Category Archives: Family and Life

Its not all work and play there are matters personal too. In these posts I note those events in my family and life that invite comment.

Citizen Keen

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My eldest son got another ‘senior student’ badge today from his school.  Those who follow this blog might remember he also got this badge back in September last year.  Getting it twice in a year seems to be something of an achievement.  The badge has no meaning in terms of school work in class its a citizenship type award instead; being given instead for aiding others in school life.  I will not go into details but the lad often assists other pupils who have medical or social needs beyond the norm and it goes with his caring and responsible nature.  As normal he will accept no praise so a five pound note left in his pocket this evening will do the work for me.

Tonight is also the bi-annual parents evening at the school, so perhaps he will score big twice this week.  Or even three times since the ‘star awards’ are middle of this week and he may make the grade there too.

Well done son!

GBS

Tooth Fairy Pillows

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Just a quick posting today here on the blog.  Why, you ask.  Well firstly so that I can show you all these three lovely Tooth Fairy Pillows my good lady made for our three lads and secondly because Salute has left me knackered and with only a day left until the promo month for the show ends the orders are still pouring into Alternative Armies.  Normal service as of next week as they say…what am I brewing, lets just say its been talked about before on this blog…

In the picture you can see the three little pillows my good lady made.  Honestly who needs to buy such things when this talented girl is in the house and making them herself.  Lovely work and the project made a change from miniatures you can be sure of that.  I said she should consider making them to order.  As to to what such a pillow is for…you put your tooth in it when it comes out and then during the night the Tooth Fairy leaves you a golden coin (if you are lucky enough to have Sterling as currency, one pound coins are gold in colour) which you can spend as you like the next day!

Well done lass!

GBS

A Visit from America

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GBS, Bob, Eve Hallow and wee Bob too!

It has taken me a wee while to get to this posting here due to work commitments (I am only one Man damn it!) but I wanted to tell you all about a visit of several days that I had been looking forward to from my good friend in America Bob McAlister and his family.  During a visit to Scotland last week the jolly three came by and spent a few days here in Girvan.  A good time was had by all and several field trips undertaken as well.  Bob had sent me a package last year which I posted about and I took the chance to repay him by a filling with beer at the Roxy Pub here in Girvan and getting him hooked on Irn-Bru.

While he was here Bob and I played out the Typhon demo scenario for Salute 2013 on a cut down sized playing area and yes I won but only just.  It was a close call.  Below you can see Bob and I talking shop before play commenced.  Typhon is a super game for a visual experience and my Droves of Shades gave a powerful account of themselves against Tyro and her Cyclopes too.

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Getting ready to Play Typhon. Bob is the handsome fellow on the right!

During our excursion to Glasgow we visited Static Games and I picked up a stack of second hand books and magazines including some very early White Dwarf issues.   If time allows I will post on these later in the month.

Bob and his family were delightful company and we all missed them when they left.  The world can seem a large place but really in these days of jet travel, skype, email, facebook and more its not so big after all.

GBS

The Chocolate Factory Visit from a Golden Ticket

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A Golden Ticket with my name on it!

Its a rainy dreary day here in Scotland…well at least in the South West where I am.  But that did not put the wee three off a trip to the Chocolate Factory today.  A trip which had been planned since the Warrior’s fourth birthday.  At the themed party that day he had gotten a ‘golden ticket’ and duly a visit to the excellent Chocolate Factory about an hour or so away was arranged.  It has taken a few months for the golden ticket promise to be honoured but today was the day.  I unfortunately was too busy to go along but the tale was told upon their return.

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The Thinker and the Warrior learn the ways of Choc!

The CocoaBean Company runs the premises and you can see from their website just what they offer.  Above you can see a photo of a children’s chocolate workshop which all three of my lads enjoyed a lot.  After this and a spot of lunch (and chocolate..duh!) a large indoor play area offered fun and then an even bigger play area outside had a giant slide; see below.

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The Poet on the loooong slide down!

All in all based on what I seen and been told I would recommend this experience to anyone with children who is in this part of Scotland or North England.  Good show!

GBS

Nearing Three Score…well a Score and three Quarters!

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The Swag of the Day!

Its me birthday today…Huzzah!  Its also been a long week of many things the future will show, hence the lack of blog postings and updates.

Thanks to all who gave me a gift.  Not only a physical object but also their time, for the emails, phone calls and also visits in person.  Above you can see some of what I received including several graphic art books and DVD’s too.  I may do a posting or two on some of these but they are all smashing great objects which will keep me ‘nerding’ for many hours over the coming weeks.  You will also see a polo shirt behind everything else.  This is a staff shirt from my local hostelry the ‘Roxy’.  They adore me so much they gave me a uniform so that I might work for them…but the 15mm.co.uk shirt I currently wear would have to be prised off with a white metal crowbar first!

Special mention to my best buddy Jim Brittain who took several days off his work to come and stay here with me in Girvan for my birthday weekend.  Also Eve Hallow who amused all with the scratching of his long nails on every chalkboard he could find.  Also my Good Lady who organised not only a rousing cheer or two but also a cake and other surprises.

Normal service resumed soon!

GBS

p.s.  I am 34 today in case the title is somewhat confusing in this posting.

Now you are Seven!

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The Cake!

Happy Birthday to ‘The Poet’ for yesterday was his seventh birthday!

Above you can see the lovely cake, my good lady does like to get a proper cake for a birthday, this time themed upon SpongeBob Squarepants featuring him on the left and pinky Patrick Starr on the right.  Great taste and the little chap loved it.  The day went well with some presents to open and cards to put up upon the mantleplace and he was very grateful to all who had given him gifts and funds which he has promised to add to his savings for ‘fun later’.  We had arranged for a two hour birthday party at the local Kidz Play centre where he, his brothers and twenty other children went on a sugar and music fuelled rampage (no pictures of this..sorry!).

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I love the ducks me!

After lunch we decided on a trip to Maidens and then a walk along the beach to the grounds of Culzean Castle estate where a couple of enjoyable hours were had including the swing park and feeding the ducks and swans (on left over party food..what else!).  The Poet and the swans are pictured above and a view as I walked back along the hill to the beach and back to the car also so that you get a feel for it.  I intend to go back with the children when the weather heats up a bit more as it was a little chilly by late afternoon but its a fine view and a great place to spend a day.

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The view from the hills on the Maidens side of Culzean

Given his choice of evening meal The Poet elected to go for Pizza which was duly done and then rounded off the day with a little chat to his favourite Uncle James (Jim Brittain) on the phone before heading off to bed.  I should mention that he was most taken with the smooth lumps of lava, quartz and granite that he and the small Warrior lifted off the beach.  Who needs toys eh!

Now we are seven…its a gonna be a cracking year!

GBS

‘Robo Basho Arto Framo’

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Just another print on the wall…blame Pink Floyd

I actually carried out what this post is about a couple of weeks ago but work and other things have kept me from publishing this post…mainly as until this morning I thought I already had!

In a previous post I told you all about the artwork and article Sam Croes and I had created for Irregular Magazine.  Sam based the artwork on my description of the giant fighting machines of the 22nd century.  I thought the image was so awesome that I had it printed at a very high resolution and then framed by Green Jam here in Girvan.   Green Jam do an excellent job in framing, highly recommended.  Its an A2 sized print in top grade ink on a thick vellum like paper which is a little raised for a rich feel which was then fitted into a wooden frame with white border.  Normally I only place frame prints of my wargame titles on the walls (you can see DarkeStorme to the right of the Robo Basho picture) but I made an exception here.  Eventually wall space will run out but for now I am gold as they say.

Sam saw the print when he was here last week and he liked it a lot.  I offered to send him another A2 sized print if he desired it, perhaps he shall.

Anyway call it a sin of pride but I just wanted to show you all what I got!  🙂

GBS

The Thinker gets 10 Stars!

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What a magnetic kid!

Coming home from school today the oldest of my three sons, the Thinker, presented to me his beloved father the latest example of his achievement at school.  A metallic magnet plate telling him that he had reached the point of  having ten stars in his class.  Stars are given for good work, good behaviour, good time keeping and helping others.  I think of it more as ‘citizenship points’ than ones for education.  He does well every year in this and his teacher has told me that he looks out for others constantly…if only all human beings were this way.

Well done me laddo!

GBS

Fashion Show – February 2013

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No Battleaxe for the Warrior this evening!

Was it David Bowie who said ‘Fashion’ in his song and that its an important part of life?  Either way my youngest, the Warrior, was stage centre a couple of nights ago at a local branch of a high street clothes store modelling their wares for small boys.  He did a grand job and should be rightly proud of himself.  Being able to follow instructions and modelling tips  at the age of just four and a little bit is impressive.  Sadly I did not see him myself as I was embroiled in other things that evening but his achievement is worth announcement.    Well done lad.

He is available to hire if you have a catalogue shoot!  Reasonable Rates!  🙂

GBS

Happy Birthday Eve Hallow!

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Today is Eve Hallow’s birthday.  No one knows how old he is or even if he still lives at all.  For in the depths of Saturday night he did emerge from the Crypt to make deathly merriment upon the streets of old Girvan town.  Now I only managed to snap this quick photo of him (oddly I took several but the rest of the film was burred or over exposed) but merriment in great store he did indeed have.  I witnessed such sights as him raising the dead, placing curses upon cute kittens, eating the crushed road kill from the very gutters while at all times his bony feet at the end of his ever so long legs tapped to a fiendish and yet silent rhythm.   Those ladies of the night whose gaze fell upon his ghastly countenance were turned with immediate effect into aged hags as his cackling laugh echoed off the stone walls of the rain lashed streets.  I only barely escaped with my life intact by distracting the clickity clack spiderish man with a thrown handful of Flintloque miniatures in the opposite direction.

Praise be to the very elysian fields that it is only once a year that madness descends and the Eve Hallow creature is allowed upon the streets without it being the witching night of Halloween.

GBS

p.s. Happy Birthday Buddy!