DIY Olive Trees

Last night I started re-reading Days of Hope by André Malraux. A superb novel set in the Spanish Civil War from the Republican perspective. There's a very evocative scene early on that reminds me of Ramon Senders autobiographical experiences in Spain. But of course Malraux was there himself.

The workers militia are making an amateurish attack across an olive grove. Fascist machine-guns are cutting them down. A platoon of Asaltos arrive. They skirmish through the trees, using fire and maneouvre, to close on the Fascists. It's pure wargaming and will get your SCW juices flowing if nothing else does.

Inspired. I just sat down before supper and made some DIY olive trees. Nice, quick and easy. They are based on the heads of dead Sedum Telephium plants. Heather prunes them back each year and then offers me the pick of the cuttings.

To make them I left some PVA in a jar to thicken and then spread large gloops of it on the Sedum heads using a Starbucks coffee stirrer. All high tech stuff here you know. Finally dipped into a tub of Woodland Scenics 'Earth' flock. You see them above punched into a block of polystyrene whilst they dry.

Once dry I can see if I need to do any remedial work. Whilst my heart says give them a  highlight, given that they were made from start to finish (pre basing) during the course of an episode of NCIS, whilst Maff was having a text conversation with me at the same time, and they cost around 20p, for the whole lot! I'm not sure I'll bother in this instance.

  

More SCW. A steal on eBay. Two packs of Battlefront L3/35s (eight models) for £10. Maff and I have split them down the middle. I see now why the IT001 blister (4xL3/35 models) is fifteen plus quid at full price.  The pack comes with enough tank commanders,  flamethrower trailers and weapons to create 4 of any particular variant. I know Maff would prefer the Peter Pig  L3/35 as they are brilliant little no fuss models. I own several myself, but at less than £2 each inc postage, to misquote Stalin, cheap has a quality all of it's own.

Meanwhile, back in the winter of 1979. On the train yesterday we managed to draw up plans for 'Tom's' operation in Glasgow. I set the scenario for Maff via text and it was like letting a Hare out of the trap. We spend the entire commute texting each other building the game further with each text. Great fun. Almost a TEWT in itself and we haven't even got to the game yet.

Burns night I think will be most appropriate. Maff has been learning from those "wee mices" to quote Maff from one of his texts "Most of our games I'd go so far to say, would have resulted in you being insulted and punishing my play if I didn't provide a plan. Even the holes in the plan have been punished." Too right! This time he has a cracking plan.

Cheers
Mark