Photo 18 of 52

Slim pickings for this weeks photo, this is choice 1 out of 1, taken during my flying visit to Saltash for work, didn't have chance to stop close to the bridge, so this was the work camera's poor telephoto, from the site I was visiting.

Pirate Mates

This weekend I headed out to do some larping, well basically to give some of my friends Jock and AndyH a go at the hobby without being overwhelmed by lots of strong characters and fighters that would leave them feeling left out.

I asked Julie to write it and gave her a basic brief to aim at beginners, pirates, and include lots of elements that can make larp fun, well it turned out well and the seasoned players I invited also enjoyed themselves. AndyL introduced other plot into the event so should they wish they now have links into the Ascendancy core events to follow up.

I have included a couple of photos below.

After the event Julie and Dave came round for tea where we discussed future stuff, Dave left me a few bits for props including a Cyberman mask to convert into something.

That's my weekend really I have been painting more lizardmen ready for the next battle in frontier as you can see below, they should be complete by next weekend, giving me chance to sort out the players plan for the battle and build some fort walls.

Oh and I got to wear 2 of my hats I've never worn, my sock hat in the photo below and another brown hat I currently have no photo of as my merchant character.

Its me on the left next to Dave.

Photo 17 of 52

My photo of this week is of Media City, BBC's new set of buildings in Manchester, which I recently visited for work, obsolutely no where to park, the builders had rented a multi storey car park nearby for visitors.

And photo looking in the other direction

Photo 16 of 52

My Photo of the week is Jock the Dwarf, a image stretched and coloured to make it more dwarf like.

Before play

and Red Dwarf

Weekend of Chaos

Lots of fighting this weekend as I crewed an AscendancyLRP event, crewing involves lots of waiting around with intermittent bouts of running and falling in the mud, with a bit of rain thrown in.

Saturday was lots of fighting and player malingering while Julie and Gabriel put on beards to play dwarves along with us natural beardies as photo below. My steampunk gun is in the photo as well, freshly made for the event.



I also got to play one of the head nasty bad guys before being dissipated by the players, as you can see by smiling face below, I was evil but not at time of photo, got to wear my furry hat for the 1st time though.



I then turned up with Julie on MidlandMidlifes doorstep to be fed; unfortunately the message had arrived a little late so she had to spread what she had about between all her guests.


Julie made some scarecrow mask as photo below which you can see on her blog about the weekend.



Sunday Jock and Julie left us to be replaced by two newbie’s at crewing, one of them another Andy, far too many Andy’s in my world, and we spent all day painting on black stripes across our wiping them off and painting on red, I think we went through a large box of wet wipes after doing this around 7 or 8 times, with the stripes gradually going a muddy brown colour.



After dinner I spent another evening AndyL and Midland Midlife's along with Sam and Gareth who stayed over for a further night so they could play the table top battle the following day.

By Monday my muscles had become a little stiff from the hills of shining cliff, but I got up 6am to sort out figures for the battle and print off some details of various characters.


The battle itself was attended by a couple of players Phil and ChrisF along with Taya (sorry don’t know her real name) at Chimera who along with AndyL represented the Ascendancy players side, while Sam and Gareth fresh from crew played the nasty Chaos lords side.




The points value ended up totally even after the players did good and they mainly with AndyL's help totally conned the enemy and won a outstanding victory one of the best I’ve seen in long time, the Chaos sides guys will say they had a bit of bad luck and I would agree, but mainly it was the tactics that won the day, all I can say is well done AndyL.








I had to go back to the wood while it was light after that since my sword went missing, I failed to find it which is bit rubbish from a otherwise good time.

Last night I went to pub for yet more Larp stuff as I met Jock and AndyH to go through their characters for the upcoming event they will be playing.

Photo 15 of 52

A large pond in Cromford, Derbyshire.

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.