Tuesday 5 January 2016

Happy New Year!


Happy New Year!

After a quiet 2015 on this blog, I’m hoping to offer you all a little bit more in 2016. No hugely ambitious plans (I’ve been there before!), but hopefully some more regular blogging.


After a long period of time wargaming the First World War (almost to the exclusion of other periods), one of the decisions I made in late Autumn last year was to move on to a different period for building up armies and terrain. I say “different” as the period is not really new to me – it’s more a case of returning to one of the periods of my wargaming roots, namely the late seventeenth century in Flanders, France and Germany.




With this in mind, I’ve had fun digging out units and figures over the past month or so, becoming reunited with some battalions I had forgotten about, and re-discovering a seventeenth century lead mountain which has not been added to since 2007!

Getting “back into” a wargaming period is also, I’ve found, a slightly strange experience.

I’ve found a couple of hundred unpainted figures, some old notebooks containing a half-finished campaign, lots of ideas written own and even a set of rules I had written and used just a couple of times.  A bit like walking into a house with the furniture covered in dust-sheets.  Everything is exactly where you left it – good memories, half-finished projects, jewels-in-the-crown, warts and all. 

Looking through what I have for the period is as if everything came to an abrupt stop in 2008, and was simply put away (which is pretty near the truth, as I moved onto other periods).


Picking up the reins again and taking stock of an old period is an interesting process. My main thoughts are - “how can I do it differently this time around”.  More to come on this in due course.

Alongside this transition (from an old period to a newer old period), there’s also the excitement of Curt’s Sixth Painting Challenge. Here’s my first entry, which Curt has entitled “The Satyr”, and is the for the "Nostalgia" themed-round. It looks back to the wonderful times of the 1980s and the “Talisman” board game, but you’ll perhaps also spot just a few hints of the seventeenth century creeping in …






25 comments:

  1. Hola Señor Roundwood
    I'm happy to read that you´ll be more active in 2016, you've been really missed in the blogosphere lately.
    I'm not at all knowledgeable about warfare in the 17th century so I'm intrigued about your project this year.
    Rules half finished? Will we see a new set published under the TooFatLardies brand, maybe?
    And a beautiful contribution to the Challenge

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    1. Thanks Benito. My absences have really been caused by work and family life. I guess its the same for so many of us. I've been trying to set aside at least 15 minutes a day to do something in the hobby (I'm typing this on 21 January), and so far I'm enjoying that routine. Fingers crossed it lasts!

      As for the half-finished rules ... they were/are a labour of love. I doubt that i would ever publish them, but I am sure that some of the elements in them might find there way to this blog this year.

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  2. Happy New Year old chap, nice piece you have done there. I am the opposite I am having a big push on the Great War front at the moment. Very tempted by the 17th century myself, but I am painting a lot of them for Alec at the moment so it has rather cured me of going in that direction, but never say never. Look forward to seeing what you do with it during the year.

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    1. Thanks, Phil! I'm enjoying your Great War push at present. Let's see if I can help tempt you back in time!

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  3. Happy new year Sidney. Glad we might hear a little more from you this year A you've been missed around these parts. And an exciting new/old project too!

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  4. Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to reading more posts here.

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  5. Happy New Year my good man! Looking forward to whatever comes our way, I am sure it will be of your usual wonderful quality.

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  6. A Happy New Year to you Sidney, and welcome back to the world of the Nine Years War!

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    1. It's funny, Ray, as I was actually thinking about and looking through your own excellent blog posts when deciding to get back into the 1680s and 1690s. Proof that inspiration comes full circle!

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  7. Welcome back and Happy New Year!

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  8. A Happy New Year Sidney! While the 17th century isn't realy holding much of interest (yet) for me, I'm looking forward to follow your steps into this old project of yours. And who knows? Maybe you manage to spark my interest for the period.

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    1. Thanks Nick! Let's see if I can make you look again at the 1680s!

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  9. Best to you and yours this new year Sid!

    It's great coming upon old projects, especially those that are just crying to be resurrected again. I look forward to seeing what you come up with this year!

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    1. Revitalising old projects is a wonderful thing. It's strange that I've found almost all the bits from the 1680s which I stopped working on in 2007, exactly where I thought they would be. At times, I could visualise the boxes in the garden shed, and yes - they they were, packed away. It was uncanny. And, just as with an old friend you have not seen for years, you start up just where you left off. A very good feeling.

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  10. Best to you and yours this new year Sid!

    It's great coming upon old projects, especially those that are just crying to be resurrected again. I look forward to seeing what you come up with this year!

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  11. Happy New Year to you too Sidney! By coincidence that is a period that I have just started in as well. I'd heartily recommend all the books by John Childs, especially his “The Nine Years War and the British Army.” On another subject, you might find this blog on famous pictures of Verdun by the historian Ian Sumner interesting: http://iansumner.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/2000-views.html

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    1. Ah! Mark, proof that great minds think alike! As a guide to the Nine Years War in Flanders, Professor Childs' book (“The Nine Years War and the British Army”) can't be bettered.

      When I first read it in about 1992, it came across as being very dry - a classic old fashioned military history. Names, dates, movements of troops, supplies. Methodical stuff. None of the grand sweeps of the pen, multi-national comparisons, glittering word-portraits of the chief commanders.

      I realise now that in 1992 I just didn't have the understanding of (i) how difficult the book must have been to compile from fragmentary records in five languages; and (ii) just how skilful and well-conceived a book it is. I've re-read it a couple of times since, and it's really a marvellous work. I got a real understanding of how armies moved and fought in the period. I agree that it's a great place any reading on the Nine Years War!

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