Library bargains

I found myself in Dudley town centre a few weeks on a Saturday morning and as I had some spare time before the castle & zoo opened I visited the local library. My brother has, in the past, bought a number of historical books from there as they tend to sell off old stock i.e. old Haynes car manuals and romantic novels (same thing really). However if you’re prepared to rummage then you can pick to a few interesting titles. In a small reading room there’s a sign stating that it’s a pound for as many books per bag (you have to bring your own bag).

I bought the following (all for one English pound – bargain!).

‘Life and Times of Richard I’ – John Gillingham

‘Richard the Lionheart’ (second edition) - John Gillingham

‘Richard III’ - Charles Ross

‘Henry V as Warlord’ – Desmond Seward

‘The Roundheads’ – Jasper Ridley

I even popped out to get a plastic bag from WHSmith so that bumped up the overall price to £1.01. I had to leave two other books as I don’t think the bag could take the strain. I’ve only managed to read ‘The Roundheads’ book so far. This deals with the main Parliament (obviously) characters involved in the conflicts of the ECW, their actions during the commonwealth and their lives after the restoration.

In particular there is a fascinating account of John Lambert; a tragic character who after being judged by his former colleagues spent decades in prison slowly going mad. Another character detailed is Admiral Blake, who, I have to admit I’d never heard of. Blake was one of the most successful military leaders, naval or otherwise, in British history. It’s definitely worth popping into your local library even if just to read the Saturday papers for free and you might even pick up a bargain or two.

English Civil War Army on parade

I spent some of the previous evenings setting up all the ECW figures I have (and there were far more than I imagined, especially cavalry). There is a method to this madness. I can now work out how the group the figures together and reduce as much repetition as possible. It also gives me a good idea just how long it will take me to paint this lot (at least a year I reckon). Hopefully they will be done before:
a) I go mad,
b) I am declared bankrupt for buying too many toy soldiers (I doubt my bank manager, Trevor, quite understands what a 'lead/plastic mountain' is),
c) my eyesight fails,
d) all of the above.

This image doesn't even show my Newcastle figures or the frame gun.

The black primed figures are Warlord Games. The rest are a mixture of Renegade, Bicorne, Essex and Perry. There is a surprising difference in size with the figures for what is supposedly the same scale. For example Bicorne & Renegade Miniatures are both considerable taller than their Warlord and Perry companions. However as long as I don't place these figures on the same bases I don't think it's a major issue. After all you could easily play with just the bases but it certainly wouldn't look as pretty and from a few feet away it's hard to see the difference.

March Review

March has been quite an interesting month for me involving several enjoyable days out. First up was a trip to the east midlands. This started with a visit to an open day held to promote the new Black Powder rules at Maelstrom Games in Mansfield. The premises are still ‘work in progress’ with the shop under the main playing room. One of the two adjacent buildings are used as a stock room, the other appears as if it will be used it as an additional playing area.

The products on display are available with a decent discount of 10-15% although this isn’t immediately obvious as they do not have any prices on the items.

The distance to the shop, just over 55 miles away, means that I won’t be able to regularly visit though my friend recommends their mail order service after placing, and quickly receiving, a large order with a considerable discount.

I can’t comment of the new Black Powder rules as I didn’t manage to play but it’s always nice to be able to put names to faces regarding the Warlord Games staff. My accompanying friends are more into Warhammer Fantasy so we ventured south towards Warhammer World, the headquarters of Games Workshop (GW) in Nottingham. Located on an industrial estate, the showrooms and playing areas are based in a factory unit. The painted miniatures on display are definitely worth seeing. There is a shop on site where we were ‘mugged’ three times in ten minutes by the professionally over friendly staff,

“So what army are you working on?”

“Err.. exactly the same one I just told those two blokes about”.

I didn’t say this obviously as I’m far too polite. It’s apparent that there are stock phases taught to GW staff during their training. Another method seems to be placing the appropriate product in your hands - think of the opposite of when your mom used to remove sweets you sneakily placed in the shopping trolley hoping she wouldn’t notice until you arrived at the till. Clever Jedi mind tricks but a little tiresome after awhile.
I was a little surprised that the shop doesn’t have the complete range available on display; although they are available on request if you’re prepared to wait. A missed opportunity I would have thought from such a commercially focused operation like GW. After mentioning where we'd been earlier one staff member admitted that Maelstrom offer cheaper prices than normal but then quickly added that Maelstrom don't carry a full range of stock (just like their own shop then).

Also in March was the WMMS show organised by Alumwell Wargamers which is probably the biggest show of its type in the West Midlands. In attendance were my local club, Pensnett, which is a ‘proper’ old fashioned modelling club (in the sense of making plastic model kits, scratch building and painting large scale figures). With my limited finances I still managed to spend about £70, including renewed membership of the Lance & Longbow Society. Main purchases consisted of metal Perry miniatures from their EWC and new WotR ranges. A highlight of the show was a game put on by the Leamington Spa Wargamers group. This was an impressive Elizabethan game based on the film ‘Where Eagles Dare’. Trust me; it made sense when you saw it. They deservedly won the "Best Painted Army" at the show.

Managed to paint twenty figures and finish the star fort I made last year. I also did a lot of prep work on numerous other figures but I think I need to focus and paint more regularly. Another post about my ECW efforts will be posted shortly.

ECW Covenanters WIP

"Does exactly what is says on the tin."

Just a few images of the miniatures I'm currently working on. These are from Renegade Miniatures - ECW Infantry Standing/Ready Regiment Covenanters 01.

8 down, 24 to go. 

Completed Sconce - Star Fort

These models are inspired after a visit to Fort Royal, Worcester and are based on a illustration of Queens Sconce in Newark in Osprey’s ‘English Civil War Fortifications 1642-51 (Volume 9 of Fortress range).  The items were completed in October last year but I'd forgotten all about them.  After a tidy up they were unearthed and painted.

Corner bastion

Firelocks assaulting the breach.

View showing the modular system.

View from inside the fort.

Previous posts relating to the construction of the models and the history of the real thing can be found here Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4.

Battle of Birmingham

The latest copy of the Wargames Illustrated  - Issue 269 March 2010 'the ECW edition' (purchased by my brother - thanks) is probably the best yet since the BattleFront takeover. There are several very interesting articles but the one that caught my eye in particular was an excellent one about the Battle of Birmingham, if only because I work and often shop there.

The event is normally referred to as The Battle of Camp Hill which took place in April 1643. More details here. The battle is notable because William Feilding, 1st Earl of Denbigh, (present at the battle of Edgehill, October 1642) was injured and died shortly afterwards. The action also inspired the famous pamphlet illustration of Prince Rupert but I hope to post on that subject later on.

The article states that battle site lies under the urban sprawl of modern Birmingham and there is nothing left to see. However I don't believe this is strictly true if only because of this building; the Old Crown pub. Located in Deritend, it lies half way between St. Martins and Camp Hill, in the most likely place where the running battle took place.















The Grade II listed pub is the oldest secular building still standing in Birmingham. Although the pub claims to date from 1368 the present building dates from the 15th century. It is just about half a mile away from the new Bullring. If you need directions, ask a local to point you towards the Custard Factory (as in Bird's custard). This building is right next to the Old Crown.

If you fancy re-acting a favourite pass time of plenty of English Civil War soldiers i.e. drinking beer, then I’d recommend you cross over the dual carriageway and pop into either the Swan or the Anchor pubs, which is just behind the brand new bus terminal. As bus depots go, this one is on quite attractive (yes, I do need to get out more). Both of these very traditional pubs are on the same road parallel to the High Street. I visited both pubs last week (only in the name of research for this blog, you understand).

These images are taken from wikipedia as my new phone camera went into a major sulk and failed to save any of my pictures.



















The Victorian church St. Martin's in the Bullring was rebuilt over the remains of the medieval building. This well known landmark still however contains several effigies of local knights all located in the north aisle. The best remaining effigy is that of John Be Bermingham (sic) who fought for twenty years in France before dying in 1393. The family coat of arms still forms part of the city’s flag. Two other effigies survive but in poor condition.

Edward Burne Jones, the artist associated with the Pre Raphaelite movement, was baptised in the church.

Staffordshire Hoard

Yesterday, along with my father and brother, I traveled up the M6 to visit the Staffordshire Hoard exhibition at the Stoke Museum in Stoke. Although we had to wait several hours in the bitter cold it was definitely worth it. I'd missed seeing the exhibition when it was at Birmingham and we didn't know when it would be back on show. The exhibition finishes on this Sunday (7th March) and will probably be the last time they will be on display together for a long period as they have to cleaned (most of the objects are still covered in good old Staffordshire dirt!).

Remains of a sword hilt.



















Found by metal detectorist in the summer of 2009 the local newspaper provided enough information (owner of the land, name of the farm, nearest town etc.) to locate the hoard's original position surprisingly easy. It was supposed to be a secret to protect the site from treasure hunters (how ironic!). The Hoard was actually found a few miles away from where I live in the sunny borough of Walsall, just outside Brownhills in the heart of Mercia. The site is not far from the Roman site of Letocetum (modern day Wall) off Watling Street (modern day A5). But the 'Brownhills, West Midlands Hoard' doesn't quite have the same romantic sound to it. Another local treasure from Brownhills is the fashion model Erin O'Connor but that's a different story.

There really were too many fantastic objects to list them all. There were over 100 items on display but the the hoard contains over 1800 (and counting) objects made from various metals. There is 5kg of gold, 1.3kg of silver and has been valued at £3,285,000.

Queue outside museum - only three and half hours to go!

Endurance stamps - you receive one for waiting every 1hour 20minutes.

Dating from the 7th or 8th centuries (approx.) numerous objects are made from, what is known fittingly as, the garnet cloisonné technique. These items closely resemble the gold and garnet objects recovered from the burials at Sutton Hoo. However there are little or no personal ornaments in the Hoard (so far). In fact, as far as it is know, all the remains are battlefield relics. Although there is also a cross inscribed with stirring Biblical text. The text almost inspires you to go and pick a fight with any passing pagan Viking upstarts.

A particular highlight for me was seeing the remains of at least one helmet. The right cheek plate contains two Staffordshire knots and is the earliest known representation of this symbol, preceding the previous recorded instance by several hundred years. Along with strips showing tiny armed figures, on display in the ‘helmet case’ were two stylish eyebrow shaped strips of gold. I’d never seen these before in the media and I can’t wait to see if anyone tries to make a replica. To say it would look stunning would be an understatement. 

It is the workmanship on these treasures that leaves the lasting impression. A nice touch was that the partition walls the same objects on display were shown nearby greatly enlarged. A two foot high image of a highly stylised horse showed incredible details; the real thing is less than 2 inches long and the details are difficult to even see.

If you don’t have the opportunity to visit Stoke then if, and when in the future, I would urge anyone to see these objects. It will change your view of the so-called Dark Ages forever. It did for me anyway, I’ve already been eyeing up a few Anglo-Saxon miniatures.

Appropriate links: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire_hoard

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/