the pic of one female figure who would be described by my Mother as 'A Right One'.

Theresa Thruppnees

Local Bird, likes eating at Berni Inns

Nostrils Newman with his trademark sawn-off.

I originally painted his balaclava in the style of the ski-masks sported by the villains in Chalk & Cheese. The toy looked like he was sporting a tea-cosy and was the laughing stock of the gang. 

Soft Terry says No shootahs! 

This chap is wearing one of his trouble's stockings. Hence his slightly flayed alive look.

Jimmy the Git

Just gimme the moolah and no-one gets 'urt. Right?

Pump-Action Paul

'E was wearing ox-blood Doctor Martin's, officer

Copper, Special Branch or Insane Villain?

Flying Squad Skipper

Drop it!

Flying Squad Guv'nor 

You're nicked!

They just need their bases doing in an urban style, bit of high-lighting and then varnishing. 'Andsome!

As always comments are very welcome.

All the best!