Season's Greetings

Hope you all have a great holiday. As a lot of Europe has snow I thought this old chestnut was worth trotting out again.

A Merry (or Happy) Christmas to All!

Depending on where you are, may I wish one and all either a Happy Christmas or a Merry one. May your stockings be filled with treats and some old toy soldiers, like these from Irregular Miniatures 42mm Traditional Toy Soldier range, grace your tree.

While there are certainly advantages to the newer, super-detailed products that we now have available (and frequently review here), there is a unique charm to the old "little tin men" that will never fade completely. At least I hope it doesn't.

May each of you and your loved ones, each in your own way, have a wonderful Holiday Season and accept the best wishes of your humble scribe, Sir William the Aged. The New year promises already to be filled with more delightful artwork, interesting tidbits of history, and more (hopefully in-depth) figure reviews. I owe you all a couple now that I haven't quite completed, for which I humbly apologize.

Sincerely yours,

Bill

Fontenoy - France dominating Europe

This book looks good.

French camp scene c1740

This is a jolly little scene which shows how pleasurable life must have been in the army during peacetime.

Pride's Purge

This event happened today in 1648 when all MPs sympathetic to the King were arrested or barred. It is described as the only successful military coup d'etat in British history. Wiki here

Narva 1700-2010

As you know I like to keep up with the GNW scene - it's growing in numbers and the quality is excellent - and they have some spectacular locations to reenact - none more so than the fortress of Narva which is one impressove monument especially in the snow. Here's what reenactor Boris has to say

This weekend was the 310th anniversary of the Narva 1700 battle. This appeared to be the largest GNW event ever: up to 50 Russians and about 80 Swedes took part.
On the Russian side, besides regular infantry in European uniforms there were Ukrainian cossacks and Moscow streltsy in typical Russian 17th C garb.
For the first time Swedes outnumbered us.
And the weather was very authentic - snow & wind.


Some good photos here:
http://foto.delfi.lv/ru/album/67464/?page=4

also
http://foto.delfi.lv/ru/my_album/67464/
http://photofile.ru/users/alois1935/150720214/

Execution of Guido (Guy) Fawkes

Someone who fought for the Spanish in the 80 years war was this man who we celebrate at this time of the year. Here's an 1606 etching by Claes (Nicolaes) Jansz Visscher, depicting Fawkes's execution. Fawkes cleverly jumped from the scaffold, despite being weak from torture breaking his neck saving himself the further pain of being drawn and quartered. His lifeless body was still 'done' and sent to the four corners of the British Isles.