Paint some buy more

French Militiaman

I'm so delighted with the number of figures I have painted in the last two weeks that I have just gone and ordered a load more. None of this "Pledge" nonsense for me!

The Galloping Major French Indian War figures have now arrived (very quickly, I should add) and they are much better in reality than the pictures on the website indicate. They are, as Giles has said, larger than the Conquest figures but that is probably all to the good as it means I will be able to supplement the range with Redoubt figures/accessories if necessary. I don't think they will be particularly quick to paint, though. I may paint the French Militia at the same time as the Carthaginians as they have a similar palette utilising natural cloth colours and leather.

I have ordered some more Belgian Askari and a mountain gun for my Force Publique so I can get it large enough to field at Guildford one evening.

I have also ordered some A&A Miniatures Carthaginian veterans (also sculpted by Mark Sims) to boost the Crusader figures I am painting at present. This will give a bit more variety in the units as there are only four poses at present but the addition of the A&A figures will give eight which will look a bit better. A&A's postal service is appalling: it can take six weeks for figures to arrive so I am not holding my breath!

Finally, the Mutineer Miniatures Indian mutiny figures by Mike Owen are just available to buy so I have ordered a pack of each.

After all this, however, I am finding that I have hardly any time to paint. My daughter and son seem to dominate the computer (which is in my study) for homework during the week so I only get a few minutes a day it seems. Never mind, yesterday I based the FIW figures and some Great War Miniatures WW1 Scots I bought in Ian Allan's shop near Waterloo station. I also bought a book there called The German Army at Cambrai by Jack Sheldon which I have not seen before. It contains a photograph of one of the lorry mounted anti-aircraft guns the Germans used at Cambrai although no one makes one to my knowledge. My World War 1 Mark IV tank is so nearly finished I may fast track it over the next few weeks, especially now that I have some transfers from Brigade Games for it.

My next overseas trip is on the horizon for three weeks time but its only a couple of days at the UN in Geneva so isn't going to be too disruptive.