Ah Spring has come to Wales! The daffodils are in bloom and the lamas are “gambolling!” ( I don’t know quite why there are lamas in the field behind my house!) After a whole three days back at work after lock- down, it’s time to kick back and enjoy a two week holiday…..

I’d set myself the task of getting organised; all my hobby collection organised in boxes, ready for a return to the hobby battlefields. I’m currently at what I call “ the creative chaos” stage. I did try to stick to a wargames army a month schedule but something happened…

The Ottomans happened! Or rather, the Ottoman armies were huge! And if they were huge, you “need” hundreds of miniatures. I started rebasing manfully but then I needed artillery! Hammy at Battlefieldgames replied in double quick time but now I wanted the super bombard that did for Constantinople ( drat that Hungarian turncoat Orbat!) . I used up my hordes on the previous two armies so that meant more minis!

You get the idea! I should have kept it simple, but this month’s army was suffering from mission creep. My painting table now had American Civil War horse soldiers, Germanic knights, mixed in with over a hundred Ottomans!

So, no finished army for March but hopefully two for the end of April; Huns and a Union/ Northern Mercenary force for Colt- action. April will see my Ottomans finished, if my bank balance can withstand the pressure!

Yes, any reorganisation leads to pain! Any minis that either weren’t painted by me or are surplus to requirements are being converted into new mini tokens! I quite like the process of selling the toys but I do have to admit to a certain sense of loss. Thank god the lamas are available for counselling! Happy Easter everyone from Despertaferres industries!


Wow, you have lot of stuff on your plate. I hope you will get some armies finished soon! Also, lamas rock! Have a nice easter and enjoy the holiday!
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Thanks very much! I’ve just bought an industrial tank of p.v.a to get basing!
We never did find out why that nice Colombian gentleman left in the middle of the night….. only his lamas know!!!!
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Over the years I thought I had used every excuse in the book to justify buying new figures but “mission creep” had until now passed me by! Good luck with getting two armies done for April and enjoy your two weeks off. I’m now off to browse the Internet for new figures … 😉
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Nooooooooooh! You are like one of those feeders and their morbidly obese partners!!!!!!! Someone might notice that I was using Eastern European mobs rather than the proper Ghazi religious mobs!!!!!
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I’ll look forward to seeing your Ottoman army when it’s finished! 🙂 I’d really like to do Ottoman/Polish/Muscovite Renaissance armies but, sadly, I’m never going to get to them! Nice lama!
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Appreciated John- and the lamas appreciate your kind words too!!!!!!
Have you come across the book, films and figure manufacturer; By fire and sword!!!!!
Fantastic period 1648 to 1690s! Turks, Poles, Tartars, Swedes and Cossacks!
There’s still time!!!!!!!
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Neat mate ! I have just planted my Daffodils! and getting prepared for the winter at our new place! Everyone keeps telling me be prepared for the cold!!!Why the hell did I move here! Shit maybe I should try some Tulips as they love the cold!
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Where did you move to Pat!!!! It’s never that cold in Wales; Rains a lot but mild😪I want one of those Japanese gravel gardens but I think my two cats would destroy it’s Zen quality with their additions!
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Hey Mike, we moved only about 80 miles north of Melbourne to what is called a medium size town in Auss ( about 7 thousands soils) called Castlemaine. strangely enough it can get pretty cold inland at night but warms up an is sunny for the rest of the day, oh and we are higher,300 meters ubove sea level so apparently that has to be a factor when talking temperature. Anyway mate now that I have retired I can stay indoors in the warmth and only venture out when I I need to go to the shed and work on the dio!!!
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Castlemaine!? Where the Aussie beer comes from xxxx!!
My mum was a secretary at Syndney university and father was in police in the 50s!
My head couldn’t get round Christmas on the beach!
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HaHa ! Wow hows that! Now I am originally from out back Auss NSW and we were educated in the English way so we always had Christmas cards with those fascinating scenes of snow and robins! so I can imagine your amazement of having Christmas on the beach sweltering!! It wasn’t until i was twenty one that I traveled to the UK and then I had my hit !! bloody snow ,WOW, just like the Christmas cards of my childhood , so exciting ! and there are no leaves on the trees!!!
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Typical of my family; my sister got dual Australian nationality but I was born in rainy old Wales! That was the beginning of my fathers misadventures around the world when we returned to uk and he went to South African goldmines! Great how this hobby makes the world smaller!!!
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Wow matey ! you are so right! who would of thought that painting some bits of plastic could lead to such exciting stories! your dad sounds like he was a leading character in a Wilbur Smith novel! ,IRO was talking about how social media can be nasty but I have only founff it great and interesting,and as you said, it makes most of us that are not miserable and pissed of closer in the big world!
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Pat , you are so wise! Although I still get Nigerian bank managers who need my account details to transfer their life savings!!!!
Facebook can be toxic- I’ll agree! Mainly that’s poor writing skills tho!
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Oh and yep the beer started here and then moved to QLD! the wife’s home state!
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We ‘be just lost our local Brain’s brewery! The founder is buried in our local graveyard; his fans place empty beer cans on his grave every Easter!!!!
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Ahh mate that’s so good ! It’s sounds like something the young Auss, larrikins would do , I tell you what I’ll pop one on a fence post out here as a tribute to your esteemed Mr Brain and post it on my blog! That will
Get the boys wondering, eh!
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Lovely banter – but why did you not shear the llama for terrain building? 😆
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You are obsessed! 😊We Welsh people will be sacrificing our prisoners in Temple street if that helps!!!!!
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Gotta respect the Welsh!
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