Yet another Groundhog Week

 I have at last managed to finish my French Normandie battalion for the Seven Years War, and very pleased I am with it. The French have beautiful flags, flags and shields always attract me to an army, and although they do have the odd fancy lot most uniforms are a shade of white/grey, a lot of artwork is white while reenactors tend to be more grey. For ease of painting I use GW's Apothecary White, a white contrast paint and the finish is perfect for me. Now the British, we would be awkward, there is lace everywhere on these uniforms and it is different for each regiment, as my eyes can find this hard going I go for the 'impression' of the lace rather than getting it perfect, it looks good from three feet away so result.

 I admire those who can do the lace right, even down to the buttonholes and the painting is superb. I got a sudden rush to the brain during the week and thought, with the LMF being rather healthy at the moment, why don't I get the British painted for me. I looked at several painters but by the time I worked out the cost a battalion of 20 men was coming in at approximately £200 from getting the figures to getting them on the table. I do not begrudge people charging for what are beautiful figures, and I have some friends who although excellent painters still get troops painted for them, perhaps my roots are showing as I cannot get past that for those prices I would get four battalions on the table not one. So the lace headache will continue with the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers up next.

I kicked off my ACW campaign with high hopes but real life has intruded and I lost two commanders to an upsurge in their workloads, I was almost in the same position myself as I have had four new map projects land on my drawing table in the last two weeks. We are two days in and the Rebs have decided to put up a defence on Wilson's Creek Missouri, a storm has just blown out and Price's men are tired, wet and cold, across the water the Yanks are just as miserable but are optimistic as they deploy for action. Once I have deployment orders for both sides I shall place the troops, give a further general report to both commanders about what they can see and then hopefully let battle commence.

Rebs camped out.

 I am still waiting on my Early War Germans to come from North Star, I was told they were not mailing until the 24th, no problem as with the 23rd Foot primed and ready to go I could not put them aside to work on the Jerries, as much as I am looking forward to it. I have also decided to finish all the infantry before I move on the vehicles, not sure if I will manage this as I have a list ready for both the Russians and the Germans and also enjoy painting these as well. I really hope to make this little project last longer than my usual three or four weeks.

As I said I have had a lot of map projects thrown at me recently covering the English Civil War, Soviet Nuclear Tests/Tactics, Vietnam, WWII and the Napoleonic Wars and always in the background the Atlas.

On the entertainment front things are up and down, the televisual arts have let me down and I am reduced to looking up old films from yesteryear, Battle Beyond the Stars (dire) and Max Max (not quite as bad) along with others, anything new ticks all the diversity and inclusivity boxes to the detriment of a good story so they are all out. On that very subject I am now subscribed to The Critical Drinker, a reviewer of mainly sci-fi and comic book hero series, movies and the industry in general, I don't actually watch most of the stuff he reviews but he is so good it doesn't matter, he is also Scottish and a successful author (spy thrillers) on the side. I continue with my Expanse books and am enjoying them as an escape from reality however I have put them aside for now and have picked up a book brought in by a customer, this happens a lot and I normally let them gather dust, wipe it off and return it, but I have been very fortunate lately. This book is called A Woman In Berlin and is a diary kept from April to June 1945, seemingly it caused a stir when first published as the mass pillage and raping by the Soviets was not something to point out back then. Not something I would normally read but I decided to give it a try last night and I think it is going to be harrowing yet a good read.