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 

KING OF AQUILONIA

Just finished this figure which was very quick to paint being chiefly black and gold. A very old Ral Partha miniature which I am using as Conan one he has become king of Aquilonia. I like the leg armour on the horse.

'...Conan's armor of black platemail, with the vizored salade and the dark plumes nodding over a wivern crest. Over all they put the silken surcoat with the royal lion worked in gold upon the breast and they girt him with a broad gold buckled belt which supported a jewel hilted broadsword in a cloth of gold scabbard.' (Conan the Conqueror).

The Black Dragon cavalry are on the varnishing block as I write.

Having set my oldest son Robin on the road to penury and madness by getting him into playing with little soldiers, I have now started the initiation of my next 2 sons Arthur and George. Arthur has been keenly painting 1/72 plastics from a variety of manufacturers and set up his first little battle the other day

The board has seen better days, so I had better knock him up another soon. Note the home made troll, now painted centre right.

KNIGHTS IN SHINING ARMOUR

A busy week all in all. Saturday I went up to Warfare in Reading which is usually a good show, and this year was no exception. I picked up a few old Ral Partha figures at the bring and buy along with other items to re-sell.  I tootled along to the Lancashire Games stand and introduced myself to Mosstrooper who was manning the stall with his friends. Very nice to meet a fellow blogger in the flesh (strange too after following his blogs and seeing pictures of him, bit like meeting a favourite film star).

Painting is going apace, the slap it on with little or no shading produces results

Some of the Aquilonian Royal Guard, the Black Dragons

and the freshly varnished Gunderland pikemen and Aquilonian spearmen

There is something profoundly satisfying about handling gloss varnished figures.

GUNDERLAND PIKEMEN

I managed to get these finished today, and I hope to have a varnishing session tonight, but here they are in their matt state.

As far as I remember they are described in the Conan novels as being clad in sober homespun clothing and steel helms and corslets. The rule book Royal Armies of the Hyborean Age also mentions they are fair haired so I have given them blond beards. Figures by Garrison.

REMEMBRANCE DAY

As always I think about my Grandfather today.  Sgt. Chas. Darwin Longfield Machine Gun Corps. He died when I was only a few months old, but luckily I have his medals and citation for his MSM.  Also My great Uncle Mick Comerford, Private Royal Berkshires, wounded at the Somme and Passchendaele.

AQUILONIAN SPEARMEN

2 posts in 12 hours? What's going on? Taking advantage of a weekend off work, and a visit from the inlaws yesterday (I slunk away to the attic for an hour), I managed to finish these nice old Garrison figures. Not varnished yet, but if I wait until I do that it will be another 2 weeks.

I really must get a backdrop in place for photos...so much to do so little time.