The League of Augsburg

Derry's walls part 8 -tragedy,triumph and the use of interior lighting

coffee stained concept sketches probably done in an airport


Well, with one serious piece of real estate to complete I ran into the long grass. I have been keeping my options open all the way through this project but with the last building I had several make or break decisions to take.
The Big Hoose before all the joins are cemented in


These included whether to have an elevated main doorway requiring...

St John's disciples strike back - The case FOR Marlbrook!

The truth is so dazzling I had to wear shades


A light hearted meander right back into the crosshairs...............

Clearly my quest to shine the light of truth into the darkest corners of historical propaganda-fiction is having some effect. At SALUTE 2016 I was lobbied by several members of the pro-Johnno faction for my criminally pitiless pursuit of one of England's national treasures St John of...

Captain's log supplemental 30th April 2016, Goa - Portuguese Men o' war

Guarding the mouth of the Mandovi against Dutch and Maharatas: Reis Magos
Maybe we wargamers just have an knack of finding places with interesting military connections. For the past few days we have been staying in a fine location on the very mouth of the Mandovi River in Goa State. The river meets the Arabian Sea in a very turbulent area of water just outside our window.

Reis Magos: Sea facing...

A detour to Flodden Field - Scotland's tragedy PART 2

Our walking tour of Flodden Field continues....

Having 'advanced' down the north face of Branxton Hill and managed (just) to stay on our feet, Toggy and I found ourselves in the 'Killing ground'.


Explaining the dilemma facing the Scots in the bog

At the foot of Branxton hill the size of the depression between the two positions becomes all to apparent. This dip is now drained by a modern drainage...

Captain's log supplemental.. Mumbai 24th April 2016

M.K. Gandhi's room in his house in Mumbai
OK, so I wasn't looking for a wargaming connection here in Mumbai when I took a trip around the burg today. I wanted to feel the city in all of its 21 million (40% approx. of the population of England) chaos and that hit me the minute I got out of the hotel.

Ghandi's letter to Hitler 45 days before the start of it all

Nevertheless, wargaming and more...

A detour to Flodden Field - Scotland's tragedy PART 1

What an opener - The shot below was taken on April 17th 2016 on the forward (north facing) slope of Branxton Hill, Northumberland and it looks towards the positions occupied by Sir Edmund Howard's men on the rise above the display board. Beyond that hill is the River Tweed and the full panorama in the distance is the Kingdom of Scotland. On September 9th 1513 the nobility of Scotland perished in...

Even when fried in butter...........

Named after a GNW battle What next?

On the road with Bazza... Vaasa, Northern Finland 20 April 2016.

So, here I am in Vaasa, Finland (pop 60,000) earning Mrs Hilton's lunch money. My client takes me out to dinner in an Italian restaurant and we are presented with a special looking drink.

I am informed that it is 'officially the best gin and tonic on the planet'. Interesting for a gin soaked...

Awakening Derry from hibernation

taking shape now but still plenty to do on the ground work

The nature of this project and too many conflicting priorities over the winter months meant that my Derry- Building went into stasis for a while.

Lots of work to be done on the ditch and drawbridge

With a couple of weeks at home, Tactica behind me and some new ideas in my head I took inspiration from the non hibernating family of squirrels...

Storming the Schellenberg 1704 Diorama



These shots show a nice diorama which resides in the Guards Division Museum on Birdcage Walk.

I thought blog followers would enjoy the construction on the defences and the interesting combinations of figures used in the diorama.


There was not a lot of information of who made it, when it was made and what make the figures are but it is a super piece of work.

The attack on the Schellenberg took place...

Ireland book Vol 1 : Personalities: Justin McCarthy, Lord Montcashel

Justin McCarthy who was to become better known as Lord Montcashel was known for many things including his involvement with the famous Wild Geese in French service, the disaster at Newtown against Wolseley's Enniskilleners and his reasoned and civilised approach to warfare against his countrymen.

Justin McCarthy Lord Montcashel

What is often not known about his is that he was incredibly short sighted...

Tea at Wellington Barracks..

Morning surprise!

In London recently I happened to be staying in Westminster and on an early morning stroll to clear my jetlag I found myself on Birdcage Walk. Wait a minute! that's the Guard's Division HQ at Wellington Barracks... and... that is a Toy Soldier Shop!

Famous Guardsman!

I needed no invitation. The shop, run by a splendid gentleman named David was empty at that time in the morning and he...

Battle of Lesnaya in 20mm - Tactica game

Swedish view of the attacking Russian Army

I was very taken with this 20mm scale game using Zvezda plastics. The guys running the game were from Germany but I confess to forgetting exactly which town they were from.

fine view of the Swedes with their backs to the river

They ran the game as a participation effort but again I am unsure which rule system was used.

Swedish Dragoons defending a bridge

The...