Good Grief, it’s August!

It seems that every blog post that I’ve written recently starts with an excuse as to why I haven’t published anything in the last couple of weeks. Well, I’ve out done myself now and it is a couple of months since my last blog.

In that time, I’ve had a nice holiday to Santorini, where as well as sampling the local wine and food, I did manage to visit the Archaeological site at Akrotiri, an ancient village consumed by the volcanic eruption back in 1700BC. The site is huge, with most of the village or town, being preserved by the covering of ash from the volcanic eruption. Incidentally, it is this eruption that is thought to have caused a massive tidal wave that overcame Crete, thus prompting the legend of Atlantis. If you would like to know more, I attach a link to the Wikipedia article and a visitors guide:

AKROTIRI ( WICKI LINK)

AKROTIRI VISITOR GUIDE

As well as the visit to ancient Akrotiri, I also explored the local castle above the modern Akrotiri village, built by the Venetians to guard the settlement from attacks by pirates and Barbary Raiders. The history hit was most enjoyable but didn’t inspire me to start any more new projects!

I am still very invested in ‘Nevermind The Billhooks’ and it’s various spin offs. Whilst lounging on my sun bed I did manage to read Dan Jones ‘The Hollow Crown’, a very readable and entertaining history of the Wars Of The Roses, If you haven’t read this, I thoroughly recommend it as a very good overview of the period.

As well as recharging my batteries, I have been steadily assembling and painting a Landsknecht force for the next Billhooks BASH at Derby. The event is due to take place on 2 September and it will be a close run thing as to whether my force will be ready. I now have two pike blocks of 24 Landsknechts finished, together with 18 Gunsmen. This means that I will need to get another 24 pikes finished, together with some artillery and a unit of cavalry.

Here’s a shot of the army so far.

And the next batch that will complete the two Pike blocks..

Heres a close up of the commander of the ‘Vorhut’ block – Lorenzo de Pala.

My intention is to publish a guide on how I went about painting these but dont hold me to this….I’m too busy trying to get the army finished in time for the Billhooks BASH event!

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Mystery at Carisbrooke Castle

Well it’s a good title for a crime thriller but a bit misleading for my blog. However, there is a bit of a minor mystery to be solved and any help from the wargaming community would be welcome. My Brother, Pete, lives on the Isle of Wight and has a couple of allotments just down the road from Carisbrooke Castle. The google earth picture below shows the position of the allotments in relationship to the castle. The distance is about half a mile ‘as the crow flies’.

The Castle is in the bottom left quarter of the picture. The allotments are marked with a blue flag in the top right quarter, just above the Southern Housing group.

Cannon Ball and Musket ball

Whilst digging on the allotments he has found a number of what we presume are cannon balls or gun stones of various sizes. The most commonly found size were the larger of the two in the picture – these have also been dug up on adjoining allotments.

Size comparison with my WOTR artilllery piece – figures are 28mm perry’s!

It looks as though the ball has been fired as there is a noticeable roughness on one side, compared to the almost perfect sphere of the rest of the ball.

Cannon ball with ‘firing’ side to the right

So the question is what are they? There are some clues and our casual research has revealed that the last action near to the castle was the siege of 1377 when the French besieged the castle. According to local legend, an archer, Peter de Heynoe, shot and killed the French comander with a single shot from his bow. I think that it is unlikely that these cannon shot date from that period though.

A more likely explanation is that George Carey, persuaded Queen Elizabeth 1 and the local citizens to pay for the creation of a modern artillery emplacement at Carisbrooke that was completed in 1602. The concern was that the Spanish would attempt some sort of landing or invasion Although never required in anger, it seems likely that some test firing would have been made.

As well as the cannon balls or gun stones, a number of fragments of clay pipes, including intact bowls have been recovered on the allotments. These look to be 17th century – unfortunately , I do not have pictures.

Finally, the allotments are sited on the position of an old quarry. Is it possible that the stones were being produced here for use else where? It could be that this was an old storage area. However, the indication that the stones have been fired, seems to make storage not quite so likely.

If you do have any information, please contact me through the Arcane Scenery shop page. Unfortunately, I have had to turn comments off on the blog due to the high number of spam message etc.

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A Visit to Castle Rising

The pandemic has not just curtailed my wargaming over the last 18 months but prevented me from getting out and about to visit historical sites. Any spare time out of lockdown has been used to meet with Family and Friends. However, recently, the missus and I managed to sneak away for a weekend across to Norfolk. The primary aim of the weekend was a visit to Sandringham, the Queens personal home. We had a really excellent day there, made all the better by the fantastically helpful and pleasant staff. I would thoroughly recommend a visit. It certainly far exceeded my expectations as a place to visit. However, Sandringham wasn’t on my radar as a historical site. As far as I knew, it wasn’t involved in any sieges or battles, other than the occasional fallout between Andrew and Fergie or even Charles and Diana but I’ll leave all that to fans of the TV series, the Crown….

The Gate House and entrance to Castle Rising

Just down the road from our accommodation on the edge of Kings Lynn, was Castle Rising, a proper fortified castle with a long history to go with it. It was this site that interested me. At the time, I was unaware of the part that Castle Rising had played in history. I had not heard of it before my trip. I was not to be disapointed. Although the castle is now essentially a ruin, it is set in the most impressive defensive earthworks and looks everything like a castle should look! The entry fee was just £2.50 per person as there was no access to the upper ruins. Even so, I was happy to spend a couple of hours wandering around the place imagining how it would have looked in it’s prime.

The Castle Keep

It was originally built around 1140 by William d’ Aubigny primarily as a demonstration of his wealth and power. I’ve provided some links below to the official history and guides to the castle. It seems that the main claim to fame for the location is that it became the ‘prison’ of Isabella of France. She was the wife of Edward II but after attempting to take control of the crown with Roger Mortimer, Edward III, her son, placed her in house arrest here once he had toppled Mortimer.

Story board – A brief history of Queen Isabella

Although a most formidable fortress, Castle Rising came to be of more use as a hunting lodge and was known as a prestigious location in the 15th and early 16th centuries. The castle’s military defences were mobilised in 1461 by Henry VI in the Wars of the Roses but as far as I am aware no fighting took place in the immediate area.

View from the Left

I have since learnt that the castle had another role in the Wars of the Roses. On June 24th 1469, Richard, Duke of Gloucester ( later Richard III) was staying at Castle Rising. From here, he wrote to an unknown correspondent asking for a loan of £100. The Duke, who was on his first campaign, had left London in such a rush that had not had time to ‘purvey’ sufficient money for his own expenses.

The rear of the Keep

It seems that castles played a limited role in the War of the Roses but I suspect that they were used as ‘safe havens’ throughout the war. Although there were no great set piece sieges, it seems that Castles were still important as a means of projecting power and threatening the local area until such time as the protagonists eventually met on the field of battle. I guess that other point is that neither side really had the resources for prolonged sieges and no doubt there was little point in laying waste to a castle that you hoped to inherit!

Another view of the entrance

I find Castles both fascinating and inspiring and my imagination is usually in overdrive as I wander around these places. One day I really am going to build one for my gaming table! I hope that you enjoy the pictures and perhaps have a chance to visit for yourself.

The view of the Keep from the surrounding ramparts

The official links can be followed here:

CASTLE RISING WIKIPEDIA

CASTLE RISING ENGLISH HERITAGE

CASTLE RISING CASTLES FORTS AND BATTLES

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Tattershall Castle

The year is fast running out and as always at this time, hobby time is at a premium as preparation for Christmas and the various social and family events move to the fore. I am also busy working on a project for the New Year, which although very much associated with expanding my War Of the Roses Army, has slowed my output. Here’s a preview of the figures that I am working on.

Billmen and Bowmen for new units!

Billmen and Bowmen for new units!

So with little to show you from the work bench I thought that I would reflect on a very pleasant trip that I took in late September to visit Tattershall Castle. Situated in Lincolnshire and now owned by the National Trust, Tattershall Castle is unusual in that it was built of brick rather than stone. It’s less of a Castle in the traditional sense but more of a simple statement of power! The Main tower dominates the flat Lincolnshire countryside making it very clear who was in charge!

Tattershall Castle

Tattershall Castle

Lord Cromwell, Treasure of England in 1433 was mainly responsible for upgrading the castle to an opulent stately home. Although not directly involved in any of the fighting during the Wars of The Roses, Edward IV, Henry VII, Margaret Beaufort, Henry VIII, Henry Fitzroy and Charles Brandon all owned the castle during this time and through the Tudor period.

The top of the Tower!

The top of the Tower!

The view from the top!

The view from the top!

Visiting historical sites such as Tattershall Castle not only helps me to maintain my enthusiasm and interest for my hobby of wargaming but it is a great way of sharing that hobby with the Missus! We both had a lovely day out, with a nice meal in the sunshine and a bit of exercise to walk off the calories consumed! As a bonus, we witnessed a flypast from the Lancaster of the Battle of Britain flight, which is based nearby at  RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

Yes, that speck in the air is a Lancaster!

Yes, that speck in the air is a Lancaster! I was too busy watching to take a better photograph!

To think that I have lived ‘down the road’ from this Castle for over 30 years and somehow neglected to visit it, is a bit of a shame. As we are at time of year when New Years resolutions begin to surface, my first will be to make sure that I spend a few more weekends visiting the many heritage site that surround me. Top of the list will be Bosworth Battlefield! To read more about Tattershall Castle and to visit the National Trust site, just click on the picture below.

tattershallbucke

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King Richard III Visitor Centre.

My journey into the complications of the War of the Roses continues with a visit to the King Richard III Visitor Centre at Leicester. I have had it on my list to visit the museum ever since it’s creation and with Leicester being just a 30 minute drive down the A46, it wasn’t to much of a journey. I had closely followed the search for Richard III’s remains at the time the story was breaking. Apart from the historical significance of the story, I had spent a very happy part of my career working and living in Leicester and very much like the city and the people there.

Statue of Richard III outside the visitor centre.

Statue of Richard III outside the visitor centre.

As you would expect from such a new facility, the Visitor Centre is very clean and beautifully presented. I can certainly recommend the on site café for it’s quality of food and value for money – the cake was delicious!

Replica weapons on display

Replica weapons on display

The centre of course, focuses on Richard III, how he came to power, his demise at the Battle of Bosworth and the search for his resting place. There is plenty of information to absorb and although I am familiar with the story of Richard III, it is still a fascinating tale of dark intrigue and betrayal. The centre covers how Richard came to power, the tale of the Princes in the Tower, his reign over England and Richard’s last desperate charge at the battle of Bosworth to hold onto his crown. Of course, with Richard now interred at the Cathedral across from the centre, the city of Leicester obviously feels an affiliation to Richard and the museum rightly asks the question as to whether Richard III’s reputation as a ‘bad guy’ is fair and justified. Having asked the question though, it leaves it up to the visitor to make their own judgement.

More weapons on display in the Battle Time line.

More weapons on display in the Battle Time line.

A large part of the exhibition is devoted to how the archaeologists tracked down Richard III’s burial place and recovered his remains. It is a superb piece of detective work and fascinating in it’s detail. The forensic ‘post mortem’ of the remains is intriguing, if somewhat gruesome. There’s no doubt that Richard III came to a nasty end, deserved or not!

Richard III Skeleton , as it was discovered.

Richard III Skeleton , as it was discovered.

If Shakespeare had intended to vilify Richard III for the sake of his Tudor masters, then over time, I suspect that this has not quite worked out the way that that he intended it to. I think that many of todays public will know of Richards last words as spoken by Shakespeare for him ‘A horse, a horse, my Kingdom for a horse’. Even more will remember him as the King that was found in a car park!

Yet more weapons! It is pretty obvious that these displays caught my attention!

Yet more weapons! It is pretty obvious that these displays caught my attention!

I would definitely recommend a visit to the King Richard III Museum. It will take only a half a day at the most and you can spend the rest of the day as Julie and I did, browsing around the Leicester City Centre and it’s shops. If you are unable to get there then a visit to the web site is well worth a few minutes of your time. The 3 minute video is an excellent introduction to the centre –  the link is below.

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Bingham Napoleonic Days

Over the last couple of weeks my blog has been focused on the Demo game that I was a part of at the Bingham Napoleonic days. I thought that this week, I would round up this very enjoyable occasion by giving a few details about the event and who else and what else was there. It’s a bit of a ‘bolting the stable door’ blog but if you are interested in Napoleonic history, it’s a nice little event to attend and assuming that it goes ahead next year ( I hope so) – put it into your diary now.

A selection of Peter's books

A selection of Peter’s books

The event is organised by local author Peter Youds. Peter has written a number of novels ( 10 so far!), set initially in the Peninsular War, in his series, ‘The Ties of Blood’. He thought that it would be a bit of fun to organise a small event at the end of February/beginning of March to celebrate the Napoleonic period and it’s rich history. He gathered together some of his like minded colleagues and the first event was held three years ago. The East Midlands Napoleonic Days weekend takes place at Long Acre Studios, Bingham, Nottinghamshire. The building is the former drill-hall of the South Notts Hussars and provides a most suitable venue for the event.

A good selection of Helion books available - as were some of the authors!

A good selection of Helion books available – as were some of the authors!

The event is steadily growing and this year, with the help of Helion Books, there was a full program of guest speakers. Familiar names included Carole Divall and Andrew Bamford along with of course, Peter Youds himself. Other speakers included Mark Thomson, Mick Crumplin, Rod Griffiths, Paul Chamberlain, Michael Kirby and Edward Hammond.

Spot The Author! - Another selection of titles available.

Spot The Author! – Another selection of titles available.

Also attending the event, was the very talented Christa Hook. If you have used Osprey books as a painting reference, particularly if painting British Napoleonics, you may well have used Christa’s paintings as a reference. I certainly have, although the name hadn’t registered until the week before the event. I was painting a Warlord Games 95th rifleman and I realised that the painting that I was using as a reference was by Christa!

My attempt at painting a 95th Rifleman

My attempt at painting a 95th Rifleman

Christa Hooks Cover art - no doubt who is the more talented painter!

Christa Hooks Cover art – no doubt who is the more talented painter!

Christa had brought a selection of paintings to display and sell, as well as copies of her book ‘Far in Advance’ a beautifully illustrated book of the Peninsular war.

Just a small selection of Christa Hooks work on display.

Just a small selection of Christa Hooks work on display.

So with a full program of speakers in one hall, a selection of literature and art work in the gallery, Café Corsica, a pop up café, selling delicious home made cakes, tea coffee sandwiches and freshly made bacon cobs ( bread rolls, to you Southerners…) what more could you want? Oh yes, in the back room, the NG13 wargamers were putting on a battle based on an engagement from the Peninsular war that occurred at Foz d’ Arouce and described in Peter Youlds book, ‘the Hardest fight’.

The Hardest Fight by Peter Youlds

The Hardest Fight by Peter Youlds

A full battle report is in last weeks blog but it is worth mentioning again that the board was scratch built by Peter Harris of the NG13 wargamers with assistance from Jaz Storey- Smith.

Jaz busy painting the board under Petes direction!

Jaz busy painting the board under Petes direction!

Having spent all day Saturday playing our Demo game, I returned on Sunday to listen to some of the speakers. I particularly wanted to hear Rob Griffiths talking about the 5/60th rifles. I had treated myself to one of Christa’s paintings of these guys and I wanted to know more about them. Rob’s talk was so enlightening, I purchased a signed copy of his book!

I spent a bit more than I intended to but I am very pleased with my haul!

I spent a bit more than I intended to but I am very pleased with my haul!

I should also mention that as well as speaking,  Michael Kirby had put on a ‘Hands on History’ demo in the back room that was a superb introduction to the period for both kids and adults. I regret that my roving reporter skills are so poor and that I have no pictures of the display that he had assembled. Another speaker, Edward Hammond was in full Napoleonic French Infantry dress. I had the pleasure to watch Christa Hook sketch him and produce a superb likeness as I stood and watched. Such talent! Again, I was so star struck that I forgot to record the results!

Christa Hooks painting now has pride of place in the lounge!

Christa Hooks painting now has pride of place in the lounge!

In conclusion, I spent a very happy weekend at the event and I am very grateful to Peter for organising such a pleasant experience. If you are in the area next year ( The event can coincide with Hammerhead at Newark, just down the road) and you are at all interested in Napoleonic’s, I would urge you to make the effort to attend – it’s free! All you will spend is your time….unless like me you are tempted by the books and paintings available. Oh and the cakes…

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Happy modelling and gaming!

Footnote: In case you haven’t noticed, I am having problems with aligning some of my pictures. It seems that if you view them on a Tablet or phone they are aligned correctly but on a desk top, they are set at 90 degrees. I will be seeking some technical help to resolve this!

Tankfest at Bovington part 2

Continuing my review of Tankfest 2017 held at Bovington, in my last blog entry I had just stopped for lunch and I was taking a tour around the Museums whilst the displays in the Arena were having a break. First stop was the main hall, where the story of Tank development is told. The very first Tank, ‘Little Willy’ is on display as well as a selection of WW1 tanks moving through into the interwar years.

Mark II Vickers Tank from the interwar years.

Mark II Vickers Tank from the interwar years.

You soon get to the Second World War, and of course this is where tank development really starts to take off. The Germans opted for sophisticated, highly engineered designs, the Russians & USA adopting a more pragmatic approach based on manufacturing capabilities – simple and effective. The British Tank development appears to have stuttered and despite inventing the concept, our tanks lag behind, being either under gunned, under powered or both.

The A13 Mark III Cruiser tank, armed with a 2 pounder was serving in 1940.

The A13 Mark III Cruiser tank, armed with a 2 pounder was serving in 1940.

The story of the development of the tank is expertly told, both with the many tank exhibits and Audio visual displays. It is just a joy to be able to see for yourself the different style of tanks and compare size and design.

The Zenith of German tamk design and perhaps the best tank of WW2, the Panther Ausf. G

The Zenith of German tank design and perhaps the best tank of WW2, the Panther Ausf. G

From the Second World War it was onto the Post war and Cold war period. Most boys of my age will fondly remember playing with the vehicles shown here as they were issued as Dinky toys die cast models in the 50’s & 60’s!

Ferret, Scout Armoured Car. Asfast in reverse as going forward, a very necessary requirement once you have found the enemy!

Ferret, Scout Armoured Car. As fast in reverse as going forward, a very necessary requirement once you have found the enemy!

Centurion MkIII

Centurion MkIII

From the main hall we drifted into the latest addition to the museum, the Tiger Hall, where for the first time, you could see the Tiger 1 alongside the Tiger II (pre-production and production versions), Jadgtiger and the only Elephant that survives in the western word, temporarily on loan to the museum. Awesome just doesn’t do these tanks justice! They are magnificent! As you can see from the pictures, it was very busy here. However, the spectators help to show just how monstrous these tanks are!

Tiger and Elefant

Tiger and Elefant

Preproduction King Tiger & Jagdtiger

Preproduction King Tiger & Jagdtiger

King Tiger - the new Arcane Scenery Company car... I wish!

King Tiger – the new Arcane Scenery Company car… I wish!

We then stepped through to the Word War Two Hall – Wow! What a collection of vehicles. I was actually so distracted, I stopped taking photos as we were running out of time, so it was off to the the WW1 displays. War Horse to Horse power, telling the early story of the Tank in WW1 in detail.

Mark IV with Fascine

Mark IV with Fascine

By now we were all tanked out so it was back outside for … more tanks! We quickly made our way to the Tank park to look over the vehicles that would be running later in the day. There was a nice mix of the modern and older tanks to see.

Centurion

Centurion

Chieftan

Chieftain

Challenger and Challenger recovery vehicle

Challenger and Challenger recovery vehicle

Some of the veteran tanks were also on display, unfortunately not all were able to run. The Jadganther suffering from engine trouble – not surprising for a vehicle that is 63 years old!

Jadgpanther - static display today!

Jadgpanther – static display today!

 

We were then cleared out of the Tank park as the afternoon programme was about to start in the arena. First up, the modern recovery vehicles, followed by a parade of WW2 vehicles.

Kettenkraftgrad -

Kettenkraftrad – coping well with a churned up Arena

Panzer III - still running well!

Panzer III – still running well!

Matilda mkI

Matilda mkI

Home guard arrives!

Home guard arrives!

And on to the grand finale, a re-enactment of the D-Day landings, with plenty of smoke, flash bangs and noise!

US Forces take the high ground!

US Forces take the high ground!

At 6.00pm, I was ready to leave the museum and having had yet another look around, although I felt that I had had my moneys worth, there was still plenty that I had not seen! The good news was that my ticket is valid for a whole year so if I can get myself back down to Bovington, I can enjoy another look around when perhaps there are not so many people around!

I hope that the pictures inspire you to visit the museum. They are just a small taste of what was on display during the day. If you can get there, it is certainly worthwhile and very inspiring. I have said that I will make my photos and videos available but so far technology is defeating me…You can see some of the video that I shot here, on Arcane Scenery’s You Tube channel:

ARCANESCENERY

I will be adding more videos and the next job will be to sort out the picture hosting – watch out for an announcement on Facebook.

Tankfest 2017 Bovington

West German APC - Part of the Static display.

West German APC – Part of the Static display.

If you have been following Arcane Scenery on Facebook you will already know that I was fortunate enough to be able to get to Tankfest at Bovington this year. What a fantastic day out! If you are at all interested in tanks, either as a wargamer, modeller or just as an enthusiast, then this show is a must visit event. I am always somewhat wary of attending these big set piece shows, fretting that it will be too busy, parking will be an issue or it will be over priced. Tankfest suffered from none of these issues as far as I was concerned. Yes, it was sold out and there were thousands of people there. However, the organisation was superb. We arrived at 10.00am and were directed into one of the car parks without delay and from there it was a short walk to the entrance. There was a very long queue of spectators waiting to get in, but the queue was always on the move and as we were walking past parked up tanks and could see into the Live History exhibition, the queue was actually quite a pleasant experience, a phrase that I never thought that I would use.

Just part of the Living History display

Just part of the Living History display

Security was quite tight, with armed Policemen keeping watch over proceedings. Mind you, I did have to supress a smile and a ‘smart alec’ answer when asked if I had any alcohol or knives in my rucksack. I understand that the beer concessions have to make their money – as for sharp knives, within a step of getting through the entrance, I was surrounded by enough military hardware to re take Iraq. If I’d forgotten to bring my bayonet there were plenty on show and plenty of Army surplus suppliers well stocked with all sorts of hardware. Ah! The joys of modern life, but I digress.

The Reenactots brought plenty of kit to look at!

The Reenactors brought plenty of kit to look at!

Once into the event enclosure, there was plenty to do and see. Your event ticket gives you access to all areas and the exhibition is split into the following sections: The Tank Museum, itself split into 6 or 7 halls and beautifully laid out; The workshops and conservation hall, where the ‘overstock’ of vehicles ready to be conserved or serviced are stored; The tank park, where the vehicles that were running were on display in between shows; the Living History encampment, full of re enactors and their vehicle and weapons; the traders tents, although some traders were housed in the museum itself; the hospitality tents and finally; the Arena, where the live action is taking place. To be honest at first I didn’t know which way to turn! There was just so much going on.

Sherman M4A2E8 'Fury' arrives in the arena

Sherman M4A2E8 ‘Fury’ arrives in the arena

Inevitably, we gravitated to the arena and despite the crowds, managed to find a spot to see the tanks in action. Having just missed the Leopards tearing up the arena, we watched the more sedate D-Day Embarkation Convoy parade. There were plenty of WW2 vehicles in the parade, including a few rare beasts. The highlight for me, being the ShermanM4A3E8 ‘Fury’ from the film of the same name. At this point, I realised that I was in trouble…Although I am a Tank enthusiast, I was struggling to recognise and remember the names of all of the vehicles that were being paraded. What with trying to video them on my phone, take pictures using my camera and actually watch the parade, it seemed impossible to take notes, so you will have to forgive me if some of my vehicle identification is a bit off in this early report!

A Daimler and Morris Armoured Cars... or is it a Morris and a Daimler, ummmm, hang on, one might be a Humber...

Daimler and Morris Armoured Cars… or is it a Morris and a Daimler, ummmm, hang on, one might be a Humber…

So note to self, next time bring a note book! If I was a bit confused by the Armoured Cars, the WW1 tanks were a bit easier to spot. It was something else to see these running in the arena. OK, I realise that they are replica’s but nonetheless, we were treated to a fantastic parade of the French Saint-Chalmond:

Saint-Chalmonde Tank

Saint-Chalmond Tank

Followed by the British Mark IV, as seen in the film ‘Warhorse’:

British Mark IV

British Mark IV

And finally, bringing up the rear, a German AV7!

German AV7

German AV7

As an added bonus, there was a Rolls Royce armoured car from which the commentary was taking place:

Rolls Royce Armoured Car

Rolls Royce Armoured Car

After the WW1 tanks there was a bit of a break, so it was off to grab a bite to eat (Giant hot dog and diet coke…oh the irony in that choice!) and then on to the Museum. Now at this point in my review, I will take a short break and leave you with a couple of pictures from the main hall in the Museum, ‘The Story of the Tank’. I actually took nearly 300 Photos at Tank Fest, as well as half a dozen videos and it would neither be practical or fair to expect a reader to plow through this lot. My plan is to edit them, caption them and upload them to a hosting site where interested parties can access them at their leisure. So watch out for Tankfest part 2 next week.

Panzer II

Panzer II

Grant Tank

Grant Tank

Churchill

Churchill

 

Wars of the Roses Part 1 – Warwick Castle

It’s been a busy June, with my weekends being taken up with one event after another. I’m not complaining, far from it, I know how fortunate that I am in being able to get the these events, so in an attempt to document my recent exploits, I’ve written this weeks blog in two seperate posts.  The first event that I attended was a visit to Warwick castle. This was a birthday treat from my wife, who had spotted the event and booked the tickets back in February. Warwick castle is certainly an imposing venue and looks just as you would expect a castle to look, if you know what I mean! There’s plenty to inspire a wargamer here.

Approach to Warwick Castle

Approach to Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle gate house

Warwick Castle gate house

The rear of the Castle

The rear of the Castle

As you can see, it is an imposing structure and a trip to visit the castle is a great day out. The tour around the battlements  is at times a challenge for someone as unfit as I am these days but well worth the effort. The views of the surrounding countryside are amazing.

How many stairs did I just climb?

How many stairs did I just climb?

Lovely view of the countryside

Lovely view of the countryside

The main exhibition in the Castle is a recreation of a Royal weekend visit to the stately home at the turn of the century. It’s very well done, with a light touch as regards to the history but plenty to see and keep you involved. Of particular interest to me were the Armoury exhibits.

Armour on display in the Great Hall

Armour on display in the Great Hall

More Armour.

More Armour.

As a bonus though, the castle owners were running a ‘War of the Roses’ event, which although a bit fast and loose with the history, was superbly done and very entertaining.  The castle is now run by the same group that run Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds’ and so is a little prone to over commercialization. That aside, there’s plenty to keep you busy without having to fork out for extras and the venue has created a number of set piece events to entertain the guests. For example, outside is the mighty trebuchet which is demonstrated every couple of hours with a ‘live’ firing. It’s all done in good humour and full audience participation – the video gives you some idea of the action.

Once the trebuchet had been fired, we were able to inspect it – here are some closer shots.

Preparing to fire!

Preparing to fire!

Look closely and you can see the crew running in the side wheels ‘hamster style’ to hoist down the firing arm.

Good job team!

Good job team!

The winding gear

The winding gear – look at the size of the shot!

load ammo here!

load ammo here!

The highlight of the live events was the re-enactment of the War of the Roses. Essentially this was a jousting match with a bit of acting and audience participation but great fun to watch. Once again, here is the event in pictures.

Eric Dier look alike provides the warm up for the Yorkists!

Eric Dier look alike provides the warm up for the Yorkists!

Henry Tudor takes charge!

Henry Tudor takes charge!

Margaret of Anjou take to the field

Margaret of Anjou takes to the field

Hurrah for Edward of York!

Hurrah for Edward of York!

Things are not going to well for Richard.

Things are not going to well for Richard.

Richard unhorsed!

Richard unhorsed!

If the costumes lacked some historical authenticity, it was easily overlooked as the spectacle of live knights in combat is pretty amazing to watch. It certainly fired up my imagination and interest in this period. We spent a full day at the castle from opening amost up until closing time and still did not see everything. Finally, although unrelated to wargaming, it is worth reporting that the grounds of the castle were immaculate. There is a rather lovely tea house tucked away in the Orangery overlooking the gardens and it was here that we rested with a coffee and cake and were also entertained by the peacocks.

Beautiful plumage!

Beautiful plumage!

Peacock close up

Peacock close up

Closer!

Closer!

If you would like to visit Warwick Castle or find out more, here is the link to their site.

WARWICK CASTLE

 

Vikings land in Newark!

Small 'coastal' Viking ship

Small ‘coastal’ Viking ship

The bank holiday weekend was pretty much booked up with Family stuff but I did manage to sneak away on the Saturday and wander down to Newark Castle whilst Mrs Wood was having her hair done. To be fair, I had also been to the Barbers to get a smart new haircut, but 5 minutes is about as much time as  even the most careful of barbers can spend on my diminishing patch, so I had time to kill. I digress, having some free time I noticed that there was a Viking reactment taking place at Newark castle and as entrance was free it seemed a shame not to pop in.

Viking Combat! Shield wall!

Viking Combat! Shield wall!

I think that reenactors share a similar strand of DNA to us wargamers but have perhaps taken it one step further. I must say that it does hold a slight appeal to me but only the bit where you sit around in the sunshine, having a beer and chomp on a lump of charred beef whilst chatting to your mates. I cant be doing with running around hitting people, or even worse being hit by some one younger and faster than me, it’s too much like hard work. I do, however, admire the work that these enthusiasts put into their hobby and they are a great source of information. Not only is their equipment and clothing extremely well researched but they know a thing or two about the tactics, weaponry and are there to ‘bring history alive’.

Camp life.

Camp life.

Like all enthusiasts, reenactor’s are generally a friendly bunch and only too happy to share their knowledge – you just have to ask. As I was wandering around a few things caught my eye (no, I wasn’t doing a Harold impersonation…). First of all the tents that made up the encampment all generally followed a similar pattern. It was interesting to see how an encampment might of looked. Renedra make a Saxon tent set and it was good to see that the style looked about right.

Renedra tents in full scale!

Renedra tents in full scale!

It was also interesting watching some of the craftsmen at work.

Craftsman at work

Craftsman at work

I was intrigued by the ladies who were making and dyeing cloth for the costumes. They were in the process of dyeing some cloth with a ‘stew’ of Madder root and so I had quite a chat about the colours used. I had already noticed that in ‘real life’ the clothing tended to be in more pastel shades than I painted my figures. Also there was a preponderance of orange/red clothing. The ladies were happy to show me a sampler of the sort of natural dyes that they were able to produce and that they thought were fairly likely to be accurate samples of what would have been used on tunics at the time.

Dye Samples

Dye Samples

As they explained, the dyes weren’t as colourfast as today and would certainly fade so although my tendency to chose bright colours for my wargames figures look OK on the wargames table, I think that my next Saga Warband might just have a more muted look. And Orange will definitely be on the colour pallet!

I should point out that the reenactors were both Saxon and Viking, so if in my blog I have got them a bit confused, I apologise. Here is a few more pictures of the Warriors going through their battle drill.

Stand ready...

Stand ready…

steady..

steady..

Close!

Close!

Shield design

Shield design

A final thought, I had always thought that the shield rims were beaten metal – these looked more like leather.

To sum up, a diverting and educational couple of hours. The tower to Newark castle battlements was also open and once again, entry was free, so for the first time I was able to climb to the top:

King of the Castle!

King of the Castle!

Next weekend I am off to Warwick Castle for a War of the Roses weekend. I will get back to my painting and modelling but I thought that I might as well enjoy the good weather whilst it’s here!

 

 

What did the Romans ever do for us?

In my last blog entry, I mentioned that I had visited the Roman Army Museum which is ‘twinned’ with the Vindolanda Fort just behind Hadrians wall. First of all, lets be clear, I am no expert on the Roman army. What ever knowledge that I have comes from the various films & TV series that I have watched ( yes, including Life of Brian…), the fictional books that I have read and the sort of casual knowledge that you pick up when your hobby is wargaming. However, at some point in the near future I intend to start to build an Imperial Roman Army. It’s an itch that needs scratching and I have had the itch ever since I bought my first box of Airfix Roman soldiers! So my visit to Northumberland and Hadrians wall was yet another ‘reconnaissance mission’ to start to immerse myself into the period.

Roman Auxilliary

Roman Auxilliary

The Roman Army Museum at Hexham does not disappoint. The museum gives a clear picture of what the Roman army was like: how it was organised; how it was armed and how it fought. The film presentations are amongst the best that I have seen at a museum. The main film in 3D ‘Edge of Empire’ is very well done and gives an insight into how the soldiers lived and died on the wall. There are two or three other short films around the museum that give more detail of how the Romans lived and occupied Britain. There is also one of the best and succinct explanation of how the Roman army was organised that I have come across. I have borrowed it from youtube to show here.

https://youtu.be/wCBNxJYvNsY

There is plenty more to see at the museum other than these films. As I have already shown, there are plenty of exhibits of the soldiers and their armour and weapons. There are of course, actual artefacts recovered from the nearby Fort of Vindolanda as well as a brief history of the life of Hadrian, the wall builder!

Reconstruction of Roman and Celt Chariots

Reconstruction of Roman and Celt Chariots

Once we had toured the Museum and spent a few bob in the excellent shop, it was a quick drive down the road to the Roman Fort of Vindolanda. The site itself is beautiful, surrounded by the rugged hills of Northumberland. The weather for us was a bit damp but didn’t stop us enjoying the day. In fact we only stayed for the afternoon as we were due to travel home that day but I could easily have spent a day wandering around, soaking up the atmosphere.

Vindolanda

Vindolanda

As well as the fort, there is another very good museum explaining how the excavations are progressing and of course displaying the various finds at the site. The most important being the writing tablets that have been recovered and deciphered. The detail that has been gleaned from these actual records of the fort are fascinating. It is no wonder that they are considered to be so important as they bring the past to life. It is mind boggling to me that they have the actual birthday party invitation from Claudia Severa to Sulpicia Lepindina written in AD100. I half expected to find out that Biggus Dickus was on the guest list…

Hadrians Wall Reconstruction

Hadrians Wall Reconstruction

As well as the ruins of the fort, there are reconstruction’s of the Wall, in both stone and timber, and also of  various Roman temples.  So there is plenty to see and to think about. My overriding thought as we drove away was that the real power of the Romans was their organisational abilities. The fort at Vindolanda was laid out in exactly the same way as the fort at Segedunum. Both were obviously ideal as defensive positions but also as small centres of administration and commerce. They both had all the amenities that were required to keep a small garrison functioning and as comfortable as they could be in what was then the frontier of the Empire. Clever blokes, them Romans!

Roman Statue

Beyond the Wall.

Winter is coming, of that there is no doubt but first we have Autumn and happily, a few more days of sunshine.  Together with a group of War gaming buddies, Pete, Jaz, John and Josie, Julie and I  were lucky enough to enjoy some superb weather as we took a short holiday break and ventured North above the wall (Hadrian’s, of course) to the Coast of Northumberland. The Wildlings proved to be very friendly but have been keeping a secret from the rest of the country. Far from being a bleak, barren place, this part of the country is simply beautiful. Of course, if you enjoy visiting historical sites and looking at castles, you are spoilt for choice. As an added bonus, the food and beer is pretty good as well.

Amble Harbour

Amble Harbour

We stayed at Amble, a small fishing village just south of Alnwick. The picture doesn’t do it justice but it does show how lucky we were with the weather! On the way up to our accommodation, we stopped of at the appropriately named Wallsend,  and called into Segedunum, the small Roman fort that was built to guard the eastern end of Hadrians Wall. The fort is well excavated and thanks to the viewing tower, you can have a birds eye view of the layout. As well as the fort, there is a recreation of a Roman bath house and of course a small museum that explains the history of the fort. If you would like to know more here is the link to the official site:

Segedunum

Segedunum Roman Fort

Segedunum Roman Fort

The museum and fort are well worth a visit and were a great introduction to Hadrians Wall. Once we had passed Segedunum we were in the county of Northumberland and if the Romans found it a struggle to survive North of the wall, there were plenty that came after that were up for the challenge! All you needed to stay safe was a great big castle – and there are plenty to be found! Warkworth Castle, Alnwick Castle and Bamburg were just three that we visited and all close to where we were staying. To be fair, we didn’t go into all of them, there just wasn’t time but it was great fun touring around and visiting. My photos just don’t do these places justice, so here are some from the web!

Warkworth Castle

Alnwick Castle

Bamburgh Castle

As you can see, all very impressive and inspiring! My favourite was of course Bamburgh Castle, home in fiction to Uthred of Bebbanburg and a most imposing structure built right on the coast. It doesn’t take much imagination to visualise this Castle in ancient times, dominating the landscape and the people around it, keeping them safe from the various marauders from the Vikings through to the Border Reivers. Alnwick Castle may be more familiar to people as Hogwarts from the Harry Potter novels. Not my cup of tea but more evidence of just how cinematic these places are. In fact whilst we were in the area, there was a team filming the new Transformers movie. Goodness knows what Transformers are doing up in Newcastle and on Bamburgh Castle but I’m sure that it will all be done in the best possible taste!

The other ‘must visit’ area is of course that well known holiday destination for the Vikings,  Lindisfarne or as it is sometimes known as, Holy Isle. The day that we visited, we were fortunate to have a full day of sunshine and so the views of the coastline and landscape were spectacular. Here are just a couple of pictures of the coastline and castle at Lindisfarne.

The view from Lindisfarne across the bay to Bamburgh Castle

The view from Lindisfarne across the bay to Bamburgh Castle

The Castle, Lindisfarne

The Castle, Lindisfarne

As well as the landscape, there is plenty of wild life to see. We met these two on the causeway as we made our way back to Amble after a lovely day.

Grey Seals at Lindisfarne Causeway

Grey Seals at Lindisfarne Causeway

We also visited Cragside, a more recently constructed house of the Victorian times and built by the famous Victorian Industrialist, Lord Armstrong. He is credited with inventing modern artillery and he founded the Armstrong Whitworth manufacturing company and specialised in the development of hydraulic power. His house, Cragside, is set in beautifully landscaped gardens and one of the largest rock gardens in Europe. The place is stunning.

Cragside

Cragside

The formal gardens are pretty good, once again, teeming with wild life as of course, is the rest of the estate. Although Cragside isn’t as steeped in history as some of the other sites that we visited, it certainly was one of the most beautiful.

Cragside formal gardens

Cragside formal gardens

Before we knew it, our break was over and it was time to return home. However, as we crossed back over the Wall, we stopped off at perhaps the best place that a wargamer could visit up here, the Roman Army museum and the Roman fort and museum at Vindolanda. I’ll just put a teaser of a photograph up for now and in my next blog post I’ll add some more detail and pictures.

The Roman Army Museum

The Roman Army Museum

All in all, a lovely holiday break, as usual, too short at just five days but we packed a lot into those five days and I intend to return and spend a bit more time at some of those castles! As well as discovering the delights of Northumberland I also found a new way to enjoy my hobby, for now I’ll call it social model making but more of that in a later blog. Back to work now!

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