French reinforcements

I do enjoy opening packages when they contain hobby items.

Yesterday, following a recent figure trade, the postman yesterday delivered a small package which I duelly opened  with a thrill of anticipation.

Inside I was pleased to find some very nice original Hinton Hunt French figures which I had swapped for some Lamming SYW figures.

Firstly there are 16 French Line Artillery crew. Enough for 4 complete gun crews.

In addition there are 2 Artillery riders which I will use with my Newline Limber horses.

Finally there are 4 each of FN2 and FN3  Line Grenadiers which I will be using as the elite companies for a Line battalion.

On the painting table I have started  on the first 6 figure squadron of the 1st British Life guards.

1st Hussars Completed

I have finally finished the 1st Hussars. It has taken me a bit longer than planned but I now have my elite Hussar regiment finished.

The 1st Hussars are made up of 4 recast figures and 2 originals. Now they are painted its hard to tell them a part.

I found the braid on the front of the coat a bit tricky to do and overall Hussars do have a lot of fiddly bits on them. As per usual they are finished with 2 coats of gloss.

And here is the combined 1st/8th Hussars. The 8th Hussars were one of the first units classic Napoleonic units I painted over 18 months ago.  Perhaps I need to paint up a spare Hussar figure I have as Brigadier Etienne Gerard.

Newline and Hinton Hunt

Yesterday at the Battleground show I took advantage of the 25% sale to pick up a few bits and pieces from Newline.

Newline figures are true 20mm and therefore smaller than Hinton Hunt figures.

Firstly I bought some British Lifeguard command to see if I could use them to with a unit of Hinton Hunt I had in pipeline.

I am going to use the Newline figures with Hinton Hunt horses.

The first and third figure are Newline with the second and forth being Hinton Hunt.

Side on view with a Hinton in the middle flanked by the Newline figures.

I think they mix very well and will look good once painted. I am going to get thus unit painted next.

This next image shows a Hinton Hunt horse next to a smaller Newline one

I also bought some Newline Limbers and horse teams.

Firstly a British RHA Limber with a Hinton Hunt Horse team and Newline riders.

A Prussian all Newline Limber, team and riders.

The Newline Horse team are smaller so will need a little Miliput to raise the height of the figure.

Hinton Hunt Commanders

I spent a very pleasant day at the Battleground show. Unfortunately the Lancaster Cellarmen where unable to put on their Hinton Hunt game as planned.

Mark L did however bring his Hinton Hunt commanders with him. And I thought I would share some photos of his collection. He has quiet a few.

I spent  an enjoyable time chatting to Mark and Clive S (of the Hinton Hunter blog fame) about classic Napoleonics. Its possible that at next years show we will cooperative on a Classic Napoleonic game.

I rather like this last one. I wonder who manufactured the coach 

I purchased some Newline Limbers and horses as they have a 25% off sale on at the moment together with some British Lifeguard command I intent to use with Hinton Hunt horses.  I will do a few comparison photos in my next post.

I do like visiting my local Oxfam

As regular readers of this blog will know there is a rather good Oxfam in Ilkley. I have over the years managed to obtain a number of hobby related items including 150 or so original Hinton Hunt figures.

A couple of years ago they opened a secondhand bookshop and I have bought some good books from the shop.

This morning I dropped in and managed to buy a copy of Scott Bowdens book on the Grande Armee of 1813 for the princely sum of £2.49.

I will peruse the book this afternoon as I listen to the rugby.

Waterloo Fans cut

I watched the film, Waterloo a Fans Cut in HD, on youtube today. This included some extra scenes I had not seen before. There were a few extra little scenes added in the battle sequences.

It was fun trying to spot them.  Here are a few. Excuse the poor images.

The pictures below show short scenes that have been added for Ligny and when the Prussians advance at Waterloo. I have heard that the original film had more scenes covering Plancenoit. Shame they were cut.

This last one looks like a mock up board of a scene and includes this dialogue.

Blucher "We drew blood, Wellington, but you cut the throat. You had the bucket of it"

The HD version is worth watching even without the extra scenes.

1st Hussars - Work in Progress

I have been rather slowly painting 6 French Elite Hussars to add to the 6 figures I painted 18 months ago.

https://ilkleyoldschool.blogspot.com/2017/05/hinton-hunt-french-8th-elite-hussars.html?m=1

I have got the main colours completed and have started on the white bits.  Once I have the main colours on I then go over and clean up the black items before adding the final details and the all important tidy up to get, as close as I can, clean lines between the colours. The braid on the front of the jacket will need particular attention on these figures.

The finished unit of combined 1st/8th Hussars will join the Carabiniers  to bring my French Cavalry strength up to 2 regiments.

I have also started prepping 6 recast British Dragoons in bicornes to add a second unit to my allied cavalry.