Holidays - Leeds Armouries

On holiday in York for a week. Very relaxing. Visting old haunts as this was the first place my wife and I went on holiday together before we were married and it was our 30th Anniversary this week.

The weather has been wonderful and we have been out and about. York is a wonderful city and there is plenty to do, but we also made time to go a little further afield, to Leeds, as I wanted to see the Royal Armouries. 

Plenty of excellent exhibits all both well labelled and contextually described too. I sat through a talk on Flodden (hmm well not much about the battle just a bit on being in the fighting, and from a archers perspective - I think a missed opportunity there!) and a rather more lively swordplay demonstration. The Medieval and Renaissance galleries cover tournaments and battles and have lots of shiny gear to see. Upstairs the Oriental gallery covers the Ottomans to Japan with some North African material too. The Indian displays and most especially the Samurai armours are the most spectacular I have to say. Such craftsmanship!

I was, of course, particularly interested at the moment in the 16th Century gear.

It's well worth a visit. I took lots of pics. 

English Equipment 2nd half of 16thC

Foot - although the Jack could equally have been worn by mounted types.

Horse

Some Updates

 Sugar Islands and Against Spain 

Prices for these have gone up, as mentioned previously. Details are on the Buy my Books table at the top of the page and now of course you can also get them from Caliver Books and also from On Military Matters in the US.

Feud 

If you're a follower of the blog you'll know I've done some stuff for the Marian Civil War and more specifically the Gordon Forbes Feud in 16th Century Scotland. I have been working on this on and off for a while and it will form the subject of my next book. 

However prior to that some of it will hopefully be popping up in a well known wargamers seasonal book as part of an article with a gentleman from the northern isles. Watch this space for more details.

Feud will be released in January 23. 

19thC Indian Mutiny, etc

I have been building up a collection of Indian Mutiny figures as the extension of my Afghan and Sikh Wars collections. I swapped my seldom used ACW collection for some lovely foundry Mutineers and British infantry to which I will add a few more units to bring it up to TMWWBK sized forces. I've added some pictures below. To lift the foundry figures to the height of the ever so slightly taller Iron Duke figs I slipped a shim of card under the formers bases, I think it does the trick. 

I've really liked painting up more baggage units - this time a dhoolie and a bheestie. 

Finally and staying on the 19th C I have also acquired some lovely Retreat from Kabul figures. Now that the old Studio Miniatures range is available from Bicorne Miniatures, together with the Empress Range,  I can add a good variety of cold weather clad figures to my Afghan war stuff....and use them for the Patriots Rebellion in Canada. 

It's all go' round 'ere.😁

Against Spain - Now available from On Military Matters

 Further to the last post On Military Matters will be also now be carrying "Against Spain"

Dennis still carries "Sugar Islands" too, so now you have three places to by both books. 

Direct from here. From Caliver Books. And now from On Military Matters. 

Right....now there's no excuses!😀 

Against Spain - now also available via Caliver Books

 Sales of Against Spain have been picking up a bit recently - possibly as the wargames show circuit gets underway again. I handed over some copies to Dave Ryan at Caliver Books and he will now be stocking them, alongside Wargaming the Sugar Islands Campaign. 

I still have copies for sale directly, see the separate tab on the blog. The price and postage from me will be going up slightly at the end of August because I will need to order new stock, so if you want a copy at the current price please get in touch quickly!

The next book progresses well - this won't be an 18thC book but something closer to home. It will probably hit the shelves in January.  

For Sale - Figures

 After clearing out some books I decided to take a look at some of the armies I have not used for some time. 

First of these is my late medieval "Army of the Archbishopric of Hoegaarden" actually a mix of late 100yw figures from Perry and Citadel (ex Bretonnian Halberd and Spear) with few Front Rank figs added. These were professionally painted and the level of detail in them, especially the command figures is quite high. There are 208 pieces (cav and guns as 2pcs). 

I'm asking £475 for this army inc Uk postage.

The second set of armies which I am selling in my ACW collection. I have not used these for a good while. But there are two decent sized forces here -

There are; 

168 pc confederate army

124 inf, 12 cav, 2 guns and 4 crew ea, 4 casualties and 2 mtd command

169pc union army

121 inf, 12 cav, 14 dismounted cav, w/8horse and horse holders, 2 guns and 4 crew, 4 casualties, 2mtd commanders

Total of 337pc 

Plus Confederate ambulance and union prisoners vignettes 17pcs

Grant total 350pcs @ £2 per pc = £700 inc Uk Postage. More pics available. 

ACW STUFF NOW SOLD