Author Archives: Gavin Syme

Girvan Gig on the Green 2012 – Civic Week

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So here we are on an intermittently wet and sunny Sunday in late June.  I had been working on a project and then I remembered that today was Girvan’s Gig on  the Green!

The family headed out to have a look.  Actually I could hear it soon after going out, as we live quite near Stair Park which is where the stage was set up.   I have to say that I was unaware that today was also parade day in Girvan where civic week begins with a procession though the town with lots of people dressed up (this year was an Olympic theme…duh!) but I ran into the parade on the way to the park.  It had only just begun but we snapped a quick picture as it went by led by a piper and with the rear brought up by characters including Super Mario and I think Postman Pat (the kids were very taken with this).  More people joined it as I watched and though we were waved at to join I could hear an electric guitar so no chance of that and off we went.

The Parade gathering pace

Stair Park is in the rear of the above picture so it was not much of a walk to reach the park.  Below you can see a lot of what was laid out in the park including the main stage, several inflatable slides, a bucking bronco, a really lovely and brand new climbing wall along with a lot of stands selling refreshments and also offering face painting, flag making, puppets, balloon modelling and the like. I think there was a couple of hundred people there but it was early as Gig on the Green goes on from noon until after eight in the evening and this was about half past two.

The Crowd gathers under the Clouds

The weather kept changing from bright sunlight to dark and moody grey light.  If you look at the rear of the above image you will see why.  Something Scotland is well known for; low laying mist.  The picture does not do the colour justice as it is ominous and beautiful both sitting right atop the Carrick Hills.

The Stage

I have been to several of the Gigs on the Green in previous years and this year the sound quality on the stage was excellent, no feedback or other haze to interrupt it.  The stage is a purpose built truck trailer with its own power supply and such and it makes a big difference to the performers.  I watched and listen to a good few tunes until the kids got fed up and dragged me away.  The line up included Counselled Out and Escapade but I think I saw Audio Juice (Girvan band in the picture) but in eight hours of live music more than seven bands were listed to perform.

So i was a good couple of hours out for me and I enjoyed it but it was let down by two things I feel.  The first is the weather which is always a risk in Ayrshire as it can be VERY wet and we have had several inches of rain in the last couple of days, but it did stay dry if dark.  Secondly I just cannot help but think that Girvan would get on a lot better that these great little events if they were better advertised.  Not nationally but locally in Ayrshire.  As I said I go to a lot of the events but I was barely aware of it; and I live here!  Perhaps a full page in the weekly paper with a big advert for it, including a free parking notice (as the whole town is) and a tie in with local retailers to offer special incentives on food, drink and other things might do the trick.

Rock on Girvan!

GBS

The Laughing Man (Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex) – Review

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Last weekend I was up in Ayr at the local branch of HMV.  HMV has taken a dive in terms of quality in the last few years and choice also (I mean why would a music/video/game store devote 25% of its rack space to headphones of all kinds at the expense of a wider choice of music?) but that is not the point of this post.  Among the piles of films I came across the anime section and  therein some heavily discounted titles.  I really like most things Japanese and anime especially as it gives me ideas for wargaming.  So I had a dig and bought three movies that were down to two pounds each.  I will review each of them but I am limited to watching one a week really and I just finished watching ‘The Laughing Man’ now (got up early to do it when the house was quiet).  Now on with the first review!

Japan, 2030. Modern technology has reached great heights, but crime still plagues human society—and that’s when cyborg operative Motoko Kusanagi and the elite squad of Section 9 step in. Armed with the latest hardware and software, they follow the trail of the Laughing Man, a mysterious criminal who committed various acts of corporate terrorism six years ago and then disappeared. Now it seems that he has returned, hacking his way into people’s brains and turning them into puppets of vigilante justice. But how do you track down a criminal so brilliant that he can wipe people’s memories and leave only a laughing face as his calling card? The clues will lead Kusanagi and Section 9 to a conspiracy spanning the worlds of medicine, technology, and even the highest levels of government.

Striking Cover isn’t it.

I watched the film BEFORE looking it up online.  This is important as I like to view video and listen to audio, indeed read too, without others opinions in my head.  GITS Laughing Man is a long story running to 154 minutes which is way longer than the typical hour and a half.  The story is very interesting and the quality of the animation and rendering is top notch.  A special mention of the music too which was composed for the tale and is so good that I would listen to it on its own.   The plot concerns a group of characters hunting down the elusive ‘laughing man’ LM who can interfere at will with a person’s ‘cyberbrain’ and turn them into an automaton with a single driven purpose.  At times you doubt the LM even exists and there are copycats how try to be him as well.  As the film continues the pace of action does too and complex issues of humanity and machine integration as well as identity in an age of digital immortality are raised.  I enjoyed the discussion but I also liked how this discussion was dropped each time when the need for gun play came.  What stands out for me are several scenes in which a crowd of people are ‘infected’ and some of them come under the control of LM and attack the present politicians and security agents.  I will not spoil the film for those who wish to watch it but it is slick, well paced and has a rather surprising ending.  Well worth it.

Once I had finished watching the film I looked it up online and found out (I have never seen any Ghost in the Shell or this would have been obvious) that this film is actually condensed from an entire series of episodes of the TV show!  If I had bought the series I would have been annoyed at this but since I did not then it was fine and it did explain why at points city seasons and costumes changed in moments.  Some commentators did not like the voice acting for some characters.  I watched it in Japanese with English sub-titles so I cannot comment on that.  All the reviews I have read beyond the point about condensing a series into a movie are all positive and I agree with them.  This is easy accessible to a western audience unlike some other anime.

In terms of wargaming potential this anime has enough to keep sci-fi and cyberpunk fans busy for a year.  There are a half dozen scenarios in the gun fights alone and the plot has many points for ‘jumping off’ in a different direction or setting with the ideas given especially with the ‘hacked cyberbrain’ idea.  I think it is well suited to HOF Fire Team as most of the conflict takes place in a dense urban environment.  Do not be surprised if some of this pops up in my work for Barking Irons Online!

One last mention must be made of the logo that is on the cover of the box and the top of this post too.  It pops up all through the film blocking your view of the face of those under the control of LM and it is every effective because for all their advancements none of the ‘enhanced’ characters can see the LM as their cyberbrains prevent it.  Only a homeless alcoholic sees LM as he runs away as he is not enchanced leading to a vital clue.  I fancy getting a t-shirt with the logo.

Overall I would highly recommend this movie to all fans of the genre.  Excellent value and full of plot and pace.

GBS

Hussite War Wagons by Mr Roy

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A good number of months ago a customer of 15mm.co.uk purchased quite a large number of the medieval Hussite War Wagon sold by 15mm.co.uk. His name is Emmanuel Roy and he has very kindly sent us and allowed me to make use of some great images of his wagons in action.  Today I replaced the image on the 15mm.co.uk website with photos taken by Mr Roy as they are way nicer than what we had.  HUC10 is a white metal kit that can be made up in a variety of ways.  It comes with all the parts needed including horses so you can have this ‘mobile fort’ in motion or static as per your needs.  So with that I chose to put these images on the blog today.

Please note that though 15mm.co.uk sells the Wagon and some of the pictured miniature many are by others makers so keep that in mind if you are searching the Medus Range.

Thanks Mr Roy.  Great pictures and a joy to look at.  You make me rather jealous!

GBS

Graduating your first year at Girvan Nursery

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Well done wee man!

Well done to my little warrior who ‘graduated’ from his first, of two, years at Nursery School this afternoon.  Nursery (or Kindergarden if you prefer) covers every child in Girvan from the ages of around 3 to 4 with most being just under five when they head off to Primary One at the big Primary School next door.  I managed to finish early enough today to get to the Nursery and get a seat in the front row (after being treated to a free drink and Strawberry Tart before the little ceremony started) where I sat as the certificates were given out and then some songs were sung.

I enjoyed it a lot and clapped when prompted and laughed at the antics of the little people as they shot about like a horde of hyperactive Goblins.  While I did not see the point of the ceremony and it seemed like a bit more of the ‘celebrate anything’ culture we now live in; it did seem to matter to the children and that is important to them.  Rewarding good attendance and good behaviour is I suppose never a waste especially when it is for the very young just starting out.  I left more convinced that it was a worthy event and glad I went.

While on the subject of Girvan Nursery school I have to say that my little warrior is now the third of my children to attend it and it is without a doubt one of the finest places for the education of pre-school children I have seen.  It was recently inspected and given very high scores, but it is more than that.   It is a dedicated nursery, which is increasingly rare now, staffed by a group of ladies who are all brilliant at their jobs who honestly care for each and every child there.  These ladies start these kids on the journey to school but also importantly to society.  Lessons in shapes and colours rub shoulders with lessons on teeth brushing and eating fruit.  Children who attend begin school with a big bonus over those who do not.

Well enough from me.  So well done my lad and a big thumbs up to Girvan Nursery too!

GBS

A brief look at Miniature Wargames Magazine Issue 351

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Miniature Wargames Issue 351

I know that at least two dozen of you who regularly read this blog have asked me via email why I have not yet reviewed the current issue of Miniature Wargames.  After all you say ‘you are in it’ and it features an advert for the USE ME series from 15mm.co.uk which was reviewed in MW349 back at Salute 2012 time.  Well it has been out for more than two weeks but I only got my copy a week ago in the mail.  By then I had missed my ‘early morning weekend review’ slot which I use at the weekend while the kids are asleep to tell you all about magazines, books and films.  I have a little time now so here is a brief outline of the magazine and what I found most interesting about each article therein.

This issue has the following articles in it.  I really enjoyed them all this time with a good variety and some more unusual subjects too:

Murat in a Muddle.  1812 The First Battle of Krasnyi

John Walsh begins his coverage of the 200th anniversary of Napoleon’s disasterous campaign in Russia with the lesser known action at Krasnyi.  This was a very informative article full of good wargaming ideas.  I have a lot of knowledge of this period and campaign including many text books and Mr Walsh does it proud.  Plus this is the first article with its OOB’s and so on available as downloads on the Miniature Wargames publishers webpage.

Shock of the New.  Salute 2012 Report

Andrew Hubback and Gary Mitchell co-author a four page article with their take on the pinnacle UK wargame show.  This went into a lot of detail and contained a lot of information that, though I was there, I did not know.  A pie chart of the popularity of periods and scales showed that 28mm and Science Fiction are in the ascendency and 20mm and 19th Century gaming are the smallest sector (as far as Salute games go).  Gary also singled me out for praise on the last page of the article which was very kind of him.  I do my best and it was a pleasure to meet him and Andrew.

Blood on the Danube.  Pike & Shotte Preview

Five pages given over to glossy coverage of Warlord Games new title for 16th and 17th century battles.  Very pretty and very nice to read but a touch expensive for me at thirty pounds.  But 15mm.co.uk will soon have the entire Renaissance range out which covers this period and I have an idea for a USE ME series title for the period too.  Budget gaming a plenty!

Rise of the Tokugawa. Part 1: The Sekigahara Campaign

Kevin Jones goes to one of my favourite nations and one of its most interesting points in history for his new series of articles on 17th century Japan.  The rise of the Tokugawa clan over all the other warring diamyo of Japan is a dramatic tale well suited to tabletop recreation.   The Battle of Sekigahara is the focal moment of this article and it plus its build up engagements are well detailed.  The battle itself is outlined and briefings given for the commanders plus a column on rules variations.  Excellent and I look forward to the next installment.

The High Ground.  Funny Business

As usual Steve Eardley’s monthly instalment of reviews and views on wargaming makes me think and laugh.  Just what you want!  Topic this time is humour in gaming…something the writer of Flintloque knows all about.

Wargaming Gettysburg.  Part 1: Little Round Top

 Jon Sutherland does a grand job on Gettesburg but to be honest I skimmed this article as I seem to see so much ACW and articles on Gettysburg that it seems to blend together.  One for Civil War USA fans.

Frost at Arnhem. Part 2: The Refight

An after action report or AAR (this American term seems to have totally killed the British term Battle Report in the last couple of years) by Russ Lockwood on last issues’ scenario for WWII.  A good read but it did seem to take up about two pages too much space.

Darker Horizons. Sir Patrick has a Point

The normal rambling star of every issue delivers gold again.  Darker Horizons is several pages of gold for Sci-fi and Fantasy players.  Crammed full of release information, options, web addresses and general ranting it is worth the cover price on its own to me.  Well done Gary Mitchell.  I am looking forward to when this section gets its own magazine.

Modelling.  A House of Cards

This two page article is all about making your wargaming buildings from paper and card rather than from resin or plastic.  This is a superb feature by Steve Goodman that I re-read several times.  It is also the first time I have seen paper given this space in a magazine for a long time.  For those interested check out Dave Graffam among others.

Paper Buildings article. Superb!

There were a few parts of the magazine of special interest to me and perhaps to fans of my work and of 15mm.co.uk in particular.

The MW351 Advert for USE ME

Advert for the USE ME Series on page 4. A prime slot!

Getting a Special Mention

Gary Mitchell gives me high praise on page 21. While all true it did make me blush!

Roll on next month!

GBS

A week of Admin and Planning

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Am I the hand or the mite?

Those of you who come regularly to this blog will have noticed that my usual rate of a post or two every couple of days has slowed. In fact a few emails have arrived asking after me so it seems only fair for me to tell you all what is going on.  Simply put for the last week or so I have been working on a few needed but not creative projects which include mailing lists for 15mm.co.uk (see the Mail Chimp post), catching up with paperwork, clearing the inbox at work in the email, learning new web software, speaking to a professional webmaster and lastly my wargaming blogger blog.  It has left me with little ‘oomph’ for posting.

While all this is tedious and you do not wish to hear about it the last one on that list I just gave is fun, fun fun.  I will post about it properly when ready but for now I will say that I am now on Blogger and have amassed a few postings and pictures and I am working on some scenarios for use on Barking Irons Online.  The game…HOF Fire Team.

So normal service will be resumed soon….I assure you all.

GBS

Sam Croes on Asgard Space Marines

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My good friend Sam Croes has painted up some of the newly re-released Asgard Science Fiction range which I sent him as a get well soon present earlier this month.  To be frank his skill with a paint brush makes me puke!  Might as well burn all my own at this point 🙂  For more on this classic range see my previous posting.

Asgard 25mm Space Marines (SM3, SM3A, SM9)

Asgard classic 25mm space marines - Rear

Go along to his blog and have a read as to how he painted them and perhaps you can match it with your own efforts.

As for me.  Well I will make do with drooling over the pictures you see here.

GBS

Flintloque Character Calculator v2 by Craig Andrews

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I like to fill out my Section Rosters for Flintloque by hand but then I did in large part create the 3rd edition of the game and have been playing since the early days of the mid nineteen nineties when pencil and paper were all that was to be had.  However these days many players of the game want to fill rosters digitally or virtually on the screen before printing them out or using them as PDF on a mobile device.  So how do you do that then….

Well wonder no more since web guru and general boss level handy man Craig Andrews (he of Orcs in the Webbe and Barking Irons Online fame) has created something awesome with that very purpose in mind.  A spreadsheet programme that allows rosters to be filled on the screen and then used in play.

The virtual roster covers all you will need in a game of Flintloque that must be filled out and shown from experience levels, weapons, modifiers, names down to notes and player name too.

Go along to the article on Barking Irons Online and download it.  I have given it a go and its spot on!

GBS

p.s. Yes, I know this happen a while back but I just got around to it!

Re-Releasing classic Space Marines

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Way back and I mean way back when a company called Asgard released some excellent miniatures in their science fiction range.  That was around about 1980 and for many years these miniatures have not been on general release but that is about to change!  I have been working towards this re-release onto Alternative Armies website for some time and now it has all come together for Friday 15th June 2012.

SM3 Space Marine in full battle armour

SM3a Space Marine flying

HA5 Adventurer with Laser Pistol

As you can see these 25mm scale white metal miniatures are classics and very striking.  Quite unlike anything made now they have a rather Robert Heinlein look to them according to artist Sam Croes.

Here is a listing of the miniatures which includes all of the Space Marines and also the Adventurers too.  While 25mm scale these match up well in height terms with todays 28mm designs especially the SM3, SM9 codes which are actually bloody big even for today.

25mm Classic Science Fiction.

ASGARD SPACE MARINES
SM1 Space Marine in full armour £1.50
SM2 Space Marine in light space armour £1.50
SM3 Space Marine in full battle armour £2.00
SM3a Space Marine in full battle armour flying £4.00
SM4 Psionic Marine with Psionic blaster £1.50
SM5 Space Trooper with Force Axe in Battle Armour £1.50
SM6 Space Trooper advancing with A.P.Rifle £1.50
SM7 Space Trooper kneeling Firing Energy Mortar £1.50
SM8 Space Trooper Captain £1.50
SM9 Large Battle Droid £2.50

SM11 Heavy Mortar + 2 Trooper Crew £4.00
SM12 Loader (included in SM11)
SM13 Officer (included in SM11)

HUMAN ADVENTURERS
HA2 Pirate with assault Rifle £1.50
HA3 Pirate with Laser Pistol £1.50
HA4 Pirate with Force Blade £1.50
HA5 Adventurer with Laser Pistol £1.50
HA6 Adventuress with Laser Pistol £1.50
HA7 Female Bounty Hunter £1.50
HA8 Male Bounty Hunter with Rifle £1.50
TSF6 Szithk Reptilian with laser pistol £1.50

I fancy writing some missions for MOTH with these in them.  Perhaps a rogue world with its own technology on the edge of Prydian Space.  I can see it now Retained Knights against Asgard Space Marines.  Bliss!

GBS

Mail Chimp for 15mm.co.uk

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Mail Chimp Logo

After some thought and consideration in the last few weeks I have decided that it is time to move 15mm.co.uk across to the use of an Email Marketing and Email List Manager service.  Due to the increase in legislation and also the sophistication of ‘spam’ as well a situation has arisen where we can no longer get out all of the email that our customers want.  With thousands of wargamers to contact about new releases, new games, special events and offers and so on I needed something more.   Why 15mm.co.uk and not Alternative Armies.  Well it is smaller and smaller is better with new ventures in my book!

The internet is a great place for reviews and Mail Chimp came up trumps over and over with extra features and great pricing but what sealed the deal was my best buddy Jim Brittain saying it was the service to choose.  He is an expert in ‘netjitzu’ and I greatly value his opinion on these matters.  While this upgrade will go pretty much unnoticed by most of the wargamers it reaches the change to Mail Chimp will mean more and higher quality HTML email being delivered along with new pages on the 15mm.co.uk website for opting in to the service.

Plus I really liked the company’s cute approach to the subject and the wealth of support material they offered.  Gives me more to read this weekend 🙂

GBS