Well it may have taken the Ministry of Defence over half a million pounds to rebrand the army but they have helped our movement. Our new spirit for 2018 is exactly what so upset the snowflakes, we set out to be “dated, elitist and non-inclusive”……what’s changed I hear you mutter?

With men like this, we would never have lost the Empire!😡

With Christmas nigh and work ending two days before our Saviour’s birthday you might expect Ferres Towers to be ringing to the sound of sellotape and children’s laughter but not so. The deadline to be clear of unpainted lead continues right up to Christmas morn.

In the last twelve days of Christmas, well Virtus anyway, the paintbrushes haven’t been still…..

Every missing spear has been replaced on all my 28mm ancients with the winning combination of Fireforge plastic spears and gorilla glue. If you have yet to come across this adhesive then search it out at Asdas or BandQ. Five bases of Norman horse are fully finished with over thirty more bases prepared for painting. Whilst Christmas shopping I thought I better had buy some of those Flames of War palm trees, so Middle Eastern at this time of year.

The keen eyed may also notice that for some mad reason I bought enough dismounted Norman swordsmen for Hastings or Jerusalem. I actually bought these when Evesham actually had one of the first wargame stores within driving range, probably over ten years ago.

Although they never got to the battlefield at Virtus the camels are all done plus the elephants from Reading have trunks again😳 again thanks to the wonder gorilla glue. One other “brainwave” was to use Little Big man shield transfers for the standards. There was even an Aryan looking centaur!

😅

The camels really were a test for my speed painting. To save time on the eve of the last comp, I went for folded flags as saddle cloths. The jury is still out on that one, see what you think? In order that they sat flat to the saddle I ended up having to pin the riders so time not really saved!

Left to do over the next two weeks are; eighteen French dragoons, thirty SS men, thirty ww2 G.I.s, sixty Macedonians, twenty four dismounted Knights and twelve French hussars. Still, it’s what Jesus would have wanted! Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks for a great year and I hope 2018 is even better!