A Difficult 3 Years

Well it's been a long time! 3 years ago as mentioned in my last post in the summer of 2013 my father was taken ill. Well a lot has happened since, including selling the family home in Surrey, moving mum into a bungalow near me and dad into a nursing home also nearby. The working life of an academy careers tutor has also become a lot busier as well, and modeling and wargaming has taken a back seat although some activity has taken place, usually short 1 hour games and just a few figures painted. Reporting this on a blog has been a call on time too far hence the blogging 'radio silence'.

February this year my father passed away and my partner Hazel's father also passed away 3 months later. We are just about recovering from these expected but still distressing events.

Earlier this year someone used a photo from my blog on Facebook saying it was their collection of Airfix figures! I made a suitable comment but it got me casually reading some of my favoutite blogs again although Matt and 'Waterloo to Mons' seems to have ceased again a great shame. I then decided I would soon revisit Victory V as I enjoyed the discipline of writing the blog and occasionally someone may perhaps have enjoyed reading it!

The regular article in Miniature Wargames on blogs has also brought some new sites to look at , but I must start looking at 'freshening' Victory V up a bit as it had become  a little cluttered and dated, tips welcomed as I am not in any way an IT 'techie' this may take some time!

The above photo shows one of my old T34/85's (not Joseph Stalin thanks Simon!) behind an Airfix Strongpoint in a '1 hour wargame' in the 2016 Easter Hols. Oh and while I may not have modelled and wargamed much the loft insulation, stashes and lead mountains have increased vastly out of all proportion to activity.

Matt Varnish

One of the useful reasons to belong to the Britmodeller forum, logo link at top of this page or go to this page in the tips & tools section although you might have to join (a painless & free exercise), is too pick up handy modelling/painting etc etc ideas plus you can ask for help if you need an answer to a 'neerdy' question which you may have on what colour is the underwing surfaces of a 1940 Avro Widget III. This forum seems particularly helpful & if you are not a modelller but mostly class yourdelf as a wargamer...who paints figures & creates armies to fight table top games with.... well the skills are the same when it comes to painting & constructing wargaming models or scenary. I'm both although I am having a bit of a 'model building moment' thanks to the forums starter kit group build which finishes on May 2nd...I've built 2 models in 3 weeks & thats doubled last years output already!!...now some Warlord ECW beckon!!!

The picture of Galeria Matt varnish is in response to Grimsby Wargamings plea for recommendations for a Matt varnish...actually Humbrol is one of the better varnishes but for consistency of quality go with a specialist arts product  it can be sprayed on or brushed on with equaly good effect.

Medway Model Show - the Photo's of Some Superb Models

A small superb model show is held annually at the Royal Engineers Museum every year on the first weekend in September. It is organised by Medway Modelling Society and Kevin Nunn who used to own Beaney's Model Shop of Sittingbourne (sadly no more,next owner couldn't 'make a go of it') Kevin is a huge modelling enthusiast and has close connections with Airfix, runs his own model business Brigade Models (yup another one with that name! which specialises in 1/48th Spitfire Conversions)and Product Development & Advertising manager for Aviation Workshop Publications.Kevin always knows the latest 'new model release news' and above all he encourages young people into the hobby, at the Medway show children were being assisited in building free Airfix kits and I think this is a very important part of the Scale Modelling/Wargaming hobby that all of us should encourage.



I prefer shows situated at a Museum as you can also look at the exhibits and the Engineers Museum is a little known gem. This father and son team display their models in the shadow of a 1:1 scale GR3 harrier it doesn't get much better than that! I can also recommend anyone to visit the Model Shows at the Fleet Air Arm Museum the next is the Autumn Model show.


The display area in the museum where various model clubs and traders had their stands all the club members were friendly and willing to talk about their models and give tips. The pictures tell their own story so enjoy looking at the following models. Which diorama is a full scale 1:1 exhibit at the museum!!





















I will blog more on the museum when I have revisited and can spend time looking at the exhibits properly, your admission enables you to visit again as many times as you want to for a year! Also a picture of the new Airfix 1:24 scale Mossie to follow shortly as I met Trevor Snowdon 'Mr Airfix' at the show.

Medway Model Show - Royal Engineers Museum 5/6th Sept 2009

An annual favourite'Medway Modellers Showcase' For more information:Phone 01634 822839.The Medway Modellers Club hosts their annual show at the Royal Engineers Museum with trade stands, wargames and family activities plus as a bonus it is at The Royal Engineers Museum which is Kent's only designated museum of national and international importance. It provides a fascinating insight into the debt owed by Britain to its soldier engineers from the earliest times to the present day.



'Discover the bravery and heroism of our soldier engineers With 26 galleries and 6,000 exhibits, the museum tells a fascinating story. The First and Second World War galleries give visitors a feel for life during the more gruelling parts of the 20th century. They depict the grim reality of life in the First World War trenches, the glaring beams of Second World War searchlights and offer a glimpse of a Medway family home under the threat of invasion in 1940.Displays include 55-ton tanks, a Harrier ground attack aircraft, torpedoes, bridges, models, railway locomotives, weapons, uniforms, a variety of medals (including 25 Victoria Crosses) and the very map used by the Duke of Wellington during the battle of Waterloo.The museum also has an extensive library of military history'.

The advert is a bit poor taken from the local newspaper 'whats on' and frankly the museum web site is a bit 'pants' but it is a great collection and a museum which has lots of events throughout the year with re enactors in attendance , the Zulu War being a favourite. Highly recommended to visit I intend to soon!!

Painting Update

A little off my main interest but I do occassionally still play D&D (I started with friends back in Walton On Thames in about 1982)My current Dungeon Companions have now advanced to the latest set of rules and a new forgotten Realms campaign. My character is the new Warlord Class and I am playing a Dark Elf! As usual the best bit for me is painting the miniatures and the Dwarf posted here is I think an old Denizen figure which one of the players Adam wanted me to paint and base.





The figure was sprayed with Halfords black undercoat and then carefully immediatly wiped off using a soft cloth leaving the residue black to 'antique' the metal of the casting.





Above & Below is one of the ranger figures from Games Workshop for Lord of The Rings painted as a half elf ranger for our previous D&D campaign. Note 'stretched sprue' bow string ! see aircaft modelling skills are useful for figures to!





Now at long last the other week my small Minifigs order arrived, delayed as the owner was running the whole operation singlehanded! Also some lovely Empress Miniatures Zulu Wars figures...fantastic!! Some aircraft modelling will have to take place since Hannants released a model in their xtrakit range of the Scimitar!! not modelled before in injection plastic format & I love Fleet Air Arm jets so another project!!





Why when you have a reasonably sized painting workstation/room do you end up working right on the edge of the painting area...and filling up the rest of the desk with paint pots, brushes, half finished projects, beer glasses, radio's etc etc!! nearly finished in shot are the two Grenadiers representing the grenadier comany of the Buffs and a plastic Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.J 'fast assembly kit' from Italeri which will be spayed and finished in no time at all...this I have found gives relief from painting small 15mm detail and improves morale in getting something finished quickly!!

I have also updated my other two blogs including photo's of a trip to Manston Airport and the Zero carbon home at Staplehurst Crossways as featured on the programme Grand Designs

Minifigs 'The Buffs' in progress!!

At last I return to the abandoned WSS 15mm project. Not being 100% over easter with dodgy tum, I havn't spent much time crouched over the painting table! But when I did have a foray with the paintbrush it was to endanger my eyesight further with these 15mm fellows.Living in East Kent my first regiment has to be the legendary 'Buffs' 3rd Regiment of Foot.

The photo shows 2 complete bases (following Wills rules via Steve the Wargamers invaluable WSS pages, 6 figs per base 30mmX30mm)The standard has just been glued in place...although as can be seen from the photo I removed the top half of the Minifigs Ensigns flagpole drilling out the hand (in 15mm mad eh!) and replacing it with a bit of wire long enough to take the flag. I super glued the 'spike' on top & will touch up the paint & add a couple of red tassles from fine cotton.

The remaining 10 tricornes are currently 'under the paintbrush' and then I must confess to being a 'right muppet'!! when I ordered the figures last year I forgot the Grenadiers as 2 will be needed to represent the Grenadier company!!! So have just ordered these plus a few other bits from Minifigs as it's best to keep the different ranges seperate in their own regiments so the height disparity etc doesn't look obvious (Black hat Grenadiers I have are bigger overal & different style). The Black Hat cavalry are superb but much larger than any other range....just look at Steve the Wargamers pages to see for yourself.

Just before Good Friday my Warlord Games ECW's arrived together with Boltaction miniatures WW2 Tommy's on bikes I just had to have....as you do...plus an easter egg from those kind folk at Warlord games!!! ...wow now thats the way to keep customers the human touch. Unfortunatly its still in its box due to aformentioned bug!





We had a quiet easter visited the Edwin Lutyens 'Salutation' House & Gardens at Sandwich on easter sunday with Hazels family and entertained my folks later in the week.



I did complete watching 'Piece of cake' the ireverant depiction of a Fall of France/Battle of Britain Squadron adapted by LWT and first shown in 1988, from a book by Derek Robinson. The story is absolute trash but the flying sequences (in the wrong marks of spitfire of course!) are awesome....and they would be with Ray Hannah at the controls. Ray 'Shooting the bridge' in a spitfire was a memorable bit of footage.




I caught up with a bit of reading also including a fun fictional novel by Guy Walters 'The Occupation' set on the Channel Islands in WW2 and picked up a few second hand books including a useful reference on Artillery 'Artillery Through the Ages' by Colonel HCB Rogers published by the Military Book Society in 1971. It does what is says on the cover! Describing the development of Artillery in sieges, in the field and at sea from the first certain record of ordnance in the city of Ghemt in 1313 to WW2 with an interesting further chapter on Rocketry.

I just hope that the SH book turns up soon and the Brigade Models Belgian Cavalry although it's not as if I havn't got any other projects on the go!......... must undercoat my Perry Riflemen, stick together a few Perry French & British Infantry get a few aircraft kits on the go.....it is 'mad' at the moment in the past couple of years so much new stuff has been released in wargaming and aircraft modelling terms it is absolutely impossible to keep up, a point one of my favourite blogs by good old Legatus has made well complete with picture of his 'lead mountain' (& Howards Way DVD...less said about that the better!)

Current Projects

Well a week has passed without posting. This was due to huge amounts of work as is common with many at this time of year with the end of the financial year...but it hasn't just been financial stuff but parish liaison, bid writting, Service Level Agreement Monitoring, funding panels etc etc etc this has meant weekends have been absorbed into the working week and so the hobby has suffered & the garden, allotment etc although Hazel has got me away from the PC to go on relaxing bike rides. Easter is on the horizon and some days off 'hurrah' and perhaps the occasional bit of time to put paintbrush to a model figure or two.

I am pleased with my dedication so far in keeping to the main project of painting Great War Belgians and this will continue with more of a production line approach in future months although I have ordered some of the new cavalry from Brigade Models...which will take me ages to paint!!




.....also on the work bench are some Peter Pig 15mm WW1 Belgians (see a theme!)




also some Emahar plastic Vikings,Warhammer Dark Elf Cavalry (Aim to complete a 1,000 point army to fight work colleague) Great War Brits including the 'Charleys War' figure from Musketeer and the 'Combat Stress' charity figure sculptered by Soapy via 'Figures in Comfort' and ....nervously looking unwanted on the outer reaches of the painting table are the 'Buffs' partially completed 15mm Minifig Marlborough types...I must get back on track with these.





The picture at the head of this article is of Rodens recently released 1:35th scale British Armoured Car one of my favourite vehicles of all time & one I will have to make time to build although have not built any armour in this larger scale for some years. Will's Wargames Blog is displaying some nicely built aircraft at the moment & with my flying friend visiting in a couple of weeks to 'commit aviation' in the skies of Kent no doubt I will be distracted into sticking plastic aircraft together again.

Quiet day in Blogland wonder If a Big Show is on Today!

Yes there is silly me!!! it's that show again Salute & again I cannot make it as it's conflicting with my busiest time at work & 'poorest' time of the year....o well....violins etc. Hope everyone enjoys it and buys loads of goodies except don't exhaust Brigade Models Belgian cavalry stocks too much!!!

ZULU - 1975 Military Modelling & Norman Abbey??

Ok 4 months no post second month of the year...o well aim to post more often.Whats been happening well very bad neck and back problems due to being stuck at computer & driving too much!! not modelling honest!!

Well after another fascinating 5 days including the whole of the weekend putting a 44page funding bid together to the Big Lotto (fat chance of success odds not good as usual, hard work if not in a labour heartlands area!)I suddenly started wondering what inspired the military modelling while viewing e bay! well mostly father and grandfather and their war stories but also an issue of Military Modelling in around 1975 with a diorama about Islandwana/Rorkes Drift...was it Norman Abbey who built it using 54mm Hinchcliffe Figs?? has anyone got a copy????? would really like to get issue/article.

This diorama was a huge inspiration and various attempts followed for school and cubs!! The Battle of Masada Jews v Romans hilltop bash using Airfix Arabs (scarce then) and Romans, Crashed Airfix Triplane on the western front with surrendering pilot and a zulu wars diorama using Esci Figures.

Anway new year and inspiration is taking hold due to the very useful presence of a wargames shop 'The Snipers Nest' in Ramsgate. Ramsgate is a very underated seaside town with loads of history (great harbour & Augustus P's house the prototype suburban dwelling) and also Ramsgate Models (2 1/48th Airfix TSR2's purchased from there recently for those with an aviation interest!)

Back to snipers nest!! here I buy monthly a Wings of War model for the game and Great War Miniatures Figures which are superb! The cavalry have just been released and lancers have been duly purchased. Also I can get Victrix, Perry and Warlord games plastics !!! hurrah!! no hope for concentration on 1 period there then!!

No but number one interest will be 1914 & WW1. I have also Brigade Models Belgians to paint as well and have just worked out the uniform details. Nearly forgot also in stock inspired at christmas to purchase from that graet company Gripping Beast some WW1 british figs with naval Division haeds (change putties and could be RMLI at Ostend)

So there we go pictures to follow including the only remaining diorama a WW1 tank mounted on melted ceiling tile pockmarked with shell holes, plastered, painted and twig tree stump!!

Time to dine and another drop of merlot!