Goings on at the garage

I acquired this mdf kit a couple of years ago and built it over the weekend. I think it’s designed to accompany 28mm toys, so 1/56 scale or thereabouts.  It arrived in my possession without instructions so I blundered my way through assembly. In spite of this it turned out OK and I gave it a basic paint job using emulsion and cheap acrylic paints.
It looks like a lot of old village garages used to - and not just here in the UK. It’s pictured here with a couple of 1/43 scale diecast cars. A side project of mine is an attempt to amass a collection of models of all the cars I’ve owned. At the petrol pumps is a Volvo 850 in more or less the same colour as my 1992 2.0 20V GLT (owned 1998-2000) while lurking inside is a Saab 9-5 standing in for my 2004 Aero (owned 2009-2013).

another week but the same website

Last week's post generated quite a few interesting comments, one of which alerted me to the fact that I had completely forgotten to mention the splendid Matchbox range of figures!  Here then, is my effort to make amends.

Possibly the best of the MB 1/76 sets.  The Afrika Korps figures still stack up today.  I only recently shipped my '70s veterans off to Paul in NZ.

 Along with the DAK were their old enemies the 8th Army.  Miles better than the original Airfix set and including both a 'Monty' figure and a piper!

There was also a small 1/32 range.  Of these I only ever had the Brits.  Indeed I recently picked up a set in a more recent Revell box.

We've had 'planes, tanks and figures but there was also an interesting range of cars.  The only one I ever built was the Tyrrell P34.

This bizarre F1 car raced during the 1976 and 1977 seasons, claiming it's only first place at the '76 Swedish Grand Prix in the hands of Jody Scheckter.

And finally....I recently bought an old Strikemaster kit.  I have no idea why...

A pair of old French smoothies

No - not Messieurs Aznavour and Trenet but rather this pair of old 1/43 scale Solido diecasts which I picked up on eBay to serve as staff cars for my Little Cold Wars French forces.  

One of the many joys of Solido models is that they are usually quite easy to dismantle for repainting and maintenance work.  So it was with these models - a Citroen CX and a Peugeot 504 wagon.  I was keen to preserve the considerable chrome plated areas while the stripped body parts were sprayed a rather fetching dark green.

After reassembling them I painted on the number plates - such as they are - and then sat back to admire them.  As it happens I have run three 1/1 scale Peugeots - two 104SL and a 309GL - but the 504 was never a common sight on British roads.  I never quite managed to buy a CX but came close on two occasions before my courage failed me and I bought Volvos instead.  To date my only Citroen was a BX which to be honest wasn't great.  It was replaced with - you guessed it - a Volvo.

L.A.D.A.

It occurred to me that some readers from foreign parts may have missed the 'joke' about L.A.D.A. in my recent President Fred posts.
LADA was the name under which cars built by AutoVaz were sold in the UK and some other countries. Sold as the Zhiguli in the Soviet Bloc, most Lada cars were based on old Fiat designs but with rather thicker panels and beefed-up suspension.

I needed a faction equipped with Russian kit and so LADA seemed like a good idea.  Thus was born the Leftist Army of Darkest Africa.
Generally viewed with disdain in the UK, many survivors were re-exported to Russia after the end of the Cold War.
A friend has reported being driven though Siberia in a Lada in temperatures of minus 35C!

More Lada porn on this link:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/picturegalleries/9211301/Top-10-Lada-jokes.html?frame=2196460

Added 13/11/13:  A review of the Lada Riva: http://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/lada/riva/
A review of the Lada Niva 4x4: http://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/lada/niva/

Packing for COW

It's the same every year.  I start piling up stuff for WD's  Conference Of Wargamers the previous weekend and by Thursday I'm fretting about fitting it all in the car.  This year I seem to be taking a particularly large amount of stuff to go on the (very informal - like all things at COW) Bring & Buy.  And then there's the kit for two games.  And at least one silly hat.

 But somehow it all goes in - without any fuss.

 So what was I worrying about?

Good to go!  If you're coming to COW I'll see you in a few hours - if not book early for next year!

Don't expect any posts over the weekend but I'll get some photos and reports up next week.

Ein Volk, Ein Wagen

My stepson Louis recently went on a school trip to Berlin.  Apparently this was a great success - highlights included a visit to the Olympic stadium and a taxi driver who did impressions of the Fuhrer (including salutes) while driving.  Souvenir shopping time was limited but he managed to find me this rather lovely 1/87 scale Volkswagen.  Although this has the later large rear window it may well turn up as an officer's ride in one of my WW2 units.
Incidentally, 'Kafer' is German for Beetle....

Snow place like home

While comments have fairly flooded in over the past couple of days, my relative silence is because I've been in London.  A series of business meetings was lightened by lunch with Trebian and dinner with Bob Cordery and his wife.  Bob and I also managed a quick game of Battle Cry.
As usual I drove to Newark and then got the train to Kings Cross.  On Thursday morning I set off from this:

When I arrived back at Newark at around 1930 last night the 'original' snow on my car was largely gone and a recent fall had left only a thin layer.  This was soon gone as I set off up the A1 and apart from a thin drizzle the roads were without hazard.  When I got out of my car it was completely clear of snow and ice.  Hardly was I in the door when the snow began to fall - the top photo (taken as ever from the games room window) shows the situation at around 2200.  My car is on the right.

The game Bob and I played was First Bull Run.  I was the one in the grey hat, so I am pleased to be able to report a Reb victory!  Above are the final positions, below my battle-winning cavalry.  A Yankee infantry unit they'd been tormenting had run off and built these earthworks.  So we went round the back...

A car for the Tsar

Well two cars actually.  The (as yet unpainted) Tsar of Tratvia, Vladimir IV now has this pair of 'big splendid motor cars' to ferry around he and his (also currently unpainted) staff. 

These 1910 Cadillacs were built from Revell 1/32 scale plastic kits.  They were originally made by the Gowland (no relation...) company in the 1950s!  This great age shows up a bit in the fit of some parts - cue the usual sanding, filling, more sanding, etc...  But in the end they look pretty good.

Soviet staff car - Army level

This car (well, OK - van) is another useful die-cast from Hot Wheels.  Treated to my usual spray and drybrush approach it fits in nicely with my existing toys.  The figures are an assortment of metal castings - mostly (I think) from Battlefront.  The portly bald general is a lovely figure, but evidently not regarded as entirely politically reliable - hence the presence of the commissar!

Vouture nouvelle pour Le General

Now that I have pretty much completed the Forbodian Army, I clearly need another Funny Little Wars army. When I get round to building it, this will be the French-style 'Army Horizon Blue' from the well known West European country of Fromagia.  So far all I have managed to complete is a staff car for the general (Le Grande Fromage...)  This car, a 1907 Renault, is an old (really old) Revell kit and I think it looks rather imposing.  I decided to finish it in a pale grey - roughly the same as most French kit of the period.  As can be seen, I was unable to resist painting the 'bling' fittings in an appropriate brass colour.
I need hardly add that since completing this model I have been distracted by an entirely different FLW project...

The completed Renault - the 1cm grid on my cutting mat give a good idea of it's size.

The beast under construction.  For such an old kit it went together easily enough.

The General's driver - 'Crazy Claude'

Winter in Forbodia

News is just in that Forbodia has been hit by the recent cold snap which has made travelling conditions as treacherous as a Vulgarian diplomat.  At least the snow should stop the pointy-heads invading for a few days...  The photo above shows one Forbodian citizen immobilised by the weather. (Photo posed on the roof just outside my wargames room window.)

Back in Yorkshire the snow isn't too bad and after some very interesting conditions on Saturday evening the major roads are pretty clear.  Except for the dense fog...

While I have no doubt that I could have extracted my car (above) this morning, knowing that I had to travel on some minor roads in East Yorkshire I sensibly opted for plan B (below).

JR's attic revisited

One year (to the day) after the funeral of my old friend John G Robertson (see post about this last year), I have today been to visit his widow, Morina. I should explain that I am in Dundee for a few days sorting out some things for my oldies, including the removal of and eventual disposal of my fathers car as he has decided to stop driving. (if anyone is in the market for a well preserved 2000 Honda Accord do let me know...)
During my visit, Morina mentioned while most of JR's wargames figures had been dealt with (due to sterling efforts by John Munro and Paul Jenkins) that there were "a few magazines and things" which I might like to look through and take away. The few magazines turned out to be a whole cupboard stuffed with mags such as Military Modelling, Airfix Magazine, Arquebusier, Armies & Weapons and Wargamers Newsletter. I filled a small box with a selection and promised to return for more next time I am in town.... Still reeling from this shock, she drew my attention to a drawer containing some unpainted 25mm figures and asked if I would take them too. This turned out to be followed by several more such drawers. Just as well the car was empty!
I look forward to rummaging through the various boxes and unless the lead poisoning takes me I will entertain you with stories of the contents as and when I get round to it. Funny old world.

Be careful what you wish for...

During the discussion (comments) which followed the recent post about my Morris Armoured Car (http://megablitzandmore.blogspot.com/2011/04/morris-armoured-car.html), and the merits or otherwise of the mighty Boys AT rifle with which it is armed, Paul (this one: http://plasticwarriors.blogspot.com/) suggested that althought it would struggle with tanks, a Honda might make a good target.  Unfortunately, the commander of the Morris (see photo below) is a regular reader - and it clearly gave him ideas!

The Morris car's commander scans the landscape from the wargames room window sill for suitable targets...

aha, what's this he can see?

Target acquired! (my Wife's CR-V - bought a couple of weeks ago)

Damn - out of range!  So he makes a call to some chums...

...in the Medium Artillery Regiment, and soon....

A hit!  And when the smoke clears....

Oh dear. 

This will be rather tricky to explain to my domestic authorities....

King Boris III

Among my recently completed models is the man himself - King Boris III of Forbodia.  This dashing chap is a Tradition figure of an Austrian Archduke - I feel he has the right look.

Forbodia's location is a closely guarded state secret which is only available on a strict 'need to know' basis. That's why it doesn't show up on many maps...

Forbodia is somewhere in the Balkans, the main cultural influences being Italian, Austrian, Turkish and Russian. Military influences include France and Great Britain.

A small Forbodian contingent was present at the battle of Leipzig in 1813 where the present King's grandfather, Boris I ('The Bonkers') suffered a small cut to the forehead from a wayward champagne cork. As a result, Leipzig is known in Forbodia as 'The battle of Boris's eyebrow'. Interestingly, Boris's delusions of grandeur increased greatly immediately afterward...

The present King - Boris III ('The Bewildered') has travelled widely in Europe and the Americas and is keen to modernise the country.

Of the reign of his father, Boris II ('The Boring'), little is known.



King Boris III directs operations from his rather splendid Rolls Royce motor car.  He is quite a tall chap so I cut the rear roof off so he can stand up.





Motor Cars for Funny Little Wars

Continuing with 'Car Month', I offer these photos of a batch of 1/32 scale cars I picked up on Ebay a couple of months ago.  These looked to have been built and painted many years ago - generally to quite a good standard.  All required a degree of repair - re-attaching parts ranging from gear levers to complete axles.  Some of them are earmarked to transport King Boris III of Forbodia and his staff. 

I also have amassed a number of car kits still in boxes - mostly from Airfix and Revell, so I'll try to build at least one of them this month.

1911 Rolls-Royce - an old (released in 1955!) Airfix kit.  King Boris's own car.

1904 Darracq - again by Airfix (1956) - possibly for the use of a Forbodian Brigadier.

1907 Lanchester by Airfix (1957)

1905 Rolls Royce by Airfix (1956) minus it's front wings - I just couldn't get them to stay in place.  This may be allocated to Forbodian divisional staff officers.

1926 Morris Cowley by Airfix (1959).  This looks a bit modern!

Another Airfix favourite from 1956 - a 1910 Ford Model T - authentically finished in "any colour you like..."

A Ford Model A complete with driver.  This rather charming model is a Gowland (no relation!) kit, the original tooling for which  probably dates form the 1950s. 



Soviet Staff Car - high level

A very flash car - with more than a hint of capitalist decadence.  Only for the use of the STAVKA Special Representative!  Another dodgy die-cast, this time from Hot Wheels with a driver (actually a tank crewman but he fits in the car and that's what matters...) of unknown make added. I think the car may be a Packard but I'm open to that being corrected.  It was originally finished in a very fetching (but clearly counter-revolutionary) metallic blue before I set to with the black spray paint.