Waterloo - General Views and Hougoumont

The anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo is nearly upon us and as I was looking through some old photos I took on one of my visits to the battlefield, I thought I ought to post them here.

The crossroads at Mont St. Jean where Wellington was for much of the day under the clump of trees.

A view from the Gordon Monument.

The view from Cavalié Mercer's position.

Hougoumont.

The approach to Hougoumont.

The famous gate at Hougoumont.

Looking inside from the gate, a view the French had only briefly.

The other gate, which the French did not penetrate.

Views inside Hougoumont.

The chapel where the wounded narrowly escaped being burned alive.

Carry On Up The Khyber (Silent Invader Arid Boards)

So, the third of these three related posts. There were a couple of teaser pics of these boards posted here in May but now in spectacular technicolour, the whole shebang! These are the Silent Invader boards made for Afghanistan and are absolutely lovely. There are 25 tiles and they were intended to be set-up as 6x4 but with the aforementioned width restriction on my kitchen table, I have laid them out 8x3. The watch tower was a sort of bonus tile which I was delighted with. I had to leave out a river tile as they are made to cross the table in a line of 4. Anyway, enough inconsequential chit-chat, on with the pictures you cry!

............and now with some figures





Anck-Su-Namun addresses her acolytes.



Sous-Lieutenant René Artois trying to listen in...



..as is Sergent-chef Jean Lecoq.



...the plot thickens.



Meanwhile a tourist strolls around the old watch-tower in the old Kingdom of Djelibeybi.



The guards are alert.



Snake charming by the irrigation system.



The archaeologists arrive.



Athelstan Snapcase holds forth to a spellbound audience on the wonders of Gentleman's Relish.

L to R: Brigadier (retd.) Jethro Q. Walrustitty, Chulmleigh (faithful bulldog), Athelstan Snapcase (younger brother and black sheep of the Snapcases), Old Scrotum (the wrinkled family retainer), Bertie Wells, Captain (retd.) Kevin Darling, Lord Snapcase and 'Barmy' Fotheringay-Phipps.

Flight-Lieutenat Bigglesworth toasts the rest of the crew.

But enough of all this idiosyncratic eccentricity. These boards deserve some proper games and hopefully there will be time soon to do just that. Watch this space!

Silent Invader Snow Boards

Well, the title might suggest photos of SI snow-boarding but in fact this continues from yesterday's post. I managed to set up the recently purchased winter terrain boards and take a few photos. Unfortunately, rather a lot of the participants arrived with mud and grass all over their boots. There are 20 tiles and the set-up would normally be 4 by 5 but my table is only 3' 8" wide so I had to set up a 6 by 3 and leave two boards out. One more board and I can do a 7 by 3 set-up.

This is the 4x5 set-up.

This is the 6x3 on my un-extended table.

The four mountain boards can also be put together back to back to form a very impressive mountain.

Some Gnolls try to cross the Bi-Frost bridge.

A party of adventurers at the start of a slippery slope!

The Men of Gondor emerge from the stunted oak forest. The standard-bearer appears to have been rather careless with his pole. This will result in a deduction from his pay!

Elves from Rivendell emerge from the pine forest.

Legolas sets an ambush.

Silent Invader Terrain Boards

I have now purchased some terrain boards from Silent Invader on the Lead Adventure Forum. The boards described as temperate look so much like Dartmoor that that is what I'm calling them now. SI said that he was influenced by Dartmoor when making them. They are absolutely superb workmanship. SI is a real craftsman and a gentleman scholar! I have not yet had time to play any games on them but I took some photos this morning for your delectation. There are 15 tiles in the main set and then by removing some tiles and using the 4 extra you have a board without the road, inn or ruined castle.

The boards on my table.

The inn and stable.

A Bit of Whimsey!

Looks like the Company of the Ring are meeting at the inn.

They enter knowing it's Gimli's round. However, he seems to have forgotten his wallet!

A familiar figure lurks atop the ruined keep, looking for a chance to snacth the Preciousss!

Looks like Gollum has called on the assistance of his friends from The Paths of the Dead.

Meanwhile elsewhere, some dastardly Spaniards are escorting two Jesuit priests on a secret mission across Dartmoor. They are in search of a Holy Relic, the Big Toe of St. Ignatius of Loyola, stolen in a raid on Cadiz by Good Queen Bess's trusty swashbuckler, Sir Francis Snapcase. Sir Francis was ever after known as the Man Who Singed the Queen of Spain's Bush. At the conclusion of the Cadiz raid, Sir Francis had fired the port and the fire had damaged a particularly lovely lavender bush which Queen Anna cherished.

Although the Spanish remain unaware, their mission has been betrayed by one of Sir Francis Walsingham's spies. Sir Francis Snapcase is setting up an ambush in the ruins of Okehampton Castle.

Meanwhile the Spanish, led by Esteban Enrique Núñez García Ramírez Vasquez Cortés Martínez Roberto Rodriguez a la Dominican el Gonzales Garcia Santiago de Hernandez are crossing the River Taw and heading for the The Tors Inn at Belstone. Don Speekingleesh as the interpreter, brings up the rear.

Sir Francis and his men buckle on their swashes, spring their ambush and try and effect a rear entry on the Spanish.

Bob, Sir Francis's manservant completes the entrapment of the relic-seeking Spaniards. Bob and his hired ruffians have been hiding in the stable at The Tors Inn.

But now it's Bob's turn to be surprised. Two burly Spanish secret agents burst out of the back passage intent on mayhem. They are code-named El Mono and El Mejillón.

Let battle commence, flashing steel and Bob's harquebus are the order of the day!

Meanwhile, back at the castle, with the Spanish safely out of the way, Sir Francis's minions take the Big Toe of St. Ignatius of Loyola from it's hiding place and continue on in the opposite direction ready to deliver it to Sir Francis Walsingham, who is lodging at the Two Bridges.

More tomorrow................................

Futtock's Motor Services

Futtock's Motor Services is now open for business in Much-Piddling. Old Futtock runs the garage and his son, Young Futtock is the chauffeur up at Snapcase Hall. Old Futtock is something of a character and can usually be found covered in oil, ferreting about under someone's Austin 7.

"You want it by when?!"