Aah - there you are

I have just realised that it has been almost two months since my last blog entry so here is a very quick catch-up, in no particular order.

Uni of York Lifelong Learning Courses. I have finished two courses. For five Saturday mornings I went to Cityscreen Cinema in York for this four film course

This was a great, fantastic opportunity to see classic film on a big screen, maybe not to everyone's taste, but I loved it. "Tokyo Story" is one of my top ten greatest films. So, why five weeks to see four films - well - on week three we had taken our seats in the cinema when they announced that there was a problem with the projector in that Screen so the film "When a Woman Ascends the Stairs" would be delayed by a week. It was worth the wait.

The other course was on the Dreyfus Affair. This has provided the material for me to chop down to a 100 minute talk.


Trips. No outings or excursions to report, except that I went down to London Docklands for Salute 2019. I met some very nice people, such as the wargaming group called "the friends of General Haig" who were there with TYW game, we had a good conversation about Douglas Haig and why they chose the name. Also chatted with "The Continental Wars Society", a group that studies the European wars from 1815 to 1900 (excluding the Crimean War which gets plenty of coverage already). I bought a few things - some flags and pennats from The Flag Dude, a flat pack building from Supreme Littleness Designs, some Ottoman Tufeckci musketeers from Warfare Miniatures and a Kleist Frei Korps band from Foundry because they are dressed in the Turkish style and have Turkish instruments. All in all - a grand day out.

Mentioning Ottoman - my project continues its slow progress. I have purchased two temporary tables, advertised as picnic or barbecue tables.

These fit very neatly into the conservatory with plenty of room around them. I looked at some scenery mats at Salute but did not see one that I liked, but I think  a mat will be my next purchase. The Ebay purchases continue, I have to be careful with these, I am starting a small Turkish metal mountain, but it is hard to resist a bargain.

Ebay purchases

Recently I have bid for and won a number of lots for my Ottoman project, some for figures and one for two model houses.

The houses were described as Arab, Afghan or Indian and cost less then £20 (GB Pounds) for both. Here is the bigger of the two

I like the build of the house and the basing is excellent but the pinkish colour and the green roof are not to my taste. Here is the smaller house after I repainted it.

As I said, the model and its basing are excellent. I looked at photographs of old houses in the Middle East and some 19th century paintings of the area, plus my own travel in the area, I feel very happy with this colour scheme.

This is the best figure purchase, 33 artillery figures and a wheelbarrow for 22 pounds. The top row are Old Glory. Row two shows six Hinchliffe and four Essex Miniatures. Rows three and four are unknown to me but were in a bag with a "Bearsden Miniatures OT9" sticker. I have searched for more details of or a catalogue of Bearsden but unable to trace one.

I also won a bag of Minifigs Ottoman Azabs for 14 pounds. The first four are not Ottoman but figures from their Sword & Sorcery range, so I sold these on Ebay for a pound each.

Then I won a bag of The Assault Group (TAG) Ottoman artillerymen. These are lovely figures, I will get these onto the painting table very quickly.

"Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

Sunday morning - I went to Vapnartak at York Racecourse, a separate entry is to follow, B went to the stables, then we met for lunch at Carluccio's, then Cityscreen cinema to see this film, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

I had seen two film reviews and both had high praise for the film. We agree with these reviews completely, this is a very good film, a good drama.

Melissa McCarthy gives an outstanding performance

as does Richard E Grant in the supporting role.

I have not seen Melissa McCarthy in a serious drama role before, she was wonderful.

I know not everyone likes dramas, but if you do, definitely see this film.

Friday Morning Ritual

I have a Friday Morning Ritual.

I walk into the town's Market Square, have coffee and a pain au chocolat and read the Guardian Review Section at a coffee shop, then visit the Friday market. All very civilised and cosy. It is a small market of about a dozen stalls, one of which is run by a baker and from whom I purchased the cheese and red onion focaccio pictured above. This is now filling our kitchen with a lovely aroma. I shall try a small piece, just for quality assurance purposes.

This weekend will be dominated by the local hunt. B will spend a large part of Saturday preparing her horse and then Sunday by going to Sledmere in the Yorkshire Wolds for the meet. The horse has done this previously, he loves it and so he will be very excited when he is taken out of the horsebox and he realises what is happening. All this means I have a free weekend.

These are photos of the same event but taken two years ago.

(For the historians - Sledmere is the home of the Sykes family, and was inherited by Sir Mark Sykes, he of the Sykes Picot Agreement that carved up the defeated Ottoman Empire in 1918. It is the current seat of the 8th Baronet, Sir Tatton Sykes.)

"Stan and Ollie"

We went to Cityscreen again this weekend to watch "Stan and Ollie". Both of us enjoyed this film very much. It covered the period after WW2 when the duo fell out of film fashion and were touring the UK, performing their double act on the stage. Very funny, very entertaining, a little sad, very well acted, particularly Steve Coogan who played Stan Laurel. I have always been a big Laurel & Hardy fan and I had doubts when the film was announced but those doubts have been dispelled.

"The Favourite"

Saturday trip to the cinema to see "The Favourite".

We both liked the film, myself a lot more than B, great acting, good script, great location work, a very good eye for historical detail; however, neither of us understood why it is classed as a comedy. There are some funny lines and banter, there are some funny set-ups and situations but there was no really comic pieces, nothing that got the cinema audience roaring with laughter. Please don't let this dissuade from going to see the film, it is great.

A Plan for 2019?

Happy New Year to all.

We are back from house-sitting and pet feeding duties in Gloucestershire. Whilst there and away from my painting desk, I gave a little thought to painting and unit plans for 2019.

The main plan is the same as most wargamers - paint more and buy less. I will continue with my Ottoman force as I am really enjoying this and I have something like ten units to complete but I will also paint a couple of European units. Also I have bought 18 Japanese Ronin as a Unit deal from Dixons, I'm not sure what role they will play but I am keen to start them. (Finish what is on the table first.)

In early December I saw a series of photos of a wargamers SYW Indian table.

I think the buildings are from a company called Tinned Fruit and the plants from Adrian's Walls. I was very impressed by this table and has pushed me to getting on with my own Middle East village.

I have started the last building I bought from Warbases.

I have also bought some trees and pots.

So, plenty of thought, plenty of words, now just get on with it.....