Friday 15 April 2022

Finding Inspiration

First of all, Happy Easter weekend... I hope you've got plenty planned, and perhaps a little hobby time too!

Tomorrow (Saturday 16th April) is the anniversary of the Battle of Culloden, of course, and a date etched into my memory as this battle has held considerable fascination for me for many years... since I saw the Peter Watkins BBC documentary/drama back in the 1970s. I'm delighted this exists in its full form on youtube, and I may even watch it all this weekend at some point.

Further inspiration for the '45 came when I discovered Prebble's book and devoured its historical narrative with eagerness.


Some years later, I managed to get a role as an extra in the film Chasing the Deer (since renamed, "Culloden, 1746" I believe). It was an interesting experience, although I'm not sure being at the back of a redcoat column marching out of Fort George, hardly visible to the naked eye, counts as a screen debut!


The highlight for me (apart from the impromptu snowball fight between redcoats and highlanders on on the way off Moy Moor after filming one day) was meeting "Fish", the former Marillion front man. I'd been a  bit of a fan back in the day. He had a leading role in the film and by chance he and I were 'in wardrobe' at the same time as I was getting fitted for a plaid for one of the days as 'government militia'. He was complaining of a hangover from the night before... I was in awe. He really was as big in real life as he appeared on stage.

But I digress...

I guess the message is that I have always had more than a passing interest in Culloden (and when I lived in Scotland, visited the battlefield several times), but it's not a period I have ever 'wargamed'. I did have a dozen master figures of charging Jacobite highlanders sculpted many years ago with the intention of producing a range for my personal use... I never did anything with them. 

Don't worry, I'm not about to go there...

The point is, just because we are not wargaming a period, we can still find inspiration from it... the sound of battle, the tactics, the flags and drums. You get the idea.

And, if we choose to look for it, inspiration is in abundance...

Talking of inspiration in tricornes, albeit a different theatre of war, pop over to John Ray's blog (A Military Gentleman) and have a look at his pictures of the Dillon regt for the AWI. It was always a favourite of mine in John's collection. Inspiration in abundance.

Similarly, our friend Tidders (Kingdom of Wittenberg) has just produced a lovely PDF of his recent campaign which is a great read. Allan's collections all have a certain style to them which he consistently sticks to and which really works. The campaign is a delight. The PDF is interesting in that it also covers how he set up the campaign, the sequence of battles etc. Really good stuff.


And finally, on the subject of inspiration, it was sad to discover a few weeks ago the passing of our friend Ian Smith who has delighted show-goers with his 40mm display games for many years. Here are a few snaps I took of his game at Salute in 2016.




Ian and I didn't know each other well until around that time, but since then we had been in touch, and had many a good natter at shows... and not always about wargaming, but business, football, golf, and all sorts of other things too. 

In many ways, Ian was a 40mm man amongst 28s; he was a big character, and his games were ambitious and hugely inspirational... a feast for the eyes.
My thoughts, of course, have been with Diane and Ian's family this past few weeks, and with the likes of Shaun Bryant, Tony Runkee, and Mark Allen who knew Ian so well and contributed to his games, along with Dave Marshall who made much of Ian's terrain.

Thanks for the inspiration, Ian Smith. RIP.

The ranks are thinning, and every time Partizan comes round, we seem to be a man or more down. But the inspiration lives on...

It's what we do.


9 comments:

  1. Nice piece Phil, my Culloden game is almost finished and will be at Partizan, just need to finish painting the fur! Cloth.
    Yes each year we have to close ranks as friends and associates pass and quite often it’s not always the people you’d expect I find it hard to think it will be 8 years this year since Leigh took his leave

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    1. I'm very much looking forward to seeing your Culloden game Graham. Funnily enough I was counting back the years the other day as I know exactly where I was the day Lee passed and you messaged me. 8 years has passed so very quickly. See you at Partizan. Best regards. Phil

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  2. Fantastic post Phil, the John Prebble's books were a take to sea good read for me. I reread them every so often. Are you going to Kieih Flints "Cotswold gaming day" this year, I am taking my Spencer Smiths and doing Mollwitz. Sadly I can't make Parttizan it would be nice to catch up with you and Graham.

    Willz.

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    1. Thanks Willz.
      Unfortunately, won't make it to Cotswold day this year. Good luck with your game. Looking forward to seeing plenty of photos!
      Best regards. Phil

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  3. Great minds think alike, Phil, because I too have been reading up and feeling quite inspired by the '45. (Chris Duffy's "Fight for the Throne".) Garry, Mark and I had a bit of a go at it back in 1995-6, but there are some nicer figures available now. And it's interesting to think about the terrain. I'll very much look forward to seeing this demo game!

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    1. Hi John. I had the good fortune of meeting Prof Duffy some years ago when he was doing a talk at Culloden on the battle anniversary... I then managed to get an hour chatting with him 1-1 afterwards. Fascinating (for me, but maybe not for him!!). Phil

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    2. I'm jealous. Chris Duffy inspired me to do the period with his 1975 "Frederick the Great's Army" and many works since. A very approachable chap by all accounts, but he's getting on in years now (even more than me) so I may never have the same opportunity to bore him!

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  4. Just finished the last batch of Jacobite's which takes them to about 450 figures. Absolutely no more tartan from me. Their next outing is in September at Chris Gregg's for the battle of Althorp which is the next clash in my fictitious 1745 campaign.

    Guy

    PS Any chance of a couple of photos of the figures you had sculpted?

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    1. Hi Guy... I will email you a couple of photos of the Jacobite master sculpts. Best regards. Phil

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