Reservoir Scots: Argyll Foot Patrol

You know, I think that I forgot to post a pic of my Argyll foot patrol! 'Scuse the size of the pic, I had to pinch it fom an email.

Still need a GPMG but Rolfs' new Urban Meltdown Brits will sort that as it inlcudea a nice kneeling GPMG gunner.

Cheers
Mark

Winter of 79 Wishlist

So, what 20mm British Urban Meltdown figures do YOU want to see?

Here's Joe's 'wishlist'. Have a think and leave your thoughts as comments below. I'll create a stand alone page that can be viewed in the right hand panel and I'll update it with everyone's thoughts as a 'living' wishlist.

Joe Collins' 20mm 1970’s English Civil War Dream list

• Firearm Armed Police – Sterling SMG, pistols, and SLR
• Melee Armed Police – Batons, axe handles, sledgehammers
• Riot Police without gas mask  wearing traditional British police helmet and circle riot shield,  one with riot gun, one with loudspeaker/megaphone
• Riot Police with gas mask as above
• Heavily Armed Police – armed with a Carl G or LAW AT weapons
• Geezers with older firearms –SMLE, double barreled shotgun
• Geezers with melee weapons – axe handles, sledgehammers, knives
• Hold up men with balaclavas and no webbing – shotguns, M16’s, AK’s, pistols, Mini-14’s
• Rioters – unarmed
• Rioters – armed and masked with balaclavas, cloth scarves, and gas masks with clubs, stones, bricks, chains, bottles
• Palace Guards – Guards with bearskins and SLR
• A well endowed female Aussie pub bartender to go with Mark’s “not-Al Murray” pub lord
• Fire Brigade – something that looks that can be used for putting out fires from rioters or fighting zombies
• Post-Apoc gangsters – Mad Max and GW’s Dark Future style of gangsters, but with a British feel (like wearing bowler & umbrella, or wearing a Bobby’s helmet) with 1970’s or 80’s weapons and make-shift weapons (club with spikes, etc.)   Not too crazy, so they could still be used for “realistic” punk gangsters as well.

Wish list for the Falklands line

• Falklands – Armed with SLR and M79 grenade launchers (I prefer to have one firing, one moving with the M79 and rifle slung, and one with M79 slung and either advancing or shooting with the SLR.)  I also personally would like to see the helmet version first since most of the battles they were wearing helmets.
• Falklands – a head version for the Welsh Guards for Tumbledown
• Falklands – ARGENTINES!!!!  I know that Stonewall has the old Hotspur’s Argentines, but from what I understand, their molds for them have really lost their details.

Wish list for the Cold War line

• British soldiers in NBC suits and masks for Cold War Hot chemical exchange or response to zombie infestation. 
• US soldiers in NBC suits and masks as above – please, both with the M1 steel helmet and the Kevlar helmet – personally, I want the M1 steel helmets first. 

 Thanks for that list Joe, good ideas. Now let's hear yours.......

Cheers
Mark

  

A Pile In The Country

Just bought this Masterplan Country Mansion for £2.99 plus postage on Ebay:

I couldn't resist. Especially with that gold Roller sitting outside. Every other episode of The Professionals was filmed at a country house like this. It was the home of an industrialist who was funding a coup, a family that was kidnapped, a diplomat's country residence - etc etc - if Bodie and Doyle weren't storming the place, they were defending it, turning it over, rescuing the occupants or guarding them.

The Masterplan buildings are made simply from coloured card and wood. You can assemble them in their basic form in minutes and have plenty of potential for adding additional detailing if you wish. But at least you have a basic shell that's table ready.

Cheers
Mark

Photo-Etched 1/72 Weapons

I found a Czech manufacturer of 1/72 photo-etched weapons. Not cheap but ideal for those necessary Winter of '79 conversions. They also make photo-etched 1/72 hands which you can animate to hold/fire the weapons too.

Check out the Tracks & Troops webstore here (http://www.tracks-n-troops.eu/shop/).

Cheers

Mark

Daimler Armoured Car Timewarp

Found a pair of Daimler Armoured Car kits in the garage. The Daimler saw action in WW2 and served in Territorial Army units well into the 1960's. Those not sold or scrapped may have been laid up in sheds around the country and could become available to our Winter of 79 protagonists with at least some work.

I fancy them as rebel Trade Union armour. I have a sneeking fondness for the Daimler, partly I think due to the enduring comic image of Tom Courtenay heroically riding atop one in 'Billy Liar'.You can just imagine Arthur Scargill leading the Yorkshire Miners from the turret can't you.

Expediency in times of national emergency or crisis is a wondeful thing. So what other readily available WW2 armour can we bing to the party without things getting silly. I'm tempted by the Britannia Miniatures' Dingo Scout car as a one off. Whilst the Humber Scout and A-34 Comet could also make an appearance somewhere down the line. Perhaps converted with differet turrets or additional makeshift armour and weapons.

I wonder if I can shoehorn the mantlet and gun from an Airfix Scorpion/Scimitar kit onto the Daimler? That would make a very suitable 1979 upgrade methinks. Off now to try..............

Cheers
Mark

Stylish Blogger Award

I'd like to thank Eamon Honan for nominating Winter of '79 for a Stylish Blogger Award. Some girls over on TMP decided it wasn't fashionable and it now seems to be the done thing to say, "Oh I've received X number of wards but of course I politely decline". Well bollocks to you. This 'award' is a communication tool bigger than individual hobby egos. It has helped many, including myself to find more blogs of direct or even indirect interest, built bridges with other gamers and ultimately play a small role in bringing together thi disparate and fractured hobby of ours through an act of kindness, generosity and respect. Surely that is not bad thing especially in these times.

Now as per the stipulation of the 'rules', which aren't set in stone but actually serve a useful purpose and are fun:

1) Thanks again to Eamon (Conrad Kinch) whose wepage can be found here:  http://www.librarything.com/profile/kindermord

2) Seven interesting things about me.

• Power in the Darkness by the Tom Robinson Band is most definitely the anthem of my life and inspiration for this blog.
• My family is from the Shannon and my grandfather was shot by the Black & Tans.
• My mother was a Butlins 'redcoat' alongside Des O'Connor. The joke in my wife's family is, I'm Des O'Connor's lovechild!
• I am an ex-officio member of the local Trade Union executive. My main role is to prepare members for employement appeals and hearings. Supporting them and making their case for them where necessary.
• I lived in the flat of the director of Surf Nazis Must Die whilst he was away filming.
• I was proposed to by the grand-daughter of a Duke. 
• I secretly watch the TV show How I Met Your Mother, 'cause I have thing for brunette Colbie Smulders who plays 'Robin'.

3) Nominate another blog/blogger (or several) for the award.

In keeping with this blog I'm going to nominate Richard at Cold War Hot, Hot. Hot for a massive resource dedicated to the Cold War with very much a miniatures theme. Richard is grounded, an everyman and takes time out to answer questions and queries.

And I also nominate Steve for England Prevails. I know how much work goes into knocking up fake newspapers and TV reports. Steve does it to a tee and preents a frighteningly realistic picture of an alternative timeline Britain set in the late 1980's. Inspirational stuff from another grounded wargamer.

Cheers
Mark

NEW Urban Meltdown British from RH MODELS

.
Rolf at RH Models has come through and has built a new pack at my bidding URBMELTSUP: 3 bareheaded figs with stirling smg and, 2 with GPMG. 

RH Models 20mm URBMELTSUP

I've suggested some variants that include skinheads and punks from the period - otherwise it will be woolly hats and balaclavas. Have your say below.

I've also suggested and may need your support here to make it happen - a pack of more country types with barber jackets, flat caps, shotguns and SLRs. Once again, give us your ideas below.


Cheers
Mark