Friday, 18 July 2025

Battle of Elixheim 1705


 At the Battle of Elixheim, 18 July 1705, also known as the Passage of the Lines of Brabant during the War of the Spanish Succession, the Anglo-Dutch forces of the Grand Alliance, under the Duke of Marlborough, successfully broke through the French Lines of Brabant. These lines were an arc of defensive fieldworks stretching in a seventy-mile arc from Antwerp to Namur.[2] Although the Allies were unable to bring about a decisive battle, the breaking and subsequent razing of the lines would prove critical to the Allied victory at Ramillies the next year.

Thursday, 17 July 2025

Sealed Knot at Hartlebury castle

 Just over one week until you can see us at @hartleburycastle

Witness the spectacle of a Civil War battlefield with a replica bastion built to scale at the event! Complete with infantry, artillery and cavalry troops, the castle attempts to hold out for the king one final time.

French cavalry Eugene Lelieprve

 

Thanks Andrey. 

Garde Francaises

 Thanks to Andrey for this. Eugene Lelieprve. 


Wednesday, 16 July 2025

Standards of the English Civil Wars 1

Thanks to Stephen Tindle for this. He says
''The June 1977 issue of Military Modelling saw the start of a series by Charles Kightly and Anthony Barton about the standards of The English Civil Wars. The first part covered the standards of the Parliamentary Infantry''.




Dancers c.1620

 

Painting of a hobby horse with Morris dancers beside the River Thames at Richmond, London; detail of Thames at Richmond, with the Old Royal Palace, c. 1620 (Fitzwilliam Museum, unknown artist)

Barry Lyndon (1975) Dance scene

 Coming soon to the cinema. 

Cuckolds All a Row The Broadside Band

 Listen to the whole album on Youtube hereEnglish Country Dances from Playford's Dancing Master 1651-1703

My late parents were into country dancing. 

British School, 16th century Jephthah's Daughter c. 1560-80

 Zoomable image here. Windsor Castle on the left. 







Tuesday, 15 July 2025

More experimenting

 Didn't quite work. Background is Bristol in 1717. 



One King! Wargaming 1685

 Steve Carter has started this Facebook group dedicated to miniature wargaming of this episode. He is planning an event for 2026 for wargaming at Chedzoy. 

Figures by the Warre Game who is picking up his new rules tomorrow

New from Bloody Miniatures

 Facebook where there are more figures.

For this one we’re stepping back a generation from the English Civil War, to the tumultuous opening decades of the Seventeenth Century - Jacobean England under the Stuart ascendancy. A febrile time of spies, conspirators and insurrectionists; recusant householders of the old faith sheltering wily Jesuits and other assorted enemies of the state.

Ranged against them are sworn household men of the Crown’s loyal officers - intelligencers, agents, enforcers and inquisitors. Plus Gentlemen Pensioners, Yeoman of The Guard, and other forces of the state.
Not forgetting a colourful background cast of actors and playwrights; whores and apothecaries; doctors of magick, alchemists, astrologers and so on. It’s a setting rich in possibilities.
The original concept was a set of figures for skirmish games loosely based around the Gunpowder Plot - and this first Jacobean release indeed caters to that infamous episode.
But the figures can be used for all sorts of encounters set in this slightly earlier period - from the Dutch Revolt to the Thirty Years War.
They lend themselves exceptionally well to games set in the English plantations in early colonial era North America. Also to the ‘folk horror’ genre currently back in fashion thanks to the ‘Devilry Afoot’ rules.



Friday, 11 July 2025

Oudenarde 1708

 


The Battle of Oudenarde, also known as the Battle of Oudenaarde, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession, pitting an Anglo-Dutch force consisting of eighty thousand men under the command of the Duke of MarlboroughLord Overkirk and Prince Eugene of Savoy against a French force of eighty-five thousand men under the command of the Duc de Bourgogne and the Duc de Vendôme, the battle resulting in a great victory for the Grand Alliance. 

Thursday, 10 July 2025

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

Falkirk book launch

 


**Book Launch**

Falkirk or Paradise! The Battle of Falkirk Muir, 17 January 1746
by Geoff B. Bailey
Come join us on Monday 21 July 2025 for the book launch of Geoff Bailey's updated 'Falkirk or Paradise! The Battle of Falkirk Muir, 17 January 1746'.
This in-person event will be held at the Falkirk Library, where you will hear from Geoff, have an opportunity to ask questions, as well as purchase a copy of this updated book. Geoff will also be offering book signings.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to celebrate Falkirk's history and support a local charity and author. Profits from the book go towards the Battle of Falkirk Muir (1746) Trust. Books are priced at £20. Tickets are £5 (plus fees) and your £5 ticket is redeemable against a copy of the book on the night.
Arrival is from 6pm onwards with the authors talk starting at 6:30pm.

Vyborg by Alex Goss

 Photos by Alex Goss from the Vyborg Frontier festival dedicated to the events of the Great Northern War, which took place this weekend in Vyborg, Russia.









Poltava 1709

by Pierre-Denis Martin

 The largest battle of the Great Northern War. Wiki

Rebel Scytheman by R Mitchard

 Been trying an AI version of my drawing. From the Taylor narrative

Now Munmouth had in his Army 300 Sithers, armd with Sithes, pistols sticking in at their Girdles, and brod sords, in wast belts,63


Sunday, 6 July 2025

Charlie Wesencraft

 The sad passing of a wargames pioneer. I had this book. Very useful. Interview with him

published in 1975
There is a book on the French and Indian war and Revolution that he wrote - details here

For King and Parliament Tarleton's Jig 1986

 This is a great album - I have it on vinyl but I am starting a campaign to get it available digitally. Discogs.



Tracklisting 

A1Prince Rupert's March/The English March
A2The French Report
A3Vive Lle Roy
A4The Battle Of Worcester
A5Gather Your Rosebuds
A6Halfe Hannikin
A7We Be Soldiers Three
A8Cuckold's All In A Row
A9Sir Thomas Fairfax: His March
B10Psalm CXVII
B11The Scot's March
B12Drive The Cold Winter Away
B13When Cannons Are Roaring
B14Lord Of Carnavans Jegg
B15The Clean Contrary Way
B16When The King Enjoys His Own Again
B17Millfield
B18The Rump Song

Little Warres rules

 


Okay Devizes Attack is coming up in 2 weeks time LITTLEWARRES will be there both days - with our participation games of the Siege of Devizes . See here

Btw the rules are at the printers… fingers crossed 🤞
For those of you looking to try the
Civile Little Warres rules first hand..
You can catch me at the following Wargame shows before Xmas
Devizes Attack 19th/20th July
IPMS show at Thornbury - near Bristol
3rd August
I’m on the reserve list for Colours at Newbury 6th 7thSeptember(I was a bit late applying)
The Other Partizan 12th October
Reveille Bristol - Lincombe Barn 30th November
Drop by and say hello … maybe you won’t get Felled


No photo description available.

Vive Le Roy 1983 St. George's Canzona


From the album "Music for Roundheads & Cavaliers". List of their albums on Discogs

St George's Canzona Soprano - Rosemary Harrison Countertenor - Derek Harrison Baritone - Ray Attfield 1994 Academy Sound and Vision

Strawhead Sedgemoor 1985 Full Album

 

A1. Introduction - The Road That Leads To Sedgemoor

A2. Brave Monmouth, England's Glory A3. The Plotting Cards A4. England's Triumph Or The Subject's Joy A5. My Opinion A6. An Epigram On The Death Of Charles II A7. The Accession Of James II A8. Monmouth Landed In The West A9. Monmouth's Come To Norton Town B1. Scotch Song 1679 B2. Sedgemoor - The Night March And The Battle B3. The Death Of Monmouth B4. March From The Funeral Of Queen Mary B5. The Road That Leads To Sedgemoor (Dragon Records) 1985