Blackbird Cottage

The Coastwatchers’ Cottage?

First unplanned build and paint of the year, a versatile toy wooden cottage kit that I received for Christmas with a ‘blackbird’ colour scheme inspired by the Falklands, Forgotten Georgia and filmmaker Derek Jarman.

See more photos of the colour scheme inspiration, construction and finished product here, crossposted from my Man Of TIN Blog Two:

https://manoftinblogtwo.wordpress.com/2023/01/08/blackbird-cottage/

Blog posted by Mark, Man Of TIN (roof) on 8th January 2023

New Gaming Year Ir-Resolutions for 2023?

What will 2023 bring on the tabletop?

Crossposted from my Man Of TIN Blog Two …

https://manoftinblogtwo.wordpress.com/2022/12/27/new-gaming-year-ir-resolutions-2023/

More 1960s Featherstone Close Wars rules rebooted as Sci-Fi by The Wargaming Pastor on his Death Zap Blog

Another Featherstone Close Wars related blog post, by the Wargaming Pastor on his Death Zapp blog, crossposted from my Pound Store Plastic Warriors Blog:

https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2022/12/17/more-featherstone-1960s-close-wars-rules-rebooted-as-scifi-by-the-wargaming-pastor-on-the-death-zap-blog/

Featherstone’s Close Wars rules used for modern combat? Model Rails and Wargames blog post from Norway

A link to Roger Halvorsen’s interesting blog post from Norway that mentions my Close Wars posts

https://modelrailsandwargames.blogspot.com/2022/12/close-wars.html

Crossposted (as appropriate to the plastic soldiers used by Roger) from my Pound Store Plastic Warrior Blog

https://poundstoreplasticwarriors.wordpress.com/2022/12/10/featherstones-close-wars-skirmish-rules-for-modern-games-model-rails-and-wargames-blog/

Annoyingly I find I cannot leave comments on Roger’s post (a Google sign in thing)

Enjoy! Post by Mark Man of TIN 10 December 2022

Craft for Crisis Christmas Houses

Crafting Christmas village houses on card whilst supporting a worthwhile charity?

https://manoftinblogtwo.wordpress.com/2022/12/04/crafting-with-crisis-at-christmas/

Crossposted from my Man Of TIN Blog Two, 4 December 2022

The 15 Mill online magazine mentions 50th Anniversary of 15mm and Peter Laing

The 50th anniversary of 15mm figures and of Peter Laing figures is mentioned in November 2022 edition of The 15 Mill, an interesting eclectic and free online magazine (e-zine?) celebrating 15mm gaming run by Martin Goddard of Peter Pig 15mm Miniatures.

https://collectingpeterlaing15mmfigures.wordpress.com/2022/11/12/50th-anniversary-of-15mm-figures-and-peter-laing-mentioned-in-the-15-mill-online-magazine-november-2022/

Our “stop press” two and half page mention or article was put together as the November / Christmas edition was going to press from emails between Martin Goddard, Peter Laing collector Ian M.Dury and myself.

The November 1972 advert in Military Modelling that launched 15mm scale and Peter Laing figures.

All The 15 Mill back issues are freely available including no. 4 November 2019 featuring Peter Laing WW1 figures from the ABC Gamers blog.

After its recent Flames of War popularity, 15mm seems to be on a bit of a backfoot or backburner at the moment with the increasing dominance of 28mm as current standard alongside a quirky ‘free for all’ diversity of manufacturers’ scales from 2mm, 6mm, 12mm, 18mm, 30mm, 42mm and all stations in between (rarely an odd number like 15!)

Ian Dury set up and hosts the MeWe Peter Laing Collectors Group https://mewe.com/join-front/peterlaingfigures

Over the last year I have been cataloguing and photographing my Laing figures on this informal blog https://collectingpeterlaing15mmfigures.wordpress.com

Blogposted / Crossposted by Mark Man Of TIN 13/14 November 2022

50th Anniversary of the first 15mm figures advertised by Peter Laing November 1972

Military Modelling November 1972

Read more about the birth of 15mm and Peter Laing figures here:

https://collectingpeterlaing15mmfigures.wordpress.com/2022/10/30/50-years-since-the-first-15mm-figures-were-advertised-by-peter-laing-in-military-modelling-november-1972/

Blog cross-posted by Mark Man Of TIN blog, 1 November 2022

Lacrosse stick as a Ranged Weapon? St Trinian’s and Invasion Be Blowed! WW1 Boy Scouts

Crossposted (with apologies for any duplications) from my Man Of TIN Two blog,

https://manoftinblogtwo.wordpress.com/2022/10/09/lacrosse-stick-st-trinians-and-boy-scouts-invasion-be-blowed/

being a selection of recent blog posts from my DMZ Demilitarised Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop Project. https://sidetracked2017blog.wordpress.com

Man of TIN Blog one is now almost 100% full of its free GB amount after six years of photo-heavy blogging about gaming and toy soldiers. I will maintain Man Of TIN Blog one and crosspost as needed from its progression / extension site Man of TIN Blog Two.

Specific posts about Scouting Wide Games, Sidetracked (railway overlaps with gaming) etc. will continue to go out on their own niche WordPress blogs.

Blog links posted by Mark Man of TIN, 8/9 October 2022

St. Trinian’s, St. Trinian’s, our battle cry …

Work in Progress: The next Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop patrol or group is a little different. They are the 1st St Trinians Girl Guides, no less.

The St Trinians Guides appear in at least one film to retrieve casualties on stretchers on First Aid duty during one of the famous hockey matches (or hockey massacres).

These girls are conversions from the Little Britons STS 42mm Range LBB30 Boy Scout figure, using PVA glue and tissue paper for skirt / pinafore dress and untidy hair, with a file and snips to roughen the hats up.

Dressed in a motley assortment of hats, guide uniform and school uniform from the 1930s and 40s, these gals eschew the traditional scout staff for the more effective duelling or melee weapon of the hockey stick. I found modelling a lacrosse stick a bit tricky; the odd croquet mallet might be possible instead.

More on St Trinians, the original Ronald Searle cartoons and their wartime origins, several YouTube film clips, including their school or battle song (with its astute military strategy) here at:

https://tabletopscoutingwidegames.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/st-trinians-st-trinians-will-never-die/

Crossposted from my Scouting Wide Games for the Tabletop blog.

Blog post by Mark Man Of TIN (1970s British Cub Scout, Bronze Arrow, retired) 11 September 2022

A Third Force preying on either side?

A gaming scenario for the future, inspired by the GURU Pig blog, about a group of deserters, guerrillas or even vampires preying on the participants on either side of a battle.

My enemy’s enemy is not always your friend.

Crossposted on 4 September 2022 from my Man Of TIN Two extension site:

https://manoftinblogtwo.wordpress.com/2022/09/04/a-third-force-preying-in-either-side/