Sunday 27 December 2009
Seasons Greetings
Thursday 24 December 2009
Happy Christmas To All!
Monday 21 December 2009
A couple of pleasant figures from Wm Britain
These two figures out of their Redcoat range are pleasing. One a Coldstream Guard pikeman of 1670 and the other Francis Hawley c1685.
Sunday 20 December 2009
Memoirs of a Cavalier by Daniel Defoe
Published in 1720 this novel - in full online - tells the tale of a 17th century soldier from the Thirty Years War on to the Civil War. Another version here
I am not sure what the source for this book is - I remember reading somewhere that it was based on interviews conducted by Defoe - does anyone know more about this book?
Friday 18 December 2009
Martin Hyde the Duke's Messenger
Wednesday 16 December 2009
Samurai reenactment
The Restoration Company
'The first part of a promotional video recorded by Restoration Company, a Dutch-based early-music ensemble specialised in historically informed performance of English music from 1650-1750 -- the era that encompasses Purcell, Handel and their contemporaries. The group's careful attention to the political, cultural, theatrical and literary context surrounding the music is one of its defining characteristics. Our video -- here split into three parts -- demonstrates the breadth and quality of Purcell's music, as well as the capabilities of each member of the group, and the resulting musical coherence. Visit our website for the texts of the pieces, some explanatory notes, and more general information on the group and its repertoire'.
Tuesday 15 December 2009
Vauban fortifications
Friday 11 December 2009
Tambourafdelingen
Interesting little film about the leader of the Norwegian group recreating the era of 1704 getting ready and firing the group's cannon.
Kong Frederik den IV's Tambourafdeling af 1704.
See them at a display in 2009 here.
Wednesday 9 December 2009
Gustav II Adolph
My Two Favorite Commanders Meet Osprey and Del Prado
I happened to find my figure through a retailer closing out some "out of box" samples at a very favorable price, but even at the regular subscription rate of $20 US per figure, these are fair value. Do watch the accuracy of the painting however, they also do a figure called "French Captain of Musketeers, 1670" which has the figure on the gray horse of the 1st Company, but with the black hat of the 2nd Company. Easy enough to correct, but annoying none the less! Still, all things considered, not a bad way to add a little extra color and inspiration to the gaming room, den or painting table. I have my figure of Turenne on a shelf above the area where I'm working on his 15mm counterpart. Until next time....
Bill
Tuesday 8 December 2009
Another Bila Hora 2009 film
Sunday 6 December 2009
European Weapons and Warfare by Eduard Wagner
Friday 4 December 2009
Jacobites in Derby
Battle of Lund 1676
Thursday 3 December 2009
Spanish flintlock drill
Reconstruction of the loading sequence by some of the garrison at the Castillo de San Marcos near Fort Augustine in Florida.
A couple of images from the movie Alatriste
Exciting News in Plastic!
Until next time (hopefully without as long a delay!), enjoy the Holiday Season, ask Santa, Father Christmas, Peré Noel, or Kris Kringle for lots of new little toys, and be well my Friends.
Bill
My Absence and Apologies
First, my apologies for my lengthy absence from the blog. I have been in communication with Ralph and I believe he will concur that it was necessary, at least for my mental health. I do appreciate the personal e-mails that I received asking about me, and again apologize that I could not answer them in more detail at the time.
Ralph knows the full details of the actions that precipitated my absence, as my counselor recommended disclosing them to someone I considered a "close" friend. I will only speak in generalities here on the matter. Beginning in late August of this year, my Family has been exposed to an extremely traumatic series of events that I would not wish on anyone. This began when a Family member (by marriage I should note) betrayed the trust of the rest of the Family, and betrayed his responsibility as a Father by causing harm to another, defenseless and minor, member of the Family. This betrayal has had a "ripple" effect, resulting in criminal charges against the betrayer, my Daughter to be facing impending divorce, my Grandson and Granddaughter to now be without a Father, and my Wife and I to have to face our worst fears, deal with our own thoughts of retribution (biblical justice has entered my mind on more than one occasion), and try and keep the core Family unit together under the worst imaginable conditions. We are all undergoing counseling and hopefully will begin to see some return to normality in the near future. We did have a good Thanksgiving holiday under the circumstances, and hope to have a good Christmas, for the children if nothing else.
While I have kept up with goings-on here and on other blogs that I follow, and have attempted to publicise the blog in occasional postings on TMP and the OSW wargaming Yahoo Group, I simply wasn't ready to re-focus my efforts on painting, researching, writing and the other activities that are relevant to this blog. I think I am now ready to begin trying to function again, but I hope that you will bear with me, as we do still have pending legal matters that will probably occupy my thoughts and time facing us. Thank you again for your patience and certain individuals for your concerns. At least for now, I remain;
Bill
Sir William the Aged
Monday 30 November 2009
Der grimmig Tod mit seinem Pfeil
the grim dead aims his arrow at your life
life dwindles away like smoke in the wind
no flesh can escape
your goods and chattels can't come with you
Nobody can foretell how long you will live
If dead knocks on your door, go have to unlock it
He takes with him the young and the old
even the king marches in his queue
Maybe today's your last day
virtue you shall ensue
and hope for many years to come
He who made made this song and sang it
often gazed at death
Now he lies in his deep grave
you're going to follow ... today or tomorrow
Instrumental version and German lyrics here
Friday 27 November 2009
17th century Eastern European Reenactment in the USA
They also organise tours involving reenactment in Poland so plenty to get your teeth into if you have an interest in this sort of thing. Discussion group here.
Thursday 26 November 2009
Kalmar Nyckel
Wikipedia article
Website here
New World (2005)
Wednesday 25 November 2009
Tuesday 24 November 2009
Wiesloch 1632
Monday 23 November 2009
Storming of Basing House
Read warden Alan Turton's piece on the siege for the full story.
Nowadays it is a ruin - having been levelled after the assault but it has become the place to visit for Civil War enthusiasts with lots of interesting stuff to see and enjoy from the museum to the tunnels. Apparently new changes are afoot at Basing and it is closed until the summer of 2010 but the project has a blog with all manner of interesting developments including the recent archaeological finds at the site such as a musket rest top and much more. Image from the excellent Basing House website showing the scale of the building that once was the finest house in England.
Watch an episode of Time Team when they visited the Ruins for a dig.
1632
Wiki on the novel with links to ebooks and a fansite
The Ultimate Y2K Glitch....
1632 In the year 1632 in northern Germany a reasonable person might conclude that things couldn't get much worse. There was no food. Disease was rampant. For over a decade religious war had ravaged the land and the people. Catholic and Protestant armies marched and countermarched across the northern plains, laying waste the cities and slaughtering everywhere. In many rural areas population plummeted toward zero. Only the aristocrats remained relatively unscathed; for the peasants, death was a mercy.
2000 Things are going OK in Grantville, West Virginia. The mines are working, the buck are plentiful (it's deer season) and everybody attending the wedding of Mike Stearn's sister (including the entire membership of the local chapter of the United Mine Workers of America, which Mike leads) is having a good time.
THEN, EVERYTHING CHANGED....
When the dust settles, Mike leads a small group of armed miners to find out what's going on. Out past the edge of town Grantville's asphalt road is cut, as with a sword. On the other side, a scene out of Hell; a man nailed to a farmhouse door, his wife and daughter Iying screaming in muck at the center of a ring of attentive men in steel vests. Faced with this, Mike and his friends don't have to ask who to shoot.
At that moment Freedom and Justice, American style, are introduced to the middle of The Thirty Years War.
Saturday 21 November 2009
English Civil War drum calls
Thw sword of the common soldier
Steel on Sand blog
White Mountain 1620
I've often wondered whether this look could be recreated in 3D on the tabletop as they kind of look like they're on a table...presumably you'd have to use 2mm blocks.
Thursday 19 November 2009
Sir Horace Vere's Regiment?
Ruffs
Mars 17th century
Gustav II Adolfs Fotfänika i Göteborg
Hans Ulrich Franck
Tilly's infantry
Wednesday 18 November 2009
Soldatentanz
Eduard Wagner - 'European weapons and warfare 1618-48'
In My Younger Days
Funnily enough I knew there was a Czech TYW scene even around then which was no easy thing before the internet and the Velvet Revolution - my parents had gone on an early package holiday to Bratislava and witnessed a combat display in the castle and duly took photographs as they knew I'd be interested. The group was called 'Historical Fencing' or so they told me.
Walter Butler
Tuesday 17 November 2009
Bethlen Gábor Hagyományőrség Altblau Regiment Tatai Patara BGHE
The Age of Bethlen Gabor
Terra Heroica 2009 Kamieniec Podolski
Siege of Stettin
The City of Stettin under Siege by the Great Elector Frederick William in the Winter of 1677/78 (c. 1680) More images here
General Sir Edward Cecil
Read Life and Times of General Sir Edward Cecil, Viscount Wimbledon, Colonel of ... By Charles Dalton (limited preview here)
Sir Charles Morgan - Welshman on the Elbe
Mackay's Regiment
A narrative of the principal services of the Regiment, from its formation in 1626, to the battle of Nordlingen, in 1634 ; and of its subsequent incorporation with the Corps now
known as The Royal Scots or First Regiment of Foot of the British Army is online at page 128
There are some interesting titbits like the fact that there was an English regiment under a General Morgan in the Danish service. I found a reference to him in 1627 as a brave old officer of great experience, who, with four English regiments, was then encamped on the
banks of the Wasser. (source)
Cyrano de Bergerac
French in the 30 Years War
I have been looking to see if there are any French groups recreating the 30 Years War but haven't found any. If anybody out there knows of any or is interested in starting one...there are some images of the Garde Francaises on Stephane's blog- to start with that might be a good unit.