It's OK Doc. I'll walk it off! Old operating theatre museum, London

With the half term in full effect and the kids needing to do some research for their school projects I dragged them off to another of my little secret places; the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, near the Shard.

But I'm trying to be good . . . . . . . .

So what I really needed was a year of restraint so I could really clear the 'pile of grey shame'.

Instead I get this  . . . . . . . .

Positive signs for the future. Blitz bowl and Space Marine Adventures

I was really pleased to read this week that GW are returning to producing kid appropriate, entry level board games.

Even with the great nods GW are giving to their past (as well as realizing how profitable it is!!) it seems they have re-realized how important the 'game in a box' products are in getting fresh blood into the hobby.

My introduction to GW was via 'Dark Future' (1988). The game itself was shit but the important thing was my best mate and I could walk into a GW, put down a tenner each and we were 'in' the hobby.

Inq28 . . 1 to 1 Scale! Grant museum of Zoology London.

Just wanted to share a little secret with anyone visiting or living in London who wants some Inq28 inspiration or just a cool place to visit.

This weekend after a long absence I finally revisited the 'Grant Museum of Zoology'.

Growing up in the 70's and 80's, as a kid  I always had a thing for women like this. . . . .

So I think I have finally gone bonkers!!

So last week I found myself painting a real rock to make it look MORE like a rock!!!

Even as I was painting it I was having a monolouge with myself about how mental it was so I can't be completely gone.

BUT is it just me or does it just look better?

Unfortunately there is no way I can add this to my painting total for the year. . . .can I?

By the way this is not my post Salute Ta - DAAAAAA!

Salute 2017

So I finally crumbled due to having a bit of a shopping list and decided to go to Salute this year.

I had the lad in tow and the poor little fella was absolutely hanging by the end as he had already had his Thai Boxing class that morning and had been promoted to the 9 year old class. (he's only 7). If that was not enough for him he also took his first proper punch in the face!

So what does any sympathetic Dad do . . . . . . Drag him off to Salute straight afterwards of course!!!!!

Having him shoot me daggers when I said "Just one more stall" did curb the time I spent there and therefore the amount I spent and a lot of the traders did not have the bits there I wanted so it was not the usual bonanza.

I did buy some bits from Osprey. . . .

. . . . . and had a good chat with Craig if 'IHMN' fame but on the whole Salute did not feel as 'big' this year.

The above items are not my only purchases but I want to do a big 'Ta - DAHHHHHH!!!!' as I am already smashing through the bits I bought yesterday.

What every zombie should fear . . . . . .

 . . . . a stunt dog with a shotgun!!

Played Dead of Winter yesterday with the lads at the Creative Biscuit.

Got to be honest it's a cracking game combining combat, resource management and double crossing (my favourate bit).

Somehow I ended up with 'Sparky' the stunt dog armed with a shotgun defending the compound against a horde of zombie!!

Happy new year one and all!

So have you ever wanted to punch a Warhammer TV bloke in the Face? . . . . Because it turns out I have!!!!!!

As regular readers of this blog know (all three of you), I used to compete in Martial Arts at quite a high level.

For some reason Britian was a hot bed of Stick Fighting talent and I would regularly have to fight TWO World champions in order to win a domestic title!

After a couple of years of this I decided to stop the heavy lifting and drop down a weight category. . . . and I cleaned up. . . . like dominated. . . . . .

. . . . . and then one year a young bloke from Nottingham called Rob Symes walked in the door and caused me an absolute nightmare!!!!

That was pretty much the end of me winning any more domestic titles!

Thats Rob on the left and me on the right.

I did get my own back when Rob started fighting in the minimal rules stuff as he was an expectional stand up fighter but I had a stronger ground game. If I could grab hold of the fella he was in deep water and I was a shark!

I fondly remember several top scraps with the bloke.

And then two days ago I saw the video above and thought the bloke looked familiar and yep it's the same Rob Symes I fondly remember punching in the face!

Just to state the obvious this is not a trolling post as I have always considered Rob a top, TOP bloke and an excellent Martial Artist. It also turns out he is an exceptional Warhammer player who now works for Warhammer TV.

Small world!!

Taking Mordheim inspiration . . . . . . From my work!

So back to work and working stupid hours. Up until half past midnight last night reading Students Statements for their upcoming consultations. As a school we are obligated to complete all their paper work within 15 days or we will end up with all sorts or wrong uns!

During half term I did go into work to collect some paper work and took the opportunity to take some pictures of the gorgeous old building I work in. . . . . .

The above picture is the corridor I walk down to get to my classroom.

Below is a picture of the exterior of one the building I work in.

Despite the Academy only being 3 years old it is situated in a building which was completed in 1865.

Below is a pic of the details of the exterior of the building.

Bloody typical. . . . .

. . . . . you buy your Kid a nice shiny bike for their birthday and what do they do?

Play with the bloody box!

If you squint you can just make out the bike discarded in the corner.

She never even took the packaging off the wheels!!

Death Race 40,000. Part 2.

A while back Lano of the Essex Legion was talking about running a Gorka Morka race for Orctober. This was just after my visit to BOYL 15 so I directed him to the Oldhammer forum and left him to it.

Then strange rumours began to circulate round the interweb of  a homage to Death Race this Sunday past;

 Death Race 40K, a balls out, pedal to the metal, DAKKA DAKKA, full auto, nitros burning, tire shredding, buttock puckering,  white knuckle, full throttle ride to death or glory!!!!!!

Right then. . . . . . Where do I sign up?

Dr. Gostello's amazing intergalactic psycho-circus. Foundry Alice White and the slippery Dwarfs

On a bit of a whim I have started to put together Dr. Gostello's Amazing Intergalactic Psycho-Circus.

This has very much been inspired by my visit to BOYL 15 this month and soaking up all the old skool goodness.

What is 'Dr. Gostello's Amazing Intergalactic Psycho-Circus?' I hear you ask (probably not!).

Drunk on eBay. . . . .

Oops!...I did it again,
I played with your heart, got lost in the game

Oops!

I have had a bit of a wobble and fallen off the 'no new miniatures' wagon.

First I was at BOYL 2015 at the Foundry on Sunday.

This resulted in me buying this lot. . . . .

Glue, lava jumps and cheating! Wacky Races at BOYL 15

Was up bright and early this morning to drive down to the Foundry in order to have a mooch around BOYL 15.

With the roads to myself at 6:30 in the morning, I had a little bit of a warm up for Death Race 40,000, and made the drive in less time then suggested by my Sat Nav.

Space Crusade Orks. Better sculpts then Bloody Cygnar Long Gunners!

As I mentioned last post I am desperately trying to get selected mini's painted up in order to finish off as many forces as possible before I start my new job in September.

Trouble is I hit a bit of a road block so turned to these fellas in order to keep my momentum up.

So thats little fella's Ork boyz finished (funnily enough they are called 'Troy and the Boyz').

I did have a real go at the faces but there was only so far my average painting skills will go.

The good news is my son is pleased with them but now he wants a trukk for them to ride round in!

With regards to my road block it's these fellas. . . .

Their a combination of Reaper IMEF marines and GW Scions. Their all gorgeous sculpts but I am REALLY struggling with the colour scheme as I want them painted in high vis clothing so they can fulfill several roles in upcoming games I have planned. I will keep plugging away at them but if they mess with my mojo too much they may have to go back in the lead pile!

Oh, me and the boy also got distracted making pet rocks!

Rex the fish and Rocky the crab. Our new pet rocks

We were only supposed to glue some eyes on some rocks we found on a walk but one thing lead to another and here we are!

Numbers time,

Miniatures painted / sold this year = 142
Miniatures bought this year = 20

507 miniatures to go!

As an aside I am also off to BOYL at the Foundry tomorrow. Should be fun to indulge in some old skool nostalgia.

5K battle. The great british 40K shoot off!

The plan was a simple one, go to the park for an hour with the kids . . . . then the heavens opened and within minutes the kids are climbing the walls.

Thankfully I have just brought the tub of terrain in from the car to make room for the bikes.

The tub is cracked open and the following is laid out by the kids . . . . .

We decide the rug is 'intergalactic grass', hence the crazy colours!

Lego Mordheim. The GENIUS of a five year old!!!!

The 'Broken King' explores the ruined White Tower

With the conclusion of our current Mordheim campaign coming soon (basicially Neil is the run away winner but we just need to get the main protagionist together to have a final 'Royal rumble' style final fling of the die to see who actually takes the Temple of Sigmar!), I was writing a blog post about the adventures of my warband as a final farewell. 

The view from the top is AWESOME!

During the drafting my 5 year old walks in, looks at the pictures on screen, down at the mini's lined up in my display case and asks "Whats that Daddy?". 

I give him a brief explaination and show him some battle report shots and he asks "can we play a game?", it's with a heavy heart I have to reply "Sorry Son all my terrain is at Neils' in Romford". 

"Whats terrain Daddy?"

"Terrain is buildings and stuff. Like that tower." I reply pointing at a Gate house in the photos.

He ponders for a minute or so and then bolts down the stairs and I hear him crashing round his room. A couple of minutes later his head appears bobbing back up the stairs and he is dragging a BIG box of Lego behind him. 

"Can we use this for terrain Daddy?"

Should we be offended?

Landed back in Blighty last night and had to post this picture I took on holiday.

I guess this is the way for wheel chair users to the beach?

Made me smile but would it be considered offensive over here?

See! Told you I was an Ogre!

Took the kids to the Aquarium last week. Just uploaded this photo....

If your struggling. I am the one on the right!

Talk about seperated at birth!

Dungeon questing AKA trying to find Dark Sphere gaming store, London

So with all (?) the painting at the moment I was forced to enter the belly of the beast........ Dark Sphere gaming store to buy some more paints.

Repeat after me "NO NEW MINIATURES, NO NEW MINIATURES!!!!!"

At first I had a squeaky bum moment when I walked up to the original shop on York Road and saw this.......

"Hang on there is no 28mm Disney table top games.... something is up!"

Thankfully there was a note on the door explaining they had moved to new premises a 10 minute walk away.

The following dungeon quest is the honest to goodness directions (the sarky directions are mine) they gave;