English Civil War Troopers Armour in Maidstone Museum, Kent

Troopers armour of the English Civil War, on display in Maidstone Museum in Kent. The armour bears the commonwealth mark of the Tower of London. This armour would of course been worn over a tough buff coat that would have also provided some protection against sword blows.

The English Civil War section in the museum, sadly is limited to one cabinet and a brief description of the battle of Maidstone which I will relate soon accompanied with photo's of the town. The painting in the background is of Lady Ann Brockman 1600-1660 wife of Sir William Brockman staunch royalist and Sherriff of Kent in 1643. The painting dates from around 1642. The displays in this section of the room are dated & contained in cabinets which annoyingly effect the quality of the photographs with 'reflection issues'

Nimrod into Bruntingthorpe 27.04.10

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.

Brigade Models Belgian WW1 Dog carts released at Salute

wow look at these lovely's been waiting for ages for these to materialise from the Kentish firm of Brigade models.....and as usual they are going to be released at salute.....yes that massive model show which always takes place at that time of the year when MOT, car tax & summer holiday costs all conspire to impose immediate poverty on my bank balance!!! I just know that attending Salute would be 'fatal' !! Anyway aiming to visit wargame shows in the Autumn this year

Airfix Starter set challenge 'take 2' Iranian F5-A !!!!!!

Sorry chaps no wargames figures although some Warlord ECW Firelock storming party are ready for undercoating...but another plane as I had promised the Britmodeller Group build I would construct 2 models ...so here we go the Freedom Fighter F-5A in all its glory....nose cone about 4mm too big for fusalage....lots of emery boarding to reduce it flush with rest of fusalage....otherwise OK ...no filler allowed so the display stand slot & wing fit gap filled with paired down 'sprue' . This will be finished in Iranian Air Force markings from 1965!!! now I know B****er all about the F5 & the Iranian Air Force  but it's fun modelling!! Given up on orange squash & wagon wheels....Jennings Cumberland Ale & home made 'sloe Vodka' instead....painting with Humbrol acrylic 11 could be interesting!!!!!

A W Seahawk 'Starter Set' Group Build Challenge Completed

Well chuffed to have finished this challenge on Britmodeller Forum. Just as a reminder this was the one that you went back to your childhood and built the kit from the box using just the glue, brush & AWFUL acrylic paints supplied! A few other bits like masking tape 1 file & a craft knife were allowed, but no Airbrushes, spray cans or filler could be used.

The worse bit was painting the beast, the paints supplied in little plastic pots were dreadful & could only be applied in several thin coats. Surprisingly the underside white went OK, the topside grey was very streaky & then did the classic...... although being well stirred initially half way through the paint job it turned a slightly different hue of grey & less satin finish....I then stopped probably 1 coat short of finishing the fusalage.

The grey was hard work!!

Ready for decals & adding the dangly bits under the wings

Finished complete with a little display placque I made from spare sprue, box art & masking tape!!

Heath Robinson or what!!

Nose showing the super card markings

Inverted looks ok from a distance

passes muster closer up

Anyway thats it .....I did say on the forum I would build another if I have time before the month is out. I will then slap together the Northrop F -5A Freedom Fighter..... a plane I know little about and this is in Iranian Markings!!

Anyway if you want to look at the real thing have a look at the Royal Navy Historic Flight based at Yeovilton.

2 posts down Robert commented on his father being on Ark Royal as a marine..and he took photo's of the aircraft ..excellent if possible please post them somewhere or e mail some shots to me that would be great especially the Seahawks,Vixens and Gannets

English Civil War inspiration from a Bottle of Ale!! - Batemans 'Dark Lord'

Inspiration for wargaming & painting little soldiers comes from many quarters, Airfix & nostalgia is a common theme on this blog then there are all the lovely books us modellers & wargamers 'need' , wargames magazines, wargames & model shows, likeminded bloggers, figure manufacturers websites etc etc. 

However todays inspiration has come from BEER....yes good old English Ale spotted in Morrisons this evening (they have carried on Safeways buying policy of stocking an excellent range of real ales) was a bottle of Batemans Dark Lord commemorating 'Black Tom' who as the label on the back of the bottle says fought at the Battle of Winceby. 

Hmmm intriguing now I know the main battles of the ECW and reasonably well up on the western campaign, but Winceby (in Lincolnshire) had passed me by. On googling  'Battle of Winceby'  I found it was a small engagement in 1643 involving 6,000 men with about 200 casualties on the royalist side & 20 lost in the parliamentary cause. The Dark Lord 'Black Tom' they refer too must of course be non other than Sir Thomas Fairfax who lead the second charge at the battle after Cromwell's horse had been shot from beneath him. Anyway no point in me copying and pasting loads of gumph on this as either you know all this and more already or just follow the links......and after consuming the contents of this rich malty dark ale I can't be bothered to type more!!

   

Anyway perhaps the inspiration is to paint a figure of Fairfax himself and Bicorne miniatures do one see below.....any others?? perhaps Warlord Games will do eventually, or convert a figure using the bottle label for inspiration...complete with red eyes!!