Scots & British Guards

[Beano Boy]

Many years ago I started work on La Hay Sainte,The Bella Alliance,and Hougoumont. In those far away days it was pictures in books that inspired me,but really there was little in the way of information about these places especially Hougoumont. In this day and age information on any subject is gained by a simple click on a keyboard. Then back in the day it was studying photographs with a magnifying glass.
" He`s just only Kidding!"_____ "i am not,it is true!"

So with that in mind I make another start at painting Napoleonics again,because what good are buildings without 1" tiny fellows surrounding them?





STRELETS Highland Infantry On The March & British Infantry On The March




Below i have started to blob a few for myself,and for my future needs.





A dozen samples of British Coldstream Guards,and 9 Scots Guards,just to sort of feel my way around each figure and i am most impressed on how easy they are to paint. However I am no great figure painter,and I paint and produce toy soldiers while others produce a single model figure or indeed several that look beautiful. I always admire that gift.

My plan is to paint marching figures for the Napoleonic June 1815 campaign waged in The United Kingdom Of The Netherlands,now Belgium. So through dismal weather without coats,they trudge their withdrawal toward Quatra Bras and a fly spec on the map named Waterloo.

Having no interest in wargames,the aim of the work is to create the panoramic view of armies on the move. Nothing more nothing less.




The Coldstreams are straight forward colour wise that is to paint.

It was they.The Coldstream Guards Lt Companies that would help defend and hold Hougoumont upon that day of days.



The Tartan,is the next paint, Blobbing! to do. BB

[Susofrick]

Looking great! Already! Very interested in this! Remember a time when I thought La Haye Sainte from Airfix was THE building at the battle! And a correct model too! Yes, I WAS young!

[Peter]

Looks great Paul!

Did you know that Hougoumont (originally "Au Goumont") is a museum now? I visited it last summer and it was great!

[Beano Boy]

Hougoumont, and Goumont,yes Correct.
It was made mention by Sir Walter Scot,in 1816 as he toured the battle field,that the name of Hougoumont was wrongly placed upon this battle hardened and burnt out place,by Lord Wellington, himself.So us Brits have adopted it.

Museum,yes I did realise that Peter, thanks for your comment. BB

[Cryns]

I love the crow's feet:



They will punish all Fiddle Road high speed drivers.

[Edwardian]

Hougoumont, and Goumont,yes Correct.
It was made mention by Sir Walter Scot,in 1816 as he toured the battle field,that the name of Hougoumont was wrongly placed upon this battle hardened and burnt out place,by Lord Wellington, himself.So us Brits have adopted it.

Museum,yes I did realise that Peter, thanks for your comment. BB

Ooh, do we do caption competitions here?

My suggestions for the 2 Gents in blue who are evidently conversing, would be:

"I just wanted a through lounge, but then the Wife had that Kevin McCloud from Grand Designs round..."

Or

"You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!"

[Bluefalchion]

"Ooh, do we do caption competitions here?"

I'll play: "...and then, after I hit my head, I discovered to my chagrine that I could no longer stand wearing pants!"

[Marvin]

Ooh, do we do caption competitions here?

My suggestions for the 2 Gents in blue who are evidently conversing, would be:

"I just wanted a through lounge, but then the Wife had that Kevin McCloud from Grand Designs round..."

Or

"You were only supposed to blow the bl**dy doors off!"

Or the guy in blue is pointing to the tree saying "Well, mate, at least your Wisteria survived!"

[Marvin]

Hey moderators - I'm thinking we need a new topic section: "Caption Competitions"

[Beano Boy]

MISS PEGGITY POLLYWHAT`S, HOUSE OF MANY ANGLES
A short done and dusted story written by little me.

" and just a little work shown."



I took time out from housework which was so dusty,as the stuff was rather well dusted, dust upon dust.No not our entire Fiddle Wood home but just odd stuff in one corner of it.
A model house to be exact that had spent years way up on top of a very very tall wardrobe the likes that has three huge doors,in our main bedroom. A very tall guy was installing an upgrade internet connection and new TV box,and he could see the long ago abandoned scratch built houses on top of that rather tall wardrobe. Well I have been making stuff for many years now.

"Can I see one of those? Because I have never seen such things before",he said,and asked so nicely I got on a chair because I`m only a little fellow,and fetched down the house of many angles that did stand at one time between Halfway House and the Wind Mill nearing Honey Well Station. It was covered in dust! So I fetched it down gave it a brush off and stood it upon my work table downstairs. Soon other stuff was taken down from the wardrobe,because quite frankly he was so enthusiastic he wanted to see more. He was so kind,how could I refuse? So with that fun time spree for him my morning I`d planned painting just disappeared along with lots of swirling dust.

However as he set out upon his way,I thought to try out my hand at a little photo shoot. So I placed my Centre Company Guards that I painted up last night when most of Fiddle Wood lay sound asleep.

They were already undercoated and the work only took a couple of hours to complete.



The house of many angles is in the background and the Guards are set upon their way for Muster. They had been billeted with Miss Peggity Pollywhat,who had made them a huge breakfast of sausage bacon and eggs,with masses of toasted doorsteps . That`s Bread that was cut and sawed by a bread knife that crumbed the floor just right for the Mice that placed it pile high in their squeaky wheel barrow,and off through the opening in the old skirting board they went.____Toasted thick cut slabs of homemade bread soaked in butter with Marmalade laid on top,all washed down with hot steaming Tea that Peggity Pollywhat, poured out from a huge white enamel tea pot that very oddly had a china lid,it being the case tea pot lids tend to go a missing. Why and how is a question schoolars have debated since the first few cup of the dark brown stuff had floated in. ___Such was the feast for these four lads now set upon the Brussels road,with a heavy pack up in their knapsack. I wonder what delightful food Mrs Pollwhat had neatly packed away for them. She waved them goodbye unseen from the highest window in her now silent house. As they disappeared from view she wondered if she would ever see them again. BB

MOD: I deleted the other 7 copies of this post (dad)

[Michael Robert]

Hi Paul,

like your story as always.... Your way of telling stories from little Fiddelwood always brings back to me childhood memories when I was in England. I stayed a long time in a small village called Frensham (near Farnham and Aldershot). Beautiful countryside there. Only much later I found out that this place was actually the village from which originated the members of Genesis group. Noone told me at the time ; neither did I know the group.
Did you notice that your mail sent out 8 times? Maybe while cleaning up the top of the cupboard and touching the internet wire you lashed out some boster. Waiting to see the continuing story from your retreat. Meanwhile we have M Dodson's great dioramas.
Now I have to get some work done myself. My marching column is still headless.

Many greetings Michael

[Beano Boy]

Well my picture froze on this last item,and i pressed and pressed but nothing happened my topic remained and i thought it lost as i had not saved it.

A much more in depth story of Miss Peggity Pollywhat,and the four soldiers has been written by myself and can be viewed on Face Book or on steponejust4fun,blogspot.co.uk ________________my blog

Michael,i am glad you have good memories aroused when reading my story`s.
Greetings from Fiddle wood were real Gnomes live. BB

[santifernandez]

A great modeling story, Paul.
Santi.

[Beano Boy]

Thank you Santi,it is kind of you to read so much English. BB

[Beano Boy]

Thank you Remco,for deleting those repetitive story`s. Posting is taking an age to download. BB

[Beano Boy]

A few more painted a few nights ago in the Twilight hours. I will gradually build up two large columns of marching soldiers. I have not finished any Scots lads as yet but hopefully I can tackle doing the tartan sometime soon . Dreamy eyed Bella,our dog can just be viewed on the couch.



Two guys are just leaving to fall in line with the others.
When making model buildings always measure the doorways by using a figure as your guide.



"Come on hop to it Lads,and fall in." Bellowed out an NCO.


A FEW MORE PAINTED SINCE THEN

To begin again in the middle,is an odd thing to do.



An aged photograph from a long lost and forgotten book, The Jungle Photograph,first published in 1903.Author unknown,however BB was heavily embossed in gold letters into the leather bound hard book cover.

This one rings out true blue with plenty more to do.



"At this rate we will be late Colour Sergent Bourne ?" Yes Sir,perhaps so but BB,is painting more of the lads as we speak." "Very true."



And so it was that a few more fell into line behind.



Gradually the extending column of the Coldstream Guards began to rank and file their way through Honey Well and Old Catton,and along the Tills a high ground heathland that overlooked those villages now past. Now they headed directly toward the woodland to their front,it being called Fiddle Wood.



The drum beat sets the pace of this columns march,and as for i ,i will dip the repetitive paint brush in again after Tea. You might well call it Dinner?

[Carlos]

I had not seen this pot before because I was traveling.
I do not usually comment on the works on the Napoleonic wars or the wars of the nineteenth century in general because my knowledge on these topics are barely basic, but without doubt the colors and beauty of the uniforms of that time always flash me, I can barely recognize a couracier, an infant of the old guard and the British by the red and the Scots by the kilt (Im really a donkey in that topic ).
I can only comment from the artistic.
I think the best work always comes from inspiration (not only in the hobby) and the most complete investigacion and documentation on what one wants to do abouth it.
And as that you already have it, the results are seen in the pictures.
Even when it is a work in progress and the figures and buildings are on a table I already have the feeling of movement, a long column moving through a village.
I can almost hear the drum and the sound of the footsteps of the infants.

[Beano Boy]

Hi Carlos,i thank you for commenting with such kind words.
I am no expert on uniforms,but pictures do help,but not necessarily that depicted on the Box Art.The great thing about this Forum is one is allowed much more scope to present ones work,it only requires imagination. A something we all possess.
It might sound strange but often is the case I hide my painting efforts behind my written words,because they are quite mediocre in depth and degree. BB

[Peter]

Another nice parade of figures Paul!

[Beano Boy]

Rather than open up another topic I decided to heap up a little more upon this one as I now include my own AIRFIX GUARDS,upon the white of this page.
After all it is including the British Guards in my tittle-tattle Title!

" yes it is english,and can easily be looked up with one tiny little click!" Explained the wee timid button, who never speaks in capitals.



The first 70 marching fellows are well fit and striding it out for the Muster, and have been well sploshed upon paint wise that is, and 50 are nearly finished. Not bad for a weekends work. It is the repetitive system that works like a dream, because how not to paint them has been well ironed out.

A thing that touched my heart was that little children from the courtyard where we live collected some bottle tops after finding out I was in need of some. All washed up fine and dandy just right for a little old Beano Boy like me. It is such a good feeling knowing one is well liked. BB