Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Yes I know but the anger management therapist said not to put Angry Christmas so I didn't!

Off on annual leave today until the 3rd of January so probably no posting (you never can tell) but I should get a chance to wander around your blogs during that time.........

I've had a wonderful year of blogging, meeting and talking to old bloggers and new bloggers but also missing some old bloggers!

Now I do want you to have a good time but you're not under duress to do so...you know me I'm a Bah Humbug sort of git but I try to keep it under control!

I have used this picture before but it still cracks me up........

WW2 20mm Painted Greatcoat German Squad.

I have added a 4th squad to my early war German platoon and I feel these guys are wearing more appropriate clothing for the south coast of England (definitely for the Soviet Union), models are from CP models and are lovely except some of them come in pieces and with my hand shovels this caused some light swearing for a little while!

The Painting Challenge begins...and a book is launched.

The painting challenge at Analogue Hobbies finally starts today (haven't painted feck all last week) and good luck to everybody (including Ray....)

They need an undercoat and off we go......

Also the boys Brandon and Bryan over at A Beer for the Shower (one of the top 3 blogs out there....) and they have finally gotten their book out there to the world and can be seen and bought here Amazon for £1.47 or $2.00 I believe and you can win a puppy (hold on....breaking news...the puppy is no longer on offer......air holes are being mentioned.....dammit!)

I bought my copy last night and I hope it's a success for the boys...........

On a final note I had my fingers crossed when I spoke about Ray..........

20mm WW2 Painted AB Figures British Officers.....

......with driver and car!

The British are now painted and in the process of basing, done by Ray and myself and are from AB figures, I would have done everything from this company but they only do late war mostly and are considered expensive!

Driver is from SGTS Mess and the car is from Frontline Wargaming.

Angry Movie Lurker Honest Review 61: Immortals 2011 (3 STARS)

Wasn't expecting a lot from this but it wasn't too bad with Theseus (Henry Cavill) a stonemason who witnesses his mothers death at the hands of Hyperions forces, has been chosen by Zeus to fight against the ruthless King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke, plays it well with lots of scenery chewing but I like him) who is searching for the long lost Epirus bow that can free the Titans who were imprisoned in a mountain by the Gods (seen at the beginning).

This movie has Greek mythology all over it with Oracles, a Minotaur (a different twist on that legend), Titans, Gods (Poseidon, Athena......), the bad guys are great (cruel) especially the lackeys, good action when it comes, traitors and some good effects and some over the fecking top effects but all in all worth a watch.

It's a different take on Greek mythology as I discovered when I referenced some of the main characters in this film but that's movies and directors for you.....

20mm Painted Frontline WW2 Civilian Trucks.

These are from Frontline Wargaming (a lot of work to just get to this stage but as the budgie said they were cheep!) and will be used for scenery from the south coast of England to the wilds of the Soviet Union.

20mm Painted WW2 FAA German Mortar Platoon.

Finally starting to finish the last elements of German forces for the Operation Sealion project with this early war mortar platoon according to the European battlefield rules I'm using, I was lucky to find some early war FAA Germans on ebay and while they're not in the firing pose I still like how this unit looks as it moves to set up their tubes (they will get an opel blitz for the long journeys).

I consider the FAA and CP Models some of the best early war german figures in this scale.........but either hard to find or don't do the things you need!

20mm Painted WW2 Russian Infantry Platoon.

A 20mm painted Plastic Soldier Company WW2 Russian platoon for my foray into the Soviet Union next year, the platoon is made up of 3 squads and a command squad, there is a figure (LMG) missing in the top left of the first picture but he has now been found and while Ray is not a suspect at this time but investigations continue.......

The Second Annual Analogue Hobbies Winter Painting Challenge.

I've joined 20 other like minded figure painters and entered a fellow bloggers painting contest Analogue Hobbies, certain painted items earn you points and you send pictures of the painted items to Curt at his blog and he keeps score, it doesn't start until the 20th of December and ends on the 20th March 2012.

The points are as follows;

 Scoring Matrix

5 points per 25/28mm foot figure

10 points per per 25/28mm mounted figure

10 points per 25/28mm artillery piece or limber model

4 points per 20mm foot or unmounted horse figure

8 points per 20mm mounted figure

8 points per 20mm artillery piece or limber model

3 points per 15mm foot or unmounted horse figure

6 points per 15mm mounted figure

6 points per 15mm artillery piece or limber model

Now there is a problem, that friend of mine Ray from Don't throw a 1 who has been a burden to me for the last decade or more ( got him a job where I work and he still hasn't thanked me) has also joined ( just because I joined) and has started the smack talk on his blog (very hurtful) but I'm in it for a laugh and to motivate my painting amounts and to participate with others because my therapist said so!

Ray, you're going down quicker than a $10 hooker.

British Military Tournament 2011 Pictures, Earls Court.

Got brought to this event last Saturday as another early Christmas present (will have nothing in my stocking now except for coal), I took some pictures but the seating was a bit of a distance from the arena floor and the lighting was a little weird at times but a damn good event but expensive.

The theme of the show this year was the relationship between the USA and Great Britain throughout history, most often not that harmonious.

The other half refused to participate!

US Army Old Guard Drill Team........amazing skill!

A short re-enactment of the Battle of Franklin 1864 during the ACW which is considered the Pickett's Charge of the West, more info here , it rocked the arena with the noise of muskets and cannon fire!

Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, absolutely stunning to watch these at full gallop and the training required...what it must have been like on the battlefield!

Wellington College gun run with the band of the Royal Marines.

Amazing stuff!

The Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team: "The White Helmets"

They have no fear and their ridingcaused the most ooohs and aaahs of the whole event with how close they rode their bikes towards each other.

US Army Europe Band....very good.

British and Afghan forces defending a meeting in a village and building a new bridge while under attack from insurgents...

...suspected insurgent car bomb being dealt with!

A feed from Afghanistan with an American and British officer talking about the event and the situation in Afghanistan.

The ending...

...and the drums and pipes of the Scots!

There were several Mexican waves (technically Irish waves), John Bull and Uncle Sam whipping up the crowd and finding the effect of military bands and their music is amazing and astonishing, I had to be stopped from leading our side of the arena against the other side but it was a close thing!