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!