Like the general population of the Village in the cult TV-series “The Prisoner”, there’s something decidedly odd about the British, but being stuck together on this small island we don’t really notice it, but the wonderful part is even when we do notice we just grin and get on with it without a worry in the world and least of all we don’t get self conscious about it. It’s an honest eccentricity which makes us who we are, so just as well we’re comfortable with it. Big reenacting shows like Military Odyssey in Kent really are a magnifying glass on not so much what makes us tick, rather our happy acceptance that we’re nation of train-spotters and how we’re happy to share that with anyone who wanders past.
For those who’ve ever been to Military Odyssey it’s only fair to point out it’s a large multi-period reenacting show where you’ll find Viking camped next to Cowboy, Napoleonic Chevalier next to American Civil War Rebel, German Wehrmacht soldier next to British Para. The total selection is incredibly broad and with the traders and collectors stalls presents a day out with something to interest just about everyone with just the smallest interest in history.
This year we turned up pretty early and thanks to the organised ticketing were inside the County ground within minutes. As always we headed for the stalls first to see what’s on offer, and as we go to a fair few shows like this it wasn’t long before we started to bump into folk we know. Frenchie from AirsoftWorld was the first – running a sniper competition with an airsoft Barrett and an L96. Now big guns are very popular with airsofters so both me and the boy Slug joined the line, only to be disappointed. Sure the thing looks like a Barrett, but it handled like a dead dog and the trigger was heavier than most anvils and rather killed any concept of slowly squeezing it. Still I managed five shots on the target, appaling grouping, but Slug’s single shot hitting was worth gloating over. Not all bad news though, they’ve got an all steel Sten Mk1 on offer, which is under going some tweaking, and a lovely and simple little gun it is too.
Next bumped into Lee who supplies various Yank kit, who wasn’t having a positive sales experience, apparently hardly anyone was buying and the show hadn’t been as busy as last years. Here’s hoping it picked up for him.
Our biggest collective purchase for the day was by Slug in his quest for the US Airborne experience, in buying the rifleman webbing from Soldier of Fortune to compliment the kit he bought at War & Peace. Thankfully there was another Dad on hand with his Airborne obssessed son, and he showed us how to wear it.
Once the stalls were done and dusted, including finding two wargames going on in the pavilion, it was time to enjoy the enormous effort the reenactors put into their displays. Most notable this year were 4JAS, who had a nifty display and spent a good few minutes having a natter with the Slug, also the All American Pathfinders where one of their medic chaps gave a good short briefing on all things medic and answered some relevent questions, similarly in the woods were some Para reenactors with a very well equipped field hospital. We spent a lot of time with them, and to be honest we were so impressed with their surgical kit as to not have asked which group they are, but they were very good. Not only did they have a wealth of enthusiasm but collectively they looked and sounded like Para’s with twinkles in eyes and a vague reassuring feeling they could kill a man with their little finger.
Of course there was a wealth of good displays, and I don’t have the time to mention every single one, but the one which impressed us the most was that of Shrapnel’s Battery who for a humble fee will let you loose with black powder devices, so you can fire a musket, a cannon, or a mortar which is great fun, and really teaches you something about history. Well actually it teaches you just how loud a bang some things can make and seeing how they let all us lads ranging in age from five through twelve to my forty-five have a go it was a lesson much enjoyed.
Well not just black of course, I do like our greens and greys too. Just had a few figures painted by a local painter who doesn’t do the web so you’ll find this is probably the only example of his work on the web. Paul Harrison lives in Margate and specialises in very neat custom built wargames buildings, however he paints figures too so I cornered him a while back to do a small batch for me and above you can see what he’s managed with some Adler.
Dice can be incredibly dangerous as most seasoned gamers will tell you, more so if you game in 6mm. Picture the scene as your massed tanks with infantry crouched behind them get ready to cross the fields into the enemy held village when suddenly from above tumble half a dozen regular sized dice, as they land they twist barrels, scratch paint and mangle figures, and regardless of the numbers your attack is halted as you sob without shame and refuse to come back out from under the table.
I was wandering around the 
There’s not been a great amount of production at 6mil mansions this week, due to a big tidy up but also my running short of a few materials. Rather spookily I used the very last of my magnetic tape on the very last couple of bases, an act so perfectly synchronised to suggest to my fevered imagination how God must be a wargamer and 6mm his scale. This shortage hasn’t prevented me from talking or typing, quelle surprise, so it’s a good opportunity for me to mention a few favoured suppliers who you may not have discovered. For bases for miniatures my favoured supplier is a chap who uses the handle 
The 
Just a couple of bases of GHQ paras this week, one all attacking from being a row of bushes, the other frantically trying to focus a PIAT and grenade attack. Placed adjacent they make a fine wrecking crew.
Another development has been me finally getting to grips with the camera aided in part by having my old single bulb lamp die and me replacing it with a fluorenscent one which throws a much wider and brighter light finally revealling all the detail.
Okay it’s not the best known tank of WW2, seeing only really the last seven or so months of the war, but if you’re playing late war Brits it was there and so you need a few Comets and these GHQ ones fit the bill perfectly. Expect the usual sharp cut detail, but also the perfectly scaled but look at it too hard and it’ll bend barrel.
I’ve spent ages picking out the detail on these with various complimentary tones and not a hint of it shows up on the photos.
The basing has been kept simple, slight irregular surfacing to the base, two tones of brown, three types of flock and a couple of bushes.
Made one base decidely urban, but as it stands it looks too clean so I’ll be coming back and putting some rubble about and anything else I can think of, or that you might care to suggest. No I’m not making another 
What’s that tearing through the countryside? Why it’s a tidy line of GHQ jeeps tearing into action in the style of the Para’s or the SAS.
Now the GHQ standard jeeps come in two basic forms, windscreen up or windscreen down and with just a driver who wears a yank style helmet. For me this is a handay variety, but not enough if you’re likely to be playing six tiles in close proximity. The first thing Ive done is filed those helmets to look like a beret, then I’ve added two or three more figures including one with a .50 cal, plus a couple of boxes here and there. The finished look is a quite threatening little convoy likely to worry just about any unit unfortunate to be set against it.
After Mike asked for bigger photo’s I’ve had a bash, and generally I’m not having a lot of luck with them. I’m at the limit of my camera’s ability which is far beyond my own, out of around 30 photos, two weren’t blurred but even with these ones (above & below) you can see how the rear third of the base is in focus while the rest isn’t. They did prove handy for revealing fluff and hairs though, and have been tweezered to perfection.
No I’ve not gone all sci-fi this week just had a small order from good old Irregular Miniatures turn up this week and what a pile you get for your cash and what a glowing example of just one reason why 6mm is such damned good value. Left to right, top to bottom; a pair of hedgerows, six vine rows for your own vineyard, two poplar trees, a pigpen, a hay wagon, a base of pigs, some cows, a pair of gates, a cuddly toy, nine small trees and a windmill.
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