On the move...

In all terrain and all weathers,by foot,horse or internal combustion engine Army Red/White is on the move....

Enjoy further piccies from the Army Red/White Photo Archives! P.S hope to post here photo of Thun regiment standard bearer in next few days- paint,energy,glue permitting!

Gardens

Last weekend,and the proceeding week every evening, I thrilled at the tv coverage of the RHS garden show at Chelsea. I have never been (yet) but each year follow the coverage(of it and other RHS shows) with avid attention. I am inspired and awestruck by the fantastic work that goes into to it,the skill and artistry on display. I have posted a photo of one that caught my attention this year. I love to garden at home - to plant ,cultivate and even mow the lawn! To sit and soak up the sun on days such as yesterday- relaxing and planning campaigns across the green sward laid out before me...

Gardens are great and mean many things to many people. As my daughters are moving to all being at Secondary school they no longer want/need it in the same way.Gardens,like our hobby,constantly change. There should be places in them for people ,flowers,edibles and flowers- not to mention battalions of lead and plastic. Wherever you are - enjoy this weekend and your garden ( or local green space/park) its a place for all!

P.S Swiss are moving forwards slowly.Thanks Steve for the figs you sent -AIP plastic fig has had a Dorset head added and is being painted! Swiss flags are printed - 2 batts from Thun. I am awaiting a trip to Ikea to get skis,sorry coffee stirrers before I can proceed much further.

Ikea versus M& S - no contest...

The Marks and Spencer stirrers ,made of wood, have proved no use!They will not allow me to bend the tips to make skis. They break upon attempts to bend them after steeping in boiling water. I will have to get some upon my next trip Ikea.

The latest figs from Dorset arrived- some firing infantry- lying . They look great and have puttees. I hope to finish them come the weekend... In the meantime enjoy some further piccies of Mountain Infantry for Army Red/White!

Monday Holiday

Today I am the only member of the family on holiday- my wife is at work and the girls at school. I have been up town shopping , sowed some veg seeds in the garden,put paint to some more Dorset Swiss and finished the Army Blue/Yellow army list. Soon I will pick up my youngest from school. I have posted some further Swiss pics- mainly cavalry with one depicting signalling in the Swiss Army using these rather odd( folding -looking to me ) devices they used in stead of flags. I hope you have an enjoyable day whatever you are doing...

In the mountains....

Army Red/White ,high in the mountains, is ever ready to defend her Borders. This lone sentry,eyes ever fixed across the frontier, will be reinforced by the Thun Mountain Infantry very soon...

Ikea etc...

It has been a rather Swedish weekend so far- Jan and I spent 2hrs plus building a piece of Ikea furniture for our youngest daughter's bedroom! Not a task I relish but worth the effort for the end result. Also I am also putting the finishing touches to Army Blue/Yellow's army list and hope to send it to Paul this weekend. I was off down the model shop a.m to buy feldgrau paint for the Swiss. I hope to work upon them later...

The picture is of a member of the Landstorm - the Swedish Homeguard. Note the fanastic three corner hat that came in for all infantry in 1910. A FLW army wearing such headgear would be fantastic...

The Duchy of Tradgardland 1912...

The Guild of St Hermes has its headquarters in a rather run-down area of Tradgardstadt.The industrial grime litters every surface and taints the tattered posters advertising cheap soap, a visiting circus and the forthcoming visit by a team from the M.C.C. The shabby door onto the grubby street prepares no one for the glories (albeit faded and tatty around the edges) that lie within. The fresco paintings of a winged messenger flying over the Duchy of Tradgardland dominate the main room. They are illuminated by gaslights in the shape of Hermes’s staff. Executed in the very best Baroque style by a fashionable, if disreputable, painter of unknown origins this visual display hammers home for all to see just how important the guild members are- at least in their own eyes…
Many felt it was somewhat strange,ney heretical ,to have a pagan god as a patron saint but the Guild Master and members just accepted it as a sign of continuity and of the divine nature of their work. The Guild, traditionally, were responsible for all licensed message carriers, be they on foot, horse or even boat. They held a monopoly with regard to the breeding, maintaining and usage of carrier pigeons not to mention the ill –fated attempt to organise carrier hares some centuries ago. These days they were more familiar with the telephone and the telegraph but retained carrier pigeons as a Deluxe Service…
Today Edvard, Thirty-fifth Guild Master, in the Office for the past twelve years, surveyed the daily reports from Sunday – each written in immaculate writing in the large bound ledgers chained in the Hall of Scribes. Copper plate script was the order of the Day though three type writers were currently being trialled. He cast his eyes over the trite and the banal (every message sent by telegraph was copied even if it pertained only to socks, sealing wax or endearments from one lover to another) and his eyes stopped .He read it with more interest than was officially approved of. His eyes widened as he read on- things were changing in the Tradgardland Army and he knew just what The Guild of St Hermes could offer. He hastened to his office and prepared to use the telephone on his desk. He asked the operator to connect him with the office of General Von Bergmann directly immediately…

New Uniform/Help with figs...

It has been very busy of late and I am aware I have not posted much of late. Tonight I have decided to post the New Swiss uniform of 1914. I am considering using AIP plastic figs to depict it with Dorset heads added. I would value your advice which plastic figs would fit the bill best. Many thanks in anticipation for your help. I do not feel very confident with painting the plastic figs but it has financial and time potentialities which appeal to me very much.
I have been organising an army list with units tied to areas of Switzerland with regard to recruitment/mobilisation. I will probably depict mountain troops and an inf div including them. The TVAG has kindly customised a flag for the Thun Mountain ( many,many thanks Sir) infantry which come from an area commanding views of the Eiger,Jungfrau and Doldenhorn! It is fitting army red/white should contain such an accomplished unit...

More postcards

This postcard is entitled "Premier Rayons" and I post it as I think it is a charming and evocative postcard. Whatever the dawn brings for you may you enjoy it,be restored and have some R&R...

Skiing postcards..

Enjoy these fantastic images and let them inspire you to even greater modelling endeavours...

I got there...

I found my way back to the site -enjoy!

Frustrating...

The sun is shining, I am at the start of a long weekend off work but I am annoyed!!!

Today I found this card ,along with an incredible collection of other postards,photos etc on a link form a Swiss archive sight. However I forgot to put the collection into favourites and cannot find my way back...

It looked amazing at first glance - I'm off to try again- I will let you know how I get on. menwhile enjoy the picture and have a good May Weekend....