A large pond in Cromford, Derbyshire.
Voyager Instruments
1 day ago
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Friday, 10 April 2009
Steam and websites
Last night I whipped together a website (take a look here) for my brother Robert for his driving school since he's competing against ever growing number of instructor and thinks he needs a web presence to for a younger audience who no longer use the yellow pages, but search the Internet.
Today I needed to make a Steam punk weapon for AscendancyLRP, lots of bits of brass including a candlesticks and the end of curtain rail, along with a fire extinguisher sprayed with brass paint. Yes and just my luck it was dry this morning the minute I popped outside to spray the extinguisher it started raining making the paint bubble, so I had to start again and fume up the house. Hopefully I will get photo while its being carried in costume tomorrow during the game.
I also went to see AndyT holiday cottage just finished, well he was still putting a door handle on, Phil and several others larpers from London will be staying there for 3 nights and it looks smashing, they will be the newly renovated houses first guests.
Today I needed to make a Steam punk weapon for AscendancyLRP, lots of bits of brass including a candlesticks and the end of curtain rail, along with a fire extinguisher sprayed with brass paint. Yes and just my luck it was dry this morning the minute I popped outside to spray the extinguisher it started raining making the paint bubble, so I had to start again and fume up the house. Hopefully I will get photo while its being carried in costume tomorrow during the game.
I also went to see AndyT holiday cottage just finished, well he was still putting a door handle on, Phil and several others larpers from London will be staying there for 3 nights and it looks smashing, they will be the newly renovated houses first guests.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Two Birthdays and a Battle
This post covers last weekend as well as this, I started to write last weekends blog entry but never got to finish it.
Anyway last weekend we had the battle of Blackrock a table top war-game set in the Ascendancy world, Sam and Jack came to play the good gu...well the players side and old gamer John came to play the same side, I quickly convince him he needed to play the Lizardmen or Saurons and left him to read up his play sheet, while I set up the terrain consisting of some native straw thatched huts and some new Jungle plants scratch built by Mike, Andy's resident helper which gave a good feel of jungle to represent Frontier.
I brought my Lizardmen and beastmen, all my old models since I was saving the new ones for the next battle at Fort William, Sam brought her wood elves and I provided an extra scratch built treeman built a long time ago by my friend AndyH. After that I explained all the complexities of the defending tribal forces to Sam with a rundown of what the players wanted to do, the battle ended up being quite stressful mainly because both Sam and John did not know the rules well enough and I kept changing things with the wind, still luckily for the players it all turned out well in the end, John even said he would come back for next game despite all the Larp special effects I added.
After the battle it was Chinese at Andy and Heathers with Sam and Jak, where we watch some really hypnotic children telly before N and I went to bed. Young Gabe stayed up while we played another game of magic cards, Andy having created 2 new players in Sam and Jak who have now purchased their own cards, unfortunately from their own town not Andy's shop.
Last sunday is a blur; I think I spent most of it on Ascendancy website and forum stuff, but any that was a week ago.
This Saturday was Doug’s 3 decade birthday, so I called for DaveP and we both went to see him at his house in Swindon, where we well fed and entertained.
It was mainly Larp friends, Diane without Liam, Gareth the tall one on high of skittles and orange Fanta, Lotti, Colin, Matt & Sam, not forgetting Doug’s other half Iszy. All sorts of crazy past events and stories where dragged up alongside lots of crazy over the top conversation going off at right angles which made the time fly by, even if personally I did shrink into the background with so many outgoing people, well compared to me anyway.
During the meal I mentioned Scarthin Books which a few pace's up the road and discovered my mother an avid reader had never heard of it or been, so we took her there and she purchased a pile of new and old travel books. I bought an OS map of North Yorkshire moors for use when on holiday.
With the sun bringing out all and sundry the roads around Matlock and Cromford were heaving with cars and motorbikes so I took a scenic route back testing my knowledge of all the back roads successfully avoiding the jams.
Anyway last weekend we had the battle of Blackrock a table top war-game set in the Ascendancy world, Sam and Jack came to play the good gu...well the players side and old gamer John came to play the same side, I quickly convince him he needed to play the Lizardmen or Saurons and left him to read up his play sheet, while I set up the terrain consisting of some native straw thatched huts and some new Jungle plants scratch built by Mike, Andy's resident helper which gave a good feel of jungle to represent Frontier.
Battle photos
I brought my Lizardmen and beastmen, all my old models since I was saving the new ones for the next battle at Fort William, Sam brought her wood elves and I provided an extra scratch built treeman built a long time ago by my friend AndyH. After that I explained all the complexities of the defending tribal forces to Sam with a rundown of what the players wanted to do, the battle ended up being quite stressful mainly because both Sam and John did not know the rules well enough and I kept changing things with the wind, still luckily for the players it all turned out well in the end, John even said he would come back for next game despite all the Larp special effects I added.
After the battle it was Chinese at Andy and Heathers with Sam and Jak, where we watch some really hypnotic children telly before N and I went to bed. Young Gabe stayed up while we played another game of magic cards, Andy having created 2 new players in Sam and Jak who have now purchased their own cards, unfortunately from their own town not Andy's shop.
Last sunday is a blur; I think I spent most of it on Ascendancy website and forum stuff, but any that was a week ago.
This Saturday was Doug’s 3 decade birthday, so I called for DaveP and we both went to see him at his house in Swindon, where we well fed and entertained.
It was mainly Larp friends, Diane without Liam, Gareth the tall one on high of skittles and orange Fanta, Lotti, Colin, Matt & Sam, not forgetting Doug’s other half Iszy. All sorts of crazy past events and stories where dragged up alongside lots of crazy over the top conversation going off at right angles which made the time fly by, even if personally I did shrink into the background with so many outgoing people, well compared to me anyway.
Iszy provided me with some lemon sherbert tea which was nice, as well as some lovely cakes, although the chocolate birthday cake arrived with Diane.
Today it was my brother Stephen's chance to celebrate his 40th year of existence, I picked up my sister and mother and we went for meal in Cromford, a little restaurant 13 quid for a 3 course meal including wine or soft drinks and coffee, not a bad price, but the food was not very impressive, so I won't personally be recommending it. The restaurant was full mainly with the over 70's, possibly they couldn't taste how overcooked all the veg was or preferred it that way, my mum enjoyed the food and she is of that age.
Today it was my brother Stephen's chance to celebrate his 40th year of existence, I picked up my sister and mother and we went for meal in Cromford, a little restaurant 13 quid for a 3 course meal including wine or soft drinks and coffee, not a bad price, but the food was not very impressive, so I won't personally be recommending it. The restaurant was full mainly with the over 70's, possibly they couldn't taste how overcooked all the veg was or preferred it that way, my mum enjoyed the food and she is of that age.
Stephen, girlfriend and Mum
Birthday boy Stephen and Mum
My other brother Robert with Micheal
During the meal I mentioned Scarthin Books which a few pace's up the road and discovered my mother an avid reader had never heard of it or been, so we took her there and she purchased a pile of new and old travel books. I bought an OS map of North Yorkshire moors for use when on holiday.
With the sun bringing out all and sundry the roads around Matlock and Cromford were heaving with cars and motorbikes so I took a scenic route back testing my knowledge of all the back roads successfully avoiding the jams.
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Lizard man painting and other things
I can at last make time to update my blog after 4 hectic days well evenings of emails, planning and figure painting in preparation for this Saturdays Ascendancy wargame in the Chimera shop.
Following on from great weekend at Murton Park larping, filling my food bag with fairy liquid, and eating lots of cake, I started putting together a myriad of ideas from the players, some very simple, some needing clarification and background help on perceived skills and some interesting and complex, that's now done and documented for play this weekend.
I've also finished painting a bunch of Lizardmen, enough for the battle of the type I wanted anyway. I've not spent long on them, painted in a big batch relying on washes to give a bit of depth rather painting high lights and details.
The box of figures ready for battle
This photo of a serpent man is very old figure.
This in the photo below is the new style lizardman, these small type are called Skinks
This is also a old style lizardman, possibly the worst lizardman figures Games Workshop produced, I painted this one only to use as a Sauron Priest.
From the very earliest range of lizardmen, this was called a troglodyte, in my army it will now be a Kroxigor.
This was also from the first range of Lizardmen, and the same size as the new Skinks which are skirmishers, however the old models are not suitable to be skirmishers, so I will be using them like a Saurus warriors.
This is a Saurus warrior from the latest range of lizardmen.
Following on from great weekend at Murton Park larping, filling my food bag with fairy liquid, and eating lots of cake, I started putting together a myriad of ideas from the players, some very simple, some needing clarification and background help on perceived skills and some interesting and complex, that's now done and documented for play this weekend.
I've also finished painting a bunch of Lizardmen, enough for the battle of the type I wanted anyway. I've not spent long on them, painted in a big batch relying on washes to give a bit of depth rather painting high lights and details.
The box of figures ready for battle
This photo of a serpent man is very old figure.
This in the photo below is the new style lizardman, these small type are called Skinks
This is also a old style lizardman, possibly the worst lizardman figures Games Workshop produced, I painted this one only to use as a Sauron Priest.
From the very earliest range of lizardmen, this was called a troglodyte, in my army it will now be a Kroxigor.
This was also from the first range of Lizardmen, and the same size as the new Skinks which are skirmishers, however the old models are not suitable to be skirmishers, so I will be using them like a Saurus warriors.
This is a Saurus warrior from the latest range of lizardmen.
The week at work as been a bit traumatic to top it all, so it will be nice to have a rest, knowing everything is ready.
I finally got a taste for African Rooibos in the form Twining African Rooibos with strawberry and vanilla, the pure Rooibos I have tried a couple of times and well drank it, but wouldn't have asked for 2nd cup, Julie brewed me a cup of Tetleys rooibos and vanilla with milk which was the 1st one I liked, but this is 1st I would buy more of, perhaps a few more cups down the line I will go back to pure rooibos and see if I now like it more.
One fault with the new beverage is my work colleagues struggle at the best of times to make tea, and asking for fruit infusion really confuses them especially as I like the tea bag left in, so asking someone to make me rooibos tea was a mistake since I was in a meeting and they left the tea bag in and it was too bitter to drink, by the time it got to my mouth.
I finally got a taste for African Rooibos in the form Twining African Rooibos with strawberry and vanilla, the pure Rooibos I have tried a couple of times and well drank it, but wouldn't have asked for 2nd cup, Julie brewed me a cup of Tetleys rooibos and vanilla with milk which was the 1st one I liked, but this is 1st I would buy more of, perhaps a few more cups down the line I will go back to pure rooibos and see if I now like it more.
One fault with the new beverage is my work colleagues struggle at the best of times to make tea, and asking for fruit infusion really confuses them especially as I like the tea bag left in, so asking someone to make me rooibos tea was a mistake since I was in a meeting and they left the tea bag in and it was too bitter to drink, by the time it got to my mouth.
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Photo 12 of 52
Nearly forgot my photo this week, I seem to have missed photo opportunities, so this is the best I can do. One freshly brushed cat.
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