Keep Your Powder Dry

Always on the look out for buildings and scenery that 'works' with my true 15mm figures, I returned to the Hovels website. This time I had a look at the Ancient 15mm range - hidden amongst the Roman marching camp and Celtic round houses are a few wattle and daub farm buildings which have seventeenth century potential. My rationale to myself: cheap construction and maintenance methods would no doubt continue to be utilised until a cheaper better option became available. Hence wattle and daub thatched outbuildings are a 'winner', but not roundhouses. First up is the 'Raised Grain Store' 14D5. Next, 'Oblong Thatched Store' 15D5. During my initial teacher training it was drummed into us that we should never ever use the 'o word' <shudders>, they are rectangles. So for all you teachers out there I apologise, I am merely quoting Hovels's title of their rectangular thatched store. Last offering from the Ancients range is 'Pig...

Bank Holiday weekends usually mean that The Sealed Knot , and The English Civil War Society are re-enacting somewhere. If you have never been to a re-enactment they usually take on two forms - a small demonstration with maybe just one regiment, or major battle with horses, cannon and hundreds of foot soldiers. The Sealed Knot recently put on one of their major meets at Deene Park in Northampton. Here's a photo album as painting inspiration, or as a taster of what to expect. The living history camp... Prior to the battle  the apprentices regiment drilled... ...and Hesilrigge's Lobsters rode out The battle The resident kites weren't sure what to make of it all Don't think any miniatures manufacturers make one of these If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider  supporting  the blog.  Thanks .

Colonel Hugh Fraser’s Regiment of Dragoons were raised in 1643 and are most famous for their pivotal role at Marston Moor; the regiment also fought at  Corbridge, Penshaw, York, Doncaster, Newcastle, Carlisle, Hereford, and Newark. The Regiment was disbanded at Kelso, apart from Colonel Fraser's troop that continued as part of the Scots New Model Army. Command  Every single figure having a headswap. Let the headswaps begin The Regiment are re-enacted as part of the Sealed Knot's Scots Brigade , I shamelessly copied their guidon. A crime which Stuart at Maverick Models was an accessory to. The fighting men of the regiment As much as I like the look of my dragoons, I have to say I am very pleased that I will probably never* have to paint another unit of them. It's like painting a small regiment of foot and a large regiment of horse at the same time. Lots of horses and horseholders *To utilise the title of a second rate Bond ...

Lancer: to be pronounced like Renton pronounces "dancer" as he emerges from the 'worst toilet in Scotland' in Trainspotting (but without the potty-mouth-sweariness). Two more regiments of horse for the Solemn League and Covenant army. The Earl of Leven's Regiment of Horse were raised in Fife in 1640 and occupied Newcastle for a year before returning to Scotland and being disbanded. raised anew in 1642 they went to fight in Ireland, returning to England in 1644. Famously fighting at York, Marston Moor (where their lancer troop proved very effective), Hereford, Philiphaugh (nope, I've never heard of this battle either), and Newark before being disbanded (apart from Leven's troop which joined the Scot's New Model Army) in 1647. In 1648 Leven opposed the Engagers and Hamilton took over Leven's troop, which was reinforced and expanded. The (now Royalist) regiment escorted the baggage train during the Preston campaign, before getting stuck into...

Lord Mauchline’s Regiment of Horse was raised in Lanarkshire in July 1650. Mauchline had been commissioned to raise a regiment of foot, but raised one of horse instead. They saw action at Dunbar in September 1650, and later went south to England in 1651 fighting at Worcester. This is the first of three new Covenanter cavalry regiments to be raised. All of my existing Covenanter units fought for Parliament during the First Civil War: Mauchline's and the other cavalry units will be flying cornets from the Third Civil War (by which time the Covenanters had changed sides and had become Engagers). This is purely down to my desire to use known standards for units, when and wherever possible. They will of course fight for the King, and at other times they will fight for Parliament. I have chosen to represent Mauchline's as a harquebusier regiment of horse: certainly as the years progressed Covenanter regiments started fielding more and more harquebusiers. It ...

On the 5th of May 1646 King Charles I surrendered himself to the Covenanters besieging Newark. May Bank Holiday weekend (falling on the 5th and 6th of May) National Civil War Centre and the English Civil War Society put on their annual Pikes and Plunder weekend. Living history camps at the Sconce and Newark Castle, re-enactors drilling in the market place, the National Civil War Centre open for business, the town's Civil War Trail, and all topped off with a skirmish and battle at the Queen's Sconce. What's not to like for the ECW anorak? Living history at the castle Authentic C17th Health and Safety signage    The rest is a shameless photo gallery...   This year there was something quite special to see - the ECWS's artillery train firing from atop the Sconce. Arty effects time... If you enjoyed reading this, or any of the other posts, please consider  supporting  the blog. ...