Betrand du Guesclin

We stopped off in Dinan the other day for a coffee and had a quick walk around the town, which is very nice indeed. In the central square there's a rather imposing statue of Betrand du Guesclin, commemorating a duel that he fought and won during the siege of Rennes in 1356-57, when his forces were based in Dinan. We didn't have time to take a look at the town's fourteenth century defences, which are largely intact and quite impressive, so we'll definitely be going back. 

Happy Birthday Book

 

It was my birthday yesterday and I had a great time with family and friends going to Wales to watch a good game of rugby after a very nice pub lunch. I haven't opened my presents yet, as we got home in the early hours of this morning, but I have opened one from my sister, as it arrived earlier in the week. She very kindly bought me a hardback copy of Dan Jones' new book on Henry V, which is brilliant and much appreciated. This was one of  my final year modules for my first degree at university, so very much one of my areas of interest. I will save this to read at half term in a few weeks time. Thanks Ren. 

Hotspur

A good bargain yesterday, £9.99 from Pembroke Castle gift shop for a new hardback copy of this book on Sir Henry Percy, including a lot of wargaming relevant information and a focus of military, rather than political history. 

Strength and Honour

 

One painting and modelling project I've really enjoyed this year is Strength and Honour, using the Antonine Miniatures range of 2mm units to build Imperial Roman and Parthian armies. I meant to extend this with either a Numidian or Ancient British army but ran out of time this year to start on the units. I also still haven't made my own desert terrain cloth with a grid or any terrain pieces, two things I really need to get sorted out.

I've only played two games so far, both of which I won despite not really having more than a sketchy grasp of the rules, so one of my objectives next year will be to properly learn the system so that I can enjoy more games at the club and also play solo at home. It's an ideal project for me as the units are quick to paint but look good, while the range of armies to choose from gives you lots of options. 

One thing I have thought about is using the rules and figures for later medieval battles like Crecy or Agincourt and even the smaller battles of the Wars of the Roses. However, the recent article on Hoplite warfare in the Lard Mag has given me another direction in which to wander of in, if only as an historical sideline from the primary focus on the Roman Empire. In the meantime, at least one new army will be on the 'to do" list for 2024.

Stocking Filler

             

The 28mm project for 2024 looks like it might involve some Perry Miniatures plastic Hundred Years War boxes? 

A Postcard from The Gower

 

We're in South Wales for a few days, visiting the Gower with all it's beaches, hills and pubs. This also means I've been dragging the ever patient other half round some rather splendid medieval castles, including Weobley Castle and Pennard Castle today. There's not much to see at the latter, apart from the spectacular view, but Weobley is well worth a visit. 

It would be a fantastic subject for a Gary Chalk style scratch built piece of terrain for the Hundred Years War or War of the Roses. It's more of a fortified manor house but no less impressive. I referenced the in situ fourteenth century limekiln in my MA dissertation, so it was great to actually see it in person. The other half really enjoyed her Valentine's Day trip out, needless to say...

Happy Christmas

 

As we spend Xmas with the in laws, we don't open our presents until we get back home, apart from a few stocking fillers. This year I know what I'm getting from my family in advance, a copy of Lion Rampant 2nd Edition and Never Mind The Billhooks Deluxe, plus some Perry Miniatures 100 Years War box sets and command figures. Very nice! I wonder what my big workbench project for 2023 is going to be? Have a great Xmas Day!

Conquest

I'm now reading Conquest by Juliet Barker, to help polish up my rusty knowledge of the latter stages of the Hundred Years War, which I originally studied in depth as part of my first degree way back in the late 80's. It looks like the Lion Rampant club skirmish project may actually happen, so I could do with a bit of background in which to formulate a retinue from the Perry Miniatures English box set. This will be a bit of a side line from my principal project plans but should be good fun and worth the distraction.

Lion Rampant Revisited?

One of the regulars at the club has suggested a Lion Rampant project, using the Perry Miniatures late Hundred Years War range as the basis for some friendly skirmish games. He just happens to be French so would obviously be keen to base his retinue on the French range, while I have already had some plans way back in December to do an English retinue using the Men at Arms and Archers boxed set, as suggested by the author of the rules, Dan Mersey:

http://jimswargamesworkbench.blogspot.com/2017/12/lion-rampant-retinues.html

I don't know if anything will come of this but, as I already have the box of figures and some time to spend painting them in September, it may well be a worthwhile side line to explore. I have some naval and air wargaming projects lined up for the second half of the year but could squeeze this one in as well, assuming that there's enough interest in the Lion Rampant thing at the club? From initial feedback, it sounds as though they are more in favour of Dragon Rampant, which I am not really interested to be honest.

The Battle of the Thirty

On the way back from the wedding in Avranches yesterday, I finally got to visit the moument to the Battle of the Thirty, half way between Ploermel and Josselin. I'd wanted to visit the memorial in the past but somehow never got round to it even though the extended family live ten minutes away.

It's quite an impressive site and there is a very good information panel to put it all in context. There's a roadside rest area right next to it so, if you're travelling that way on holiday it would be a good place for a picnic and a bit of 'inadvertant' wargame related sight seeing.

Combat de Trente

I was supposed to go and see this today but we ran out of time.

My wife's very large extended family live about five minutes away and I was promised a visit to the monument as a reward for doing the round of the cousins, uncles, aunties, second cousins twice removed, neighbours of the second cousins twice removed, their dogs, cows, calves, vegetables and farm machinery.

Needless to say, we spent far too long eating, chatting, standing around, sitting around, eating again, sitting around again, admiring vegetables etc. As a result we didn't leave until gone nine o'clock, so the Hundred Years War cultural field trip got the big thumbs down from She Who Shall Not Be Named.

It was fair enough I suppose, as the kids were very tired and the mother in law was deranged to a greater degree than usual, having been squeezed into the backseat of the Espace for the whole round trip.

If you're wondering what it's all about, here's a brief 'after action report' from our man not actually at the scene, Monsieur Jean Froissart:

http://www.nipissingu.ca/department/history/muhlberger/chroniqu/texts/thirty.htm

May be next time?