A Grubby Gannet

 

The latest ex-Bassett rescue is this Fairey Gannet. John tells me it’s the Revell kit - which helps explain the West German Navy markings. As it was pretty much complete I preserved the original paintwork. My efforts were limited to sourcing and painting a replacement prop spinner, painting over the not entirely transparent transparencies and slapping on a coat of varnish. 

Writing it into a game may prove a challenge but rule nothing out!

Dodgy doings on D-Day

A few weeks ago Russell and I had a go at the old Avalon Hill D-Day game. This is the later edition with a very pretty map and counters. The photos are a mix of my own and Russell’s, and appear in no particular order. 

It’s quite a simple game, though I’m sure we managed to get at least some of the rules wrong!  It looks quite a challenge for the Allied player - in our game the Germans largely held the Allies at the border of the Reich. Though I guess that means postwar West Germany is only three hexes in size!  

 

Interestingly on BoardGameGeek it rates only 5.9 which seems a bit mean. We’d give it an 8. 

Eurofigurines Show, March 2023

 Last Sunday saw my third visit to this nice toy soldier show. There was a great variety of stuff for sale - a fair bit of it from manufacturers rarely seen here in the UK. 

Here are most of my purchases. A mix of plastic and metal figures from at least five manufacturers. 

Starlux and similar. Including two female soldiers. 

Starlux farmers - always useful in games and very flexible in terms of period. 

More of the delightful hard plastic Mokarex WW1 French   . The ‘Crapouillot’ trench mortar is rarely found intact. 

Aluminium (Quiralu?) pioneer, cooks and officers. 

Aluminium sailors.