Oliver Cromwells plump. This week saw the 380th anniversary of the battle of Marston Moor. Oliver Cromwell delivered the tactical move that secured victory on the day for Parliament and the Covenanters. Ultimately the King was defeated.
Then it all went wrong as the parliamentarians fell out which led to the first and only British republic. Oliver Cromwell ruthlessly crushed opposition in England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland to become a dictator- a role he saw as the only solution to the continuing chaos.
The glorious revolution followed his death and since then we have had both a monarchy and a parliament. It kind of works.
Today we can vote because many people down the years have fought, suffered and died to preserve that right for us.
380th anniversary of this crucial battle between king and parliament and in this battle the Scot’s Covenanters made the difference.
I added a Yorkshire rose to the WreathsLooking north to the royalist linesLooking south to the parliamentarian and Scot’s position The memorial is in good condition built in 1939 and repaired in 1973
Here is one castle that fell under eye of the giro pro cycling helicopter. A classic hilltop location. It still has some nice details especially the main gateway area.
Late Spring sees the first of three top pro cycling events – the Giro d’Italia which are helicopter televised from start to finish.
This means you get about 4000 km of Italian countryside.
And with Italy that means castles.
Fortified cities are also favourite visits on two wheelsThis year saw a couple of stretches of the white gravel of Tuscany Everyday the cyclists head out castle hunting!
At least there has been the odd cloudscape worth a lookA waning crescent moon – last phase of the old moon before a new one arrives. The sliver of light is always attractive Attractive caterpillar but for my one box shrub it’s terminal as these guys strip and destroy the shrub. Your only fix is hand removal of every caterpillar you see. looks like something less vulnerable will be found instead.Stripped in a week by cheeky caterpillars
My recent painting blast over winter had dried up with the end of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge XIV. It broke my preoccupation with the mid 19th century.
The Danes and Germans are sat there in the various painting queues but making no progress.
Green-shoots anywhere?
something different maybe?
yes!
It is a case of returning to an old favorite. Ancients.
In fact two threads emerged from the languid waters I found my wargaming boat resting in. One followed the other.
The first, which I will cover in another post was partly prompted by Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy recent magazine running a Bronze Age theme: I have lots of Bronze Age figures for a long abandoned project.
But the impulse here was mainly due to Curt’s Trojan horse entry for the analogue hobbies painting challenge 14.
Curts fantastic Trojan horse entry for AHPC14These chaps have dwelt long in the deep halls of the plastic mountain- just maybe they will get some paint – finally – who knows?
The second concerns DBA. DBA got me back into the hobby after an almost 20 year break. It also propelled me into 15mm scale at the time – the late 1990’s. Those armies had since lain unused for years as 1/72 and 25/28mm tempted me back to bigger figures.
I dug them out – quite a mixed bag – could I run a campaign using the 1st or 2nd Editions 6 nation offering. I mulled this over before the figures went back into a slightly more accessible store and the unpainted ones joined the paint queue jostling with mid 19th century Danes and Germans.
And then I went to York one weekend for the annual open studios tour. Somehow somewhere I came away with the urge to craft. Note – not paint.
The next minute I was cutting card and with drawing pens to hand inking DBA bases. I had picked a campaign and lacking the right figures thought I would simply play empty bases. I have done this many a time and its a very enjoyable digression. And then I remembered all these 2mm armies currently in vogue plus that crafting itch had not been sated fully. And so out came some discarded HEAT board gaming counter sheets! minus the useful counters. Maybe I could use these “blocks” to suggest groups of soldiers?
A bit of crafting is invariably satisfying activityI grabbed some thin card and used the DBA 15mm base width of 40mm then just played around with the game counter offcuts to get the look I wanted.I went for a standard DBA campaign list which gave me six armies and I added in a Thracian army because I like them!The magnificent seven! A day later glue dried, a take away container holds 7 dba armies
And there we have it instant 2mm armies for a 6 nation DBA Bronze Age campaign: The Thracian’s might make a guest appearance!
The Royal Danish Army of 1848 was characteristically mid 19th century in dress. It still had a napoleonic uniform as such, yet things like the peaked cap and Hungarian kepi had begun to change the look. Pantaloons were noticeably full length and trouser like.
1848 line infantry in bell shakoes
At the start of the war infantry uniforms were red tunics and bright blue trousers. Uniform regulations for 1848 planned a change to essentially all dark blue clothing complete with a bright blue kepi.
1849 line infantry in Hungarian kepi’s, new tunic but old knapsacks
The regulations crept in although the kepi was so popular – soldiers often threw away their bell shaped shakoes in the field.
Light infantry in the flat cap
Other elements of the army – Artillery and Engineers kept the older kit for longer.
Danish field artillery in 1848 uniform
The Cavalry had largely reduced to the Dragoon in combless metal crested helmet (a fashionable trend) while the Hussars wore a small tapered shako. Dragoons wore red tunics and bright blue trousers, the Hussars wore all pale blue.
The Wargaming Erratic 