The Blues, The Reds and Black Leather

 Well, this week has been a busy, busy one workwise, but it's also seen me get some serious lead added to the collection.

Firstly, I received the first of what will be many, many figures from the hands of Neil Shearwood, in the shape of 2 squadrons of Oxford Blues and a couple of generic brigade command stands for my Williamite Wars collection. Although I show them here in their gloss state (something I always do) they are destined to to be matte to match the rest of the collection:




Once the memsahib bases them, they wil join the ranks out in the games room. My plan is to periodically add to this collection as broadly speaking, it's plenty large enough for a 6 player game, already.

I'm commissioning Neil to paint around 800 AWI next, and they will be gloss varnished as I think they'll really 'pop' and have a wonderfully old school vibe to them, like the stuff I saw in the magazines and at shows in my youth.

Then, yesterday, my sworfd & sorcery painter 'Big Al Croft' sent me photos of the latest tranche of stuff he's sending me, which is several hundred pieces from the 1800 or so models he is working through for me. 

It looks like this lot includes some of my Red Orcs/Red Goblins, FT Trolls, Goblin Raiding Party, Golfag's Ogres, Lesser Goblins and Lesser Night Goblins. Certainly, there's a lot to get based up there and I know there's a lot more to come:







Given the truly eye wtering sums I have spent on what has become known as 'Project Weird Shit', augmented by a lifetime of collecting, it's great to think that in 2025, this massive undertaking should see completion and be on the table for many years to come under my generalship, before either going to a loving family member of being offered to a legitimate museum.

Alan is certtainly hitting all the sweet spots for meand we are working closely to get the feel of the models which inspired me as a young teenager and indeed get the colour schemes I used myself back thenFor some of the Red Orcs it's their 3rd paint job!

Last night , after work, I was obliged to go to the Meadowhall Centre to sort out a couple of Christmas presents for our eldest grandson, which we'd ordered online but which were not what we ordered when they arrived. On the way back to the car, I popped into Joe Brown's to browse their seasonal fashion offerings, with no intention of spending a penny...


Some £350 later, I strepped out with a rather fetching cardigan and a full length black leather trench coat, embracing both my Goth period in the late 80s, and my love of Starsky & Hutch and The Professionals, where 70s knitwear reached it's pinnacle.

Of course I can't wear Cuban heels anymore, so I'm going to look for a suitable Skechers boot to wear with the trench coat. along with lots of black clothing.

As I said, there was no intention to shop, but I tried stuff on and was shocked at what a difference dropping from some 135 kilos to 110 has made. I grabbed what I thought was a reasonably size and tried it on, only for it to drown me.

So obviously, it was a given that I treat myself, because you know, I'm worth it.

Well, if you will excuse me, the day races onwards and there's a rather nice Autumnal menu at Chatsworth which requires my attention.

 

TTFN


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