Christmas Reading

I seem to be fighting off a post Christmas cold, so it's a good thing that I got some good reading on Christmas

I'm part way into this one.  Lot's of good flavour, and best of all it won't get me thinking of a new period, unlike...

 So far I've just skimmed the good bits (i.e. Balaklava) but looks really good.  Must be strong, must resist new period....

Santa was good to my inner child...

Merry Christmas to All

And a happy 2012!

Plans for the Christmas Break

With end of term at hand (I'm writing this while 28 students write a Financial Mathematics Exam), it's time to plan for the holidays.


We're staying at home (my mother in law went to the UK instead of Sask. this year), what with my daughter studying for exams in early January and me prepping for two courses I've never taught before including one that I'm designing from scratch.


So what to do, what to do....?

• Paint up more 28mm plastic Napoleonics
• Paint up my 1:1200 scale aircraft to go with the 1:2400 WWII ships
• Read a bunch of history books (depending on what appears under the tree)
• Tidy up my wargames figures, supplies and terrain (a huge euphemism for something approaching a very specific labour of Hercules)
• Clean up the basement enough to set up a wargames table and play a couple of solo games (this one is not completely my fault as the basement work required a very hasty shift and dump in the summer)
• Clear the family out of a room so that I can use the floor for a solo naval game
• Give David Crook's portable naval rules a test

Hmmmm..

December Means ... University Exams

I'm spending the morning watching a class of 4th year students write a 3 hour final exam on construction of loss models.  Which of course means marking to come, but in this case it won't be bad as there are only 8 students in my class.  I have a second year class writing on the 20th, meaning 25 papers to mark in the days before Christmas.  All in all a fairly light load


Next term, however, will be an entirely different matter.  One of the classes I'm teaching is "Calculus for the Humanities and Social Sciences"...yep the first year calculus class for (mostly business )students who want to take the absolute minimum amount of calculus required to get there degree.  156 first year students on a class they don't want to take - fun times!

Remembering The Halifax Explosion - One Day Late

David Crook and Bob Cordery both posted about the anniversary of Pearl Harbour today, which reminded me that the 6th was the anniversary of the 1917 Halifax Explosion (see the links to wikipedia and CBC).   Halifax is my home town growing up and as i child I was fascinated by the story.  My grandmother was a high school student at the time and her school was in the heart of downtown Halifax and had many tales of the events of the day.

Peninsula Campaigning

Well David Crook asked, so I should probably scope out some plans.  Here goes with my wish list for 28mm Peninsula campaigning.


French

1. 4-6 battalions of Ligne 24 strong (Victrix, Perry's in greatcoats)
2. 2 battalions of Ligne 24 strong (Perry's without greatcoats paint conversions or Hat)
3. 1-2 battalions of Poles (Perry's without greatcoats straight up)
4. 1-2 battalions of foreigners like Swiss  (Victrix)or Hessians (Perry's)
5. 1-2 battalions of young guard (Perry's)
6.  2 regiments of 12 light cavalry (Perry Hussars, no Chasseurs available in plastic)
7. 2 regiments of 12 Dragoons (Perry's converted to earlier uniform)
8. 1 regiments of 12 Cuirassier (Perry's)
9. 2 units of 12 detached voltigeurs (Victrix, Perry's, Hat or all of the above)
10. 1 unit of 12-dismounted dragoons (Perry's converted)
11. 2-4 guns with foot artillery crews (metals)
12. 2 guns with horse artillery crews (metals)

British and Allied

1. 4-6 battalions of British or KGL Foot 24 strong (Perry's or Victrix)
2. 1-2 battalions of Highlanders (Victrix)
3. 1-2 battalions of light infantry  (Victrix flank companies)
4. 2-3 battalions of Portuguese (Perry's or Victrix paint conversions)
5.  2 regiments of 12 light cavalry (Perry Hussars, metals for lt dragoons)
6. 2 regiments of 12 Dragoons (metals or Perrys French Dragoons heavily converted)
7. 2 units of 12 flankers (Victrix, Perry's, or both)
8. 1-2 units of 12-rifles (Perry's)
9. 2-4 guns with foot artillery crews (Victrix)
10. 2 guns with horse artillery crews (metals)

Painting Projects

Painting and modeling the Peninsula continues.  I have a battalion of French line infantry painted, based and flocked, and a unit of the 60th rifles painted but un-based.  On the way - the 24th foot built, primed and about 1/3 painted.  So far I'm really having fun with the plastic figures, even if my plastic modelling skills are rusty.  They paint up well, and I like the ability to vary the poses and equipment.  And you can't argue with the price - about 80 loonies gets 2 boxes of Perry Brits- 3* 24 man battalions plus a unit of 8 rifle.  That would be 14 boxes of Perry metals or $224). 

Victrix French Infantry 1807-12.








The same from an overhead view.

A company of the 5/60th.  From the Perry's British Infantry box set.

The same group of riflemen.  Since this is the 60th not the 95th these must be Fredericksson's men.