CANALETTO

Not much going on here at present, but I have posted a bit on my Fantasy blog. My 18c cage bars were rattled today when I decided to dap into a Bath museum to see the exhibition on Canaletto which has been there a while and finishes this week. There was some lovely detail in the paintings which gave food for thought for Imagi-nation scenarios, and some lovely little vignettes, such as servants beating carpets outside their masters house, and drunken rakes peeing up against the walls of Horse Guards. Well worth a look if you are in Bath over the next few days.

A CASTLE, TWO PARTERRES, AND A GROVE OF ORANGE TREES

We piled into the car today and headed up the Wye Valley to Goodrich castle. Last time I was there was in 1997 with the ECWS taking part in a brilliant siege with earthworks , gabions etc , probably one of the best re-enactment events I've taken part in.

English Heritage have tarted up their reception area, and racked up the prices, but there were some interesting exhibits,

Roaring Meg, the only surviving ECW mortar used in the 1646 siege

Two gargoyles I don't remember from my 1997 visit.

The Norman keep

The castle seems to grow out of the rock

Some lovely Herefordshire/Monmouthshire countryside

George tries his hand at the mysterious art of gunnery.

After visiting the castle we went on to Westbury Court Gardens, a rare surviving example of a late 17c Dutch style water garden

A fine canal

Neptune reigns here (I am writing a paper on pagan imagery in 18c gardens, but may have to include this as he is 1690's)

I can just imagine Mr. Neville from the Draughtsman's Contract setting up his easel here.

The pavilion from the end of the long canal.

All in all a jolly day out mixing warfare and gardening.

A NEW REGIMENT FINISHED

Just finished and photographed a new 54mm regiment for my Imagi-nation Trompenburg. More pics here.

Next in line are some Jaeger (AIP British infantry) limbering up on the painting table and awaiting a delivery of sabres from Helmet Soldiers.

SOME TECHNICAL HELP NEEDED PLEASE

Good Morrow and a Very Merry Christmas to you.

Perhaps any gentle readers could help me out. I am setting up a new blog here 

http://marsinarcadia.blogspot.co.uk/

with a view to expanding my 18c Imagination interests if time allows. I can't seem to set up a followers Gadget. It still exists on my other 2 blogs, but I am unable to install it on the new one without joining Google+ . I don't really want to do this as I like to remain relatively anonymous and also keep my current profiles on my other blogs (which are replaced upon joining G+).

I wish they would stuff buggering about with things as I am slow at learning technical stuff as it is. Anyone any ideas please?

CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES AT THE MARGRAVE OF TROMPENBURG'S PALACE

SEASON'S GREETINGS

It doesn't seem long since I was posting this time last year and hear we are again. It has been a lean year on the blogging front for me, hampered by my technophobia and ennui, but I have managed to get a decent amount of painting done.

May I wish all readers and blogging friends a Very Merry Christmas/Yule.

Here we see a Christmas concert in the parkland of Trompenburg. The Margrave has been excited by news of a Turkish pavilion erected by Mr. Hamilton of Painshill in England and has decided to follow the new Rococo trend of Turquerie and install a similar edifice in his own garden, among a stand of Tradgardland firs (abies gruberii)  . A recent fall of snow had the gardeners clearing the area around the tent so the musicians didn't get chilly feet.

FROHE WEIHNACHTEN 

THE STARS ALIGNED

I often read on forums and other peoples blogs how they stumbled across rare or really useful figures and terrain at carboot sales and model shows, and generally assign it to their good fortune and my rotten luck that I never come across any such goodies.  A militaria collecting friend of mine once picked up a WW1 hexamine hood at a boot sale for 5p and at the same sale a set of aluminium cutlery from the Third Reich each piece stamped with a swastika and eagle for 25p... I ground my teeth with envy at the time.

However I had a small stroke of luck on Thursday when popping into a local junk shop found these fellows for £3 each, not  bad for 54mm metal cavalry figures

3 suitable for my ECW stuff and 2 for the Trompenburgers. I have not come across Del Prado figures before and they are quite nicely painted, although I will be re-painting at some stage. Gustavus Adolphus has lost his sword but I should be able to replace this.

PANDEMONIUM IN TROMPENBERG

The Margrave of Trompenburg has ordered two statues of Pan to grace his newly planned Arcadian garden, from the great sculptors Meneers Scheemakers and Rysbrack. They have just been delivered to the palace and the Margrave has ordered Herr Rackett the court poet and philosopher to come up with a suitable inscription for the larger statue. Here we see Herr Rackett contemplating the blank plaque and wondering where such beings as satyrs and nymphs belong in the order of things.

(figures from left to right by Phoenix, Dolp and Mythographica)