I failed my resistance role

On Saturday I went to Torm (The Original Re-enactors Market) in Coventry taking my friend Jock’s wife Bridget while he stayed at home to watch Rugby on TV.

We arrived around 10ish and quickly scouted the halls, before making purchases, I was looking for a pair of breaches, which I found and that was all I actually needed. For the last 2 fairs I’ve resisted buying a paticular hat, I bought something else expensive last time and DaveP saved me the 2nd time by pointing out a bargain hat which I bought, this time I broke, it was £75 pounds for this hat (A kind of Puritan Witch Finder General Hat) that I don’t need, I walked past the stall several times before my resistance broke, I’m happy but I really do have to admit I have become addicted to hats.

Talking of hats and bargains, DaveP left me with 15 felt hats which we unloaded from Julie’s car to mine, he got these fine looking hats for £1 each which is something only master bargain hunter DaveP could do, these are good hats which will be probably be turned into tri-corns, I dropped these off later that afternoon to AndyL who was equally impressed.

After the fair we went for a bite to eat at the Cocked Hat in Coventry, which we have been to several times. This pub was at one time a smoky smelly pub that you would avoid, but it now does a excellent selection of its own 6 or 7 different meat pies for a under a fiver, which while not healthy food are very tasty, with well cooked chips and peas.

I dropped Bridgett off home in Ripley, then walked round to Chimera, spent some money, then went next door for a bit thread from the sewing shop, before going food shopping to the supermarket and buying the new Elizabeth the Golden Age DVD.

I didn’t get chance to watch the DVD since I got engrossed by figure painting, before I knew it, it was quarter past midnight.
I’m currently painting an Undead/Forsaken army see photos below, most of the figures were assembled 15 years ago by AndyH but never painted. Sitting in box, with glue decay for that long they were a little worse for wear and quite a few needed bits gluing back on, where missing arms, shields and had broken spears, so I spent the evening repairing undercoating them. I also added several figures of my own enlarging the units.

I did find the lost Painted Zombies and Skeletal Crossbowmen, they just need the bases doing.

A few nights ago put finishing touches the Empire figures painted by DaveP (photo below) which at his request had the flesh highlighted and the bases flocked.

Jasmine likes spear men since they are easy to grab and run off with, to protect a little against this I made myself a painting box (picture below), which means I don’t have to put each figure away between painting sessions, I can just carry the painting box and shut away in a cupboard out the way.This does not stop Jasmine totally who hovers over my shoulder while painting and takes a quick swipe to grab a figure, she then moans with pathetic Meow when I say Nooo.

Was it a windy day?

This morning I set off for work in breezy weather nothing special, listening to the radio there was a bit of chaos on the roads with M6 being closed around Cheshire but my car did not get buffeted by the wind on the dual carriageway, I saw no blown down fence panels or branches. That is until I got on a industrial estate near where I work, it must have been hit by big localised gust of wind as found myself on slalom course driving my car around a plastic chair, a flapping tarpaulin and a 2 traffic cones blown into the road. Then a few hundred yards further on nothing other than a bit of blowing litter.

Windy weekend

I had a relatively quiet weekend larping, taking a bit of a back seat to allow others to use their skills and spent it mostly with a cold finger because in game when my finger is in air it represents your character as not being there, or invisible. Since we had plenty of Horologist about, I decided to be more of a lookout and tracker, not that I was very successful, but I did manage to find one person.

I fed Julie and Dave for the weekend, their only complaint was my extra large portion size, which is more to do with me making sure I cook enough than being a big eater.

The weather was very windy, so listening to conversation was very difficult and the hut roof was flapping about in the wind keeping me awake, but the promised rain did not materialise in any great way, it rained, but it was over in 20 minutes.

Everyone I spoke to seemed to enjoy themselves, the 2 very new players survived being pummelled by lots of information relative to back plot, I've no idea if they enjoyed themselves.

I have today off, and have just taken Jasmine for a check up at the vets, she meowed loudly all the way there and back and cost me £ 60 for a couple of booster injections.

Battle not to shop.

I had a highly enjoyable if tiring weekend, playing battles and shopping.

On Friday evening I finished writing up the stats for Ascendancy battle, since traditional Larpers don't seem to know if they are coming or going or indeed taking part, so despite my wish to get all the info I needed by last Friday I found myself still adding and subtracting, finding painted figures at the 9th hour, would have been the eleventh hour but I finished at 9pm.

So Saturday I turn up early at Chimera shop to set out the terrain and then nip over to Derby train station to collect General DaveP, while General Jonty makes his own way since he lives around the corner from the battlefield.

I went to Derby a couple of months before Christmas but since I last went there not only have they completed the new shopping centre but they have changed the road layout.

The battle in the shop went quickly with General DaveP in control Magnus's men, while General Jonty controlled the Emperors men, Sam also turned up and stayed all day contributing to battle and taking control when General Jonty had to leave about 4pm to play football. Overall since we got started quickly the battle lasted almost 6 hours in 2 parts, the 1st part being a traditional Warhammer wargame, the 2nd part being a bunch of super hero's battling on the roof tops.

It was a close battle and General Jonty won just, with a little help from his sub commander Sam.

I took a few picture below (more pictures here)

After the battle we all went for a meal at the local pub, paid for very generously and unexpectedly by AndyL & Heather the shop owners.

I then took DaveP back home since he was staying the night in my spare room and we spent the evening looking through my old bits box of lead figures.

The next day Sunday we set off for Coventry to return DaveP to his home and collect his other half Julie to go to the Living History Fair. Before that we stopped for brief cup of tea where Julie showed me her lastest knitting and crochet projects including rabbit bottom which somehow I had inspired.

The fair had expanded and was considerably improved, I would now recommend it as a good alternative the TORM (The Original Reenactors Market) which 2 years ago I would not.

While there I ran into Ghost and Jackie, and Tee from the Buckinghams, and also spotted Pod and Debs, Jane & Ashley from Ascendancy.

Julie failed to spend my money for me, and me hers, however DaveP spotted a hat that I bought (picture below with Jasmine chewing the horse hair), so DaveP spent my money instead.

After that me & Julie dragged DaveP away from being very helpful to lots of other people he knew in spending their money on other bargains(?). We dragged him away to nice pub for spot of Mothers Day lunch which would have gone down well with most mothers I know.

I then drove home to do the battle write up, a task my brain was not ready for, so I stopped and started again, then gave up and posted what I had written a little unsatisfied, I should have waited until today when my brain was fresher, but too late now.

Monday morning I woke up feeling like I had no sleep and it took 3 cups of coffee and a lunch break before I woke up, but I'm fine now.

As I said tiring but good weekend.

Larp Fair

On Saturday I went to Larp fair near Barnsley with Friends AndyT & Linda, whose Son Christopher is a fellow Larper. The fair had slightly more stalls than last time, I'm told 5 extra traders, although it didn't feel that many, but definitely was significantly busier.

I saw Rich, Heather, Colin, Gareth, Amy & Micheal from the system I play and spent a small amount of time with them going around the stalls, while eating cakes and drinking fruit tea with AndaT & Linda, Christopher was no where to be seen, well not entirely true he knew lot of people there so spent his time with them leaving his girlfriend who is not a Larper to wonder bemused by it all. Gareth was looking for Axes and severed feet, he couldn't find one made of stone and Magnus proof.

I purchased a new expensive robe for Izzanbard black to replace the monks robe he wears, I will turn the purple wool I have into replacement surcoat for the Corduroy one I currently own. Other than that I purchased trinkets, clock, purse, pouches, a ring, scroll case, and two new belts, one for general real world wear. Oh I also got a pair of gloves, but no latex or guns, since I already have plenty more than I use. I did want some boot tops but didn't see any I liked.

I managed to find time to have a quick wonder around a few of craft shops on site, but found them uninspiring, nice stuff I'm sure, but no different to what you see in hundreds of places.

Sunday morning I turned up at the Chimera shop, in theory to look at the potential of using some of AndyL's hero clicks for the next war game, but AndyL was throng organising a Yu-gi-oh tournament, assembling chairs and tables and so I left him to it as 20 or so kids were pouncing on him.

I returned home to finish off the Magnus and Emperor Steiner figures the only things I have left to paint for the upcoming table top battle, done.

So this the afternoon decided to cut out the fabric for my replacement surcoat, need to decide how to finish the edges and if it needs a lining. I just started marking it out on the floor when I remembered the wool had not been washed worried about shrinkage I've just stuck it in the washer.

The figures varnished, wool in the wash, nothing on the computer to do, which means when I finish this I might have to do house stuff like tidying or cleaning.

Salemites

I've been painting figures for a war game the objective to make bright medieval figures look dark and bleak and more English civil war like, so I painted them in lots of blacks and greys.

A couple of photos of some hand gunners and flagellants below, I did my best with the photos but I my camera doesn't seem to like focusing on the figures, possibly a setting I need to adjust.

The hand gunners

The Flagellants

Nearly went for a good meal.

My weekend started off well, with a 40K war game in the Chimera shop with Jock. We had 4 players turn up who played the early game, two of them very young there 1st proper war game. Of these Jock looked after the one that was very intent and lisened to what was said while his dad watched on not realising a war game take about 3 hours, the other child I looked after was I'm afraid the opposite he was playing his own game making up his own the rules as he went along, moving random distances, throwing dice for no particular reason, and goading the other children with the size of tank I was shattered by time we had done the 1st game. For 2nd game we only had the 2 older children who knew a bit about the rules and Gabriel, this made a far better game, and while we my side lost big time, Gabriel knows how far to move and listens to advice, although he seems to like throwing 1's, that is except when 1's are needed then he throws six's, I enjoyed the game unlike the morning game which I found hard work.

Sunday I was going for mid day meal to celebrate my sister birthday, I picked my Mum and sister up and was driving along when I changed down gear as we approach a set of red traffic lights, I felt a shudder through my clutch and could not find gear. I put the clutch in and manged to keep enough momentum in the car to keep it going through the lights and round the corner onto a industrial estate, as I tried again to find gear again. I then heard and felt a bang as the clutch pedal snapped to car floor. I had just got the car back from the garage 3 days ago having had the clutch arm replaced due to difficulties finding reverse gear. I phoned the recovery service and my mother and sister arranged with my brother to picked up and to go on for their meal while I waited for them to turn up.
The recovery guy turned up 2 hours later with me feeling rather hungry probably because my mind was all set on some good pub grub.

Prognosis the new clutch arm had shared off, the mechanic waddling the nice new clean and shinny part in front of me on the end of the Hydraulics cable, "not be fixing that" he says showing me where 3" of metal had just snapped, needs a new part and your gearbox out again.
So since he couldn't tow a 4x4 and the car wanted sending back to garage for repair anyway which was 10 miles in the other direction to my home and shut until Monday, I got a lift home and left them to organise my cars transport to Derby.
My warranty as well as providing recovery also provided a free hire car in case of breakdown so I phoned them up only to discover because its Sunday only the East Midlands airport is open and I either have to get there (they did offer to pay for a taxi) or wait until Monday for a car, so tell them to forget it and arrange a lift to work, I will then phone Land Rover Monday am to find out what they intend.

So I arrived home 3 and 1/2 hours after setting out and raided the freezer for food.

My sister did phone me up later to console me on missing a good meal.

Cars!