CHEERIO TERRY... AND THANKS

I had to post briefly about the sad death of my favourite Python, Terry Jones

Hilarious chap and brilliant medieval historian. Obviously there are the well known Monty Python sketches which spring to mind, but for me the scene that captured his humour and medieval interest was from his TV series Crusades, in which he attempts to interview the descendant of a goose which led one of the pilgrimages to the Holy Land. RIP Mr. Jones.  

AN HISTORIC LANDSCAPE

As it was such a lovely day here, we went for a long walk round the Avebury landscape in Wiltshire. Parking at the Sanctuary we walked along the Ridgeway towards Avebury, skirted the village and back up towards Fyfield Down. Mrs. Atticus snapped up taking a break overlooking Windmill Hill on the path up out of the village.

Although I have always lived in Somerset, I always get the feeling I am coming home when we go across the border to Wiltshire. A move might be in order one day.

LINCOMBE BARN HAUL

I decided to pop over the the Lincombe Barn Tabletop sale in Bristol this morning, as there are often bargains to be had.... today was no exception and I came back with the following (none of which I need of course). A couple of times I hesitated over the purchase, which resulted in the seller knocking something off the price....I must remember that trick.

2 Boxes of 28mm Old Glory ACW infantry (76 mint metal figures for £25). I have been thinking about this period for ages now and this seemed too good an opportunity to miss.  I can always paint them and sell them if the project comes to nothing (justify purchase frantically).

Really nice sculpts, with a sort of Peter Gilder feel about them

A book on the battles of the ACW £2

A Citadel Fighting fantasy warrior 50p from 1984 (this will be going on ebay or will end up as a 54mm orc).

2 Reaper Frost Giants £8 (been thinking about getting these for a while, and the supply of Reaper figs seems to have dried up since Brexit and Trump).

2 Plastic trolls £2 for both, for a box of 54mm LOTR figures I'm hoarding. Pelennor Fields in 1/32 will be impressive.

Finally for £10 a tray of 96 25mm Renaissance Spanish, from the collection of Donald Featherstone. I picked these from Chris Scott, who had no idea what make they were, neither do I. A couple of Hinchliffe bods,but the rest are quite slight and beautifully proportioned Pikemen, musketeers, swordsmen and halberdiers. These might be heading to the front of the painting queue. If anyone can tell me what make they are I would be grateful (the pikeman has an S code on the base, but I don't think they are Minifigs).

So, all in all I spent more than I intended, but was pleased by my swag.

DABBLING WITH TECHNOLOGY!!

I'm something of a Luddite and generally eschew new technology as I don't understand it very well and it scares me. However this ostrich mentality has left by blogging in the lurch as my trusty camera died some time ago, and I have shied away from getting a decent mobile with camera (my current mobile telephone is a 9 year old Nokia which has been maltreated, dropped, washed twice and generally abused, but is still functioning).

However a post from Alan at Tradgardland demonstrated that with perseverance one can overcome these technological hurdles, so I borrowed Mrs. Atticus' mobile and managed to take some pictures with it!!

I've been managing to do a bit of painting and even some gaming recently, and a chat with 2 of my wargames buddies has enthused me to try painting some Italian Wars figures. I've always been keen on this conflict since the Peter Gilder days in Miniature Wargames. Rather than dashing off and buying loads of new figures however, I thought I would try and use figures from the lead mountain.

To start with I thought I would have a go at an unctuous Cardinal, which no Italian Wars game should be without. Perry Miniatures make a cracking cardinal model, but I already had an Essex one, so added a chinstrap to his hat, which made him look a bit more Renaissance than Medieval.

Painting defects show up in these photos, but at least I got some paint on figures which is the main thing. The sidekick banner bearer is an Essex johnny too, and just as I had finished him, I dropped him and 2 of the crosses on the banner broke off. 

I like the cardinal figure as he reminds me of the actor Murray Melvin

I'm painting up some handgunners at the moment and have an idea to do a Venetian army in the defence of Padua 1509, although this chap has a Papal banner at the moment.

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF ROBIN HOOD

I've been painting but not blogging, and am working on some Robin of Sherwood figures I hope to post soon. In the meantime here is a Robin Hood song which seems apposite today.

Hope to be back soon, but am working lengthy hours so I can contribute to my oldest son's underfunded school.... funny but I was under the impression I had already coughed up in my taxes.

Blogging problems

I haven't had a lot of time recently to do any blogging, but have just started again over on my fantasy Blog  . However blogger have been up to their tricks again, a deliberate conspiracy to drive me hopping mad.

Firstly  my dashboard changed from a handy one page with everything visible, to a veritable labyrinth. I have only just found how to access this blog again, the only one being visible was my fantasy blog.

Secondly, my avatar, the chap in the wig (Sanderson Miller the garden architect), has vanished off a number (but not all) of the blogs I follow. I am still officially following them, but the blog owner can't see that.

Thirdly, now when I try and follow (or re-follow) a blog, I have to use my real name rather than Springinsfeld (I would rather remain incognito on the net), and no avatar appears (unless I reload the image). There is no option given to follow privately.

What does it all mean, and why is it happening?

MY GRANDAD'S MEDALS

A bit of a flying post, everything I do seems to be in a rush recently, and I haven't had much time for blogging with one thing and another. I've been meaning to post these up for a while now, and today, the centenary of The First Day of the Somme seems like a good time.

I don't remember my Grandad (my Mum's father). I was only about 6 months old when he died in 1969,  but at least he met me. His breathing problems carried him off in the end, partially exasperated by his heavy smoking, mainly because the one lung he had left after being gassed was in tatters. About 20 years ago I tried to gather some information about his activities in the Great War. He joined the army in 1915, aged 17, and as far as I can make out he was in the Rifle Brigade at this point and then transferred to 4th Reserve Infantry Brigade
 During this time , presumably still in England he won a ten mile race in full marching kit for which he received this little award

his initials stand for Charles Darwin Longfield, presumably HIS parents were Darwinists and the name has been preserved in our family, although none of my own kid's have it (which was remiss of me). He also received a silver topped swagger stick for winning this race, but that is in my Mum's umbrella stand at the moment and I couldn't photograph it tonight.

Here are his War medals, including the MSM he won in 1917, having moved to 244 coy Machine Gun Corps and been made a Sergeant by this time. They are in mint condition as he never wore them. My Mum tells me he made light of his experiences, and used to scare her with stories about the rats in the trenches, but didn't think much of the medals as a token of what he and his mates went through.

The MSM was either awarded for gallantry of useful service. If the former then the citation recorded the deed, but if useful service the deed was not recorded, and it seems the latter was the case for my Grandad. There are several family stories of how he won it, one being he shot down a German spotter plane with either his pistol (I believe machine gunners carried small arms) or the machine gun, or he took out a series of enemy gun nests with his MG team.

Here is the citation as it appeared in the London Gazette in 1917, he's 4 up from the bottom 6285 Sjt CD Longfield

He certainly fought on the First Day of the Somme, possibly with the KOYLI according to family stories, but I'm not sure . 244 Coy MGC seems to have been active later in the War according to this document I gleaned from some record office years ago

At some stage in 1917, possibly at Cambrai, he was badly gassed and left for dead. He was recovered some days later, but had been been blinded by the gas as well and remained blind for 6 months having been sent back to Blighty.  The colliery he worked for (Allerton Bywater near Leeds) sent wounded veterans to convalescence in Scotland, where they recovered by cutting pit props and generally breathing in clean air.  The colliery also awarded him this certificate

and rather nice watch

Inside is an inscription of the award mentioned on the certificate.

His initials as a cypher on the fob.

Happily, he made it through the war, and into the next one, this time as a Captain in the Morecambe Home guard. Here he is leading his men in what I think is a classic picture, which has pride of place in my gaming room.

That's Captain Longfield at the fore, and the chap directly behind him is the spitting image of Sgt Wilson!

He was also an active Freemason, and I have some of his Jewels (as Bob Cordery kindly informed me of the proper name for this type of regalia).I hope you find these interesting Bob.

I would be interested to find out the meaning of the little house and 'cannon'.

Now let's take a look at our family's other war hero (they are all hero's in my view, to make it through such a bloody awful affair).

Private Mick Comerford was my Dad's uncle. He later became a gamekeeper at a little village called Berkley near Frome in Somerset,not far from where I live, but my Dad was brought up in Lancashire and used to come down to Somerset in the 30's as a small boy to stay on the estate Uncle Mick worked on.

Uncle Mick joined up in 1915, and we also have his medals. He has the 1914-15 star, which I think was awarded to soldiers who fought in 1915. The 1914 star was for those who joined in 1914. However he was given the Christmas tin of cigarettes and chocolate which initially was for soldiers at the front at Christmas 1914. Just reading up on the tin now, more seem to have been issued later on using surplus fund money, so he could have been a later recipient.

Uncle Mick often wore his medals, ands as you can see they are a bit more battered than my Grandad's.

He fought with the Royal Berkshire Regiment, and it seems from the battle list below, they had a pretty rough time of it

Again, happily, he made it through, unscathed as far as I know and his discharge is recorded here

Uncle Mick is 4 up from the bottom. But look at the number of chaps K. in A. 

Three on this page alone killed 1. 7. 16.

My Mum (87) was feeling a bit glum today, after watching and listening to memorial services, but if her Dad hadn't made it through the War, she wouldn't have been around nor my brothers, myself or our children, so we have a lot to rejoice about, while remembering those who didn't make it back.

Hopefully normal service will resume soon, and I can show you some toy soldiers!

THE VVITCH

I went to see The VVitch last night , which lived up to all my expectations. We don't get to see many films set in the 17c , and rarely one where the dialogue, costume and behaviour of the protagonists is so well portrayed. The director had clearly done his homework and I recognised several real quotes from 17c witch witch trials. It certainly wasn't an easy watch, the burgeoning sense of paranoia, the graphic portrayal of witches rites (as recorded in trial testimonies) and the discordant soundtrack all added up to make a harrowing yet compelling film. I'll certainly be buying it when it's released on DVD to add to the folk horror collection.

Now...who does figures of 17c witches and civilians....?

A MERRY CROM-MAS FROM THE FROST GIANT JARL

I didn't have time to paint a Christmas figure this year, so had to plunder one from the collection. This great old Ral Partha figure is a giant in my Warmaster Chaos Marauder army where he towers pleasingly over the 10mm warriors.  I've got a few more of this chap waiting to be painted for my Pre-Hammer armies.

Wishing you a Splendid Winter Solstice

and a Merry Christmas

CAVERN CRAWL

I've  been looking covetously at Dwarven Forge cavern systems recently, and come to the conclusion there is no way I can afford them, so will probably have to make my own (although I might treat myself to a stalagmite set). Back when I used to play D + D on a regular basis, I always used to enjoy mapping out cavern systems for players to explore, with fiendish monsters lurking in pools or behind rock formations, but it wasn't until I actually started caving for real that I realised just  how unrealistic role-playing caves are.

About 20 years ago I used to go caving once a week in the Mendip Hills, not far from where I live and poked about in a number of different caves, all of which would present some challenges to an armoured adventuring party

Birthday Squeeze in Swildon's Hole . Note the caver has had to remove the one piece of equipment he is carrying (his lamp battery) so he can get through to the next part of the cave.

(Image from Dudley Caving Club's blog)

The traverse at Eastwater Cavern, a smooth surface, but at a 40' angle ready to slide you down into a crevice

(Image from WAYA blog)

The Drainpipe in Goatchurch Cavern (wiggly)

(image from Pinterest)

Swildon's Hole sump 1. A short underwater passage, adventurers would need to hold their breath for 30 seconds

(pic from Carbis Bay Crew blog)

These are some of the more extreme passages (not the most extreme, it has to be said), and there are areas where one can walk upright, and indeed large and wonderful caverns

The Throne Room in Stoke Lane Slocker (I never did this challenging cave!)

(Image from Dudley Caving Club's blog again)

 but they are all connected by tortuous narrow passageways involving crawling or wriggling, with no level floors and plenty of piles of boulders to clamber over.... which would make for an exciting (and literal) Dungeon/Cavern crawl.

The point of this rambling is that I am getting a real itch to get back underground. I chucked my kneepads and helmet away when we moved house  6 years ago, but I am getting a whispering in my head to lure me back down below...............

Entrance to Swildon's Hole 

one of the fascinating things for me is that an innocuous little hole like this can lead to over 9000 metres of cave passageway, 167 metres deep.... but could you get down with plate armour and a 10' pole?

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.

BIRTHDAY BAKING

It was Arthur's birthday last week, so we fired up the bread oven and all made pizzas on site with a few friends who came along.

Mrs. Atticus dispenses chocolate cake for afters.

a fun time is had by all (that's me with the shiny head).

LINCOMBE BARN TABLE TOP SALE

I took myself off to the Lincombe Barn Wargames club yesterday morning as they were having the annual tabletop sale. You can take along unwanted stuff and hire a table to sell it...a great idea and the ideal place to pick up some bargains. Last year there wasn't much I was interested in at the right price (people were expecting e-bay price sales) but this year I came away with a decent haul

Book on American folklore £1 (I like these 'dip into' books)

Cross of Fire dvd 50p (quite a good film  based on the murder of Madge Oberholtzer in 1925 by prominent Ku Klux Klan member D C Stephenson).

Lord of the Rings Painting Guide £1 (bargain of the year. Published by Heritage Models in 1979 I've bid for this on ebay before but the price shot up to £36!!!)

Games Workshop Steam tank £1 (Why did I buy this? Nice model though)

2 boxes of Airfix ACW figures £4 for the oldest boy (he's amassing ACW armies in 1/72, all donations gratefully accepted).

Huge SPIDER model 50p. I have a plan to bild Morgoth's army in 1/72, and this will do well for Ungoliant.

There is always something that I wished I'd bought and didn't, and this year it was a copy of  the book Gods and Generals , which I meant to go back for but forgot. Otherwise a very successful trip. There was a bod selling Osprey ACW books which I would have bought for £1 each (they were pretty dog eared, but he wanted £6 a piece). 

FLAT PACK TREES

I've just stumbled across this company Bold Frontiers producing cardboard trees which are excellent. The website is refreshingly frank about playing with toy soldiers too.

There seem to be 3 different packs, available individually or as a bundle for $33 Australian dollars. I think I will invest in some for the boys.

SEARCHING THE LONELY EARTH

I don't tend to rant or rave too much about telly programmes as I hardly ever see any, but a work friend lent me Detectorists on dvd last week which is possibly the funniest and best thing I have seen on the screen for years. If you haven't seen it rush out and buy a copy, you will recognise members of your local wargames club among the ranks of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club not to mention the venue (complete with squeaky door). I can't really do the programme justice other than heartily recommend it and mention it's worth a couple of re-watches to pick up all the gags, visual and verbal. Wonderful filming and cracking casting and acting, it captures a slice of England beautifully.

Watching Detectorists this week meant I didn't get a lot of painting done, and yesterday we all went out to visit some friends son their boat. Living close  the Kennet and Avon Canal we are lucky enough to have a number of chums who live on boats and we all piled onto one yesterday, initially just for a coffee, which turned into lunch and then a little cruise as far as Dundas to refill the water tank.

We had a go with a remote control boat from the window

Dundas Aqueduct in the background

Some great industrial archaeology was made use of (entrance to the Somerset Coal Canal in the background)

A fun day on the water.

WES HAL!

I was at work today, but Mrs. Atticus took herself and the 3 lads down the road to the local community growers where she does a lot of work ensuring we get a constant supply of organic veg. and a freezerful of organic pork at Christmas. Today the team were Wassailing, planting new trees, thanking the old and generally having a knees up (sods law that I missed it)

Last years harvest is consumed.

A old re-enactment friend turned up to see what was going on, and then dashed home to get his musket to frighten off evil spirits that might be lurking in the orchard

The new trees are honoured with the Wassail Toast

The libation continues (the chap on the far left is my old music teacher and a druid!)

The old trees are thanked as well

A gathering of good people of all ages

Here we come a Wassailing 

among the leaves so green

Here we come a wandering so fair to be seen...