Back at work...

Well I struggled into trendy North Soho today to show my face in the office just in case they all thought I had died. Fortunately, everyone seems genuinely concerned for my welfare and the girls are rushing to make my tea whenever I need it! My former PA is taking me to lunch and my new PA starts next week, which is great as I haven't had any help for about eight weeks now. In reality my "new" PA is my old PA from my previous job but I have persuaded her to come and work for me again. She will make my life a lot easier! Now it's back to trying to set up our operation in Canada; which should keep me occupied for the next 12 months or so.

First painted Ranger from the Galloping Major site

Talking of Canada, I am getting increasingly tempted by the Galloping Major French Indian War range. Already they have French Militia and Mohawks and now they have previews of Hurons and Rangers up on their website. http://www.gallopingmajorwargames.com/ Given that I am also looking forward to the new Indian Mutiny Range from Mutineer I shouldn't really start another period but my recent burst of activity on my Force Publique figures (36 completed so far since last Sunday week) has got me energised into painting again.

Very much our favourite general at the Hampton School multi-award winning wargames team! We won three trophies in a row at the Model Engineering Exhibition in the mid-seventies and they wouldn't let us compete any more!

"Mass, not driblets!" as Heinz Guderian once said and perhaps my tactic of only painting six figures at a time has prevented me from doing more. I am very down on my aim of doing six figures a week this year so for the next few months I will try to work on some bigger units.

Next up will be a unit of 20 Carthaginian veterans for Zama. I have based and undercoated the Crusader figures and started by painting the flesh on one figure last night (even though I haven't quite finished the Belgians yet). Not quite as straightforward as I had hoped as getting the flesh colour in around greaves and helmet is a lot trickier than on the Force Publique figures but they have a lot of armour (chainmail, helmets and greaves) so there is less cloth to paint. After I have done those (which should take about three weekends, I guess) I am going to move on to the Zulu War British I have started. I probably have about 40 figures to paint so suspect that will take me up to Christmas. I have quite a lot of leave left so will try to get some time off between Christmas and New Year. Next up, after the Zulu Wars British, will be a unit of Ligurians for Zama from Gripping Beast.

I'm sure that this is all hopelessly over-optimistic but who knows?

I have just noticed that Games Workshop are issuing two of their flat Realm of Battle game tiles in a pack for just over £50. Annoyingly, they are just the standard ones from the full set with irritating skull pits and what have you but I can see myself getting some more of these. I have finished one of these tiles now and have some others well on the way. It looks like their promise to come out with river tiles etc. is going to come to nothing. Just too expensive for the current economic environment I suspect.

Right. I need to book a flight to Geneva!