One and One make Eleven!

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Mascots and Mayhem with the Birthday boy on the right

Happy Birthday my Son! The grand old age of Eleven is now yours!

A day off work for me and a trip to the Chocolate Factory near Dumfries with The Thinker and two of his friends along with his Uncle Jim and Aunty Cat too. In blazing heat I watched him mix and pour chocolate in a chilled room (grrr!) and then have a riot of a time looking for fools gold in a panning stream and play for the afternoon at the large outdoor activity area (pirate ship, slides and other fun). I chose this destination as his younger brother had gone there for his own birthday back in March and really enjoyed it. A grand time was had!

Minecraft was the custom cake theme this year

The birthday boy is into Minecraft just now so we decided to theme his birthday cake upon that very subject. My good lady wife goes all out for the birthday parties and cakes and so forth which I think is lovely and the children really do appreciate it. A new bike and other gifts were his. A little more than normal as a reward for doing very well at school and also being chosen to represent Girvan Primary at the opening of the new harbour pontoons last month. I have pictures of him there but I forgot to post about it…doh.

Enjoy your day my now not so little non white metal soldier!

Winter 2002….The Thinker a decade ago!

Perhaps I do post a little too much on the children and the family. But hey life is more than only work and I do adore them all so.

GBS

RNLI Girvan Harbour Gala 2013

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Gavin Syme

On Sunday it was the annual Harbour Gala Day in Girvan and I have to say that apart from nicer weather this year over last the day also seemed busier and the mood better than in 2012. I did not spend long at the Gala having other things to attend to in the morning but I did see a very inspiring team up between the Life Boat and the HMS Gannet helicopter for a mock rescue at sea scenario. The usual assortment of rides and stalls along with a bring and buy all against the edge of the harbour.

Below you can see some of the pictures I took including the ‘bubble balls’ and the sea rescue. It was a brilliantly bright and warm afternoon.

Girvan Habour Gala 2013 – The view from the sea front

Girvan Habour Gala 2013 – The Bubble Balls!

Girvan Habour Gala 2013 – The Thinker looks at the Life Boat

Girvan Habour Gala 2013 – The Sea Rescue

Good fun for all the family. Perhaps next year I will get more time at the Gala. Who knows?

GBS

Totally Choosing a Baby Name…badly.

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Recently in a conversation with a friend the subject of baby names came up. Now I know that is not something you would expect a fellow like me to think about but I have done it three times in the past for myself and also chipped in a couple of suggestions for others. So why this posting?

Aside from a fun little read I decided to do a quick browse for ‘choosing baby names’ and came across this video. To me this is an example of a poor way of choosing names for your children. Have a watch. The first mother chooses something that will cause endless confusion for her daughter (but not to worry it makes her sound edgy and trendy..well for at least a year as nothing changes like trends!), the second something traditional (after suffering a bit of brain death beforehand) and the third…well she is the best of all. The third will not tell you the name of the child for ‘internet security reasons’ thereby making her whole appearance on the video pointless (incidentally I found her and the name in less than two minutes online so bang up security job there self promoter!).

My idle muse on this is actually quite simple. When you have the joy and honour to choose a name for a child do it with kindness and care. It is the biggest choice you will ever make for that baby, toddler, child, teen, adult, parent before you. Ignore trends, ignore your friends, choose wisely and choose fittingly too. That name will benefit or hinder them for their entire life.

I followed my own grandmother’s rules, you might find them amusing or useful:

1. Choose something you are not afraid to shout out loud in the street.

2. Never choose anything beginning with the same letter as your surname (alliteration is not cool!). Simon Syme anyone?

3. Avoid the names of children of your friends or the friends themselves. Also give each child a different starting letter in their names, avoids you accidentally calling the child their siblings name!

4. Find out the most common regional names where you live and do not use them (in South Ayrshire it is James and Claire for my generation).

5. Trends change and celebrities are vapid. Have integrity and give the chosen name time to solidify in your mind before committing to it.

GBS

Edinburgh Zoo 2013 – Panda Time!

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Gavin Syme

Pandamonium!

Yesterday was a field trip day for a wee group from Girvan. Myself and my good lady along with the little warrior and some others went to Edinburgh Zoo. Its a long trek crossing the whole central belt of Scotland but its basically a straight line on the motorway for most of it so while not the most amusing of drives I got us there with no problems. So why the Zoo? Well for a couple of reasons. Firstly the Warrior has never seen wild animals and secondly the ruddy Panda’s!

In case you lived on the moon you might not know that Edinburgh Zoo took delivery of two Panda bears from China a while back and this sent the Zoo into the stratosphere in terms of its popularity. People love Panda’s, I mean they really love them. In the kind of way that I just don’t understand (I am sometimes considered odd by certain kinds of people). Above you can see me with my lovely wife and the Warrior posing for a photo (I actually want this one blown up and on the wall at home) with the bear behind. From what I picked up from the lecture being given to the tour group (demand is such that only twenty or so people at a time are let into the building to see the Panda’s in their two separate rooms, there are only sixteen hundred or so of these animals left in the wild and it is falling all the time. I am not surprised. The Panda it seems is a problem child of nature. It is extremely anti-social with its own kind (hence keeping them on their own) they are only in season for one 36 hour period a year and they suffer an appalling rate of fake and aborted pregnancies. They sleep sixteen or more hours a day. They cannot cope with ANY change in their surroundings. They only eat bamboo along with the occasional apple or carrot. Yes, I actually listened to the lecture as well as cooing and taking pictures. Lovely creature don’t get me wrong but I have low expectations of anything but extinction for it.

Lucky he can’t see that cheeky face!

The Zoo was a great day out and it was fantastic value for money too. After the Panda’s we walked the circuit and saw the rest of the animals (too many to list) but a special mention firstly to the Sumatran Tiger. I adore Tigers (don’t want one for a pet though) ever since seeing a Bengal Tiger as a wee lad. Seeing it was the personal highlight of the day even though it was asleep at the time. After this the Rhino. The Warrior was fascinated by this slow moving mountain of muscle and natural armour. Above you can see him pulling a cheeky face while its back was turned!

Among the rest of the Monkeys!

I found it very interesting that the most information about any of the animals at the Zoo was to be found in the primate areas especially those of the Chimpanzee’s. I have a good grasp of evolution and the reality of how we as a species came to be on this wonderful and diverse planet; but I did learn a few new things. For instance latest research shows that we Humans did NOT evolve from Chimps but from an as yet not found common ancestor some six million years ago branching out to Chimps, Gorillas and the excellent Orangutan’s too. I have, at many zoos, come face to face with almost all the captive species of ape and each time their similarity to us strikes me more and more. From the largest to the smallest their eyes, hands, fingers and faces and behaviour. Watching Spider Monkeys just put me in mind of the last pre-school party I went to!

So all in all an excellent day out. I hear rumours that Tiger Cubs are now to be seen in Inverness-shire…its not that far a drive surely. Maybe next time.

GBS

p.s. A quick note to the rest of the group I went with. To Ethan and Terri, two teenagers who were as bright, keen and well spoken passengers that I have ever had in my car. Shine on you two!

Long time no Blog, Long time no Break

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Gavin Syme

The Thinker ran the fastest that day!

Its been two weeks since I last made a post on this site. Have I been away, been abroad, been missing in action? No. Not really. I was here all the while but I was trying out a ‘working break’ that is an effort to cut my workload down while still being at work. How to do this you ask…well its not complex.

Essentially I wanted time to spend with my children and my wife as the weather here in Scotland finally and I do mean finally began to heat up and it meant time down the beach in Girvan and trips out and about. I work long hours and answer many hundreds of emails a week along with organising several projects and a dozen other tasks a day. On top of the wargaming company workload I have this website and a blog and the Notables Yahoo Group too along with other online profiles to update and interact with. To have a ‘working break’ I organised two weeks where I continued to do the office work but not the additional tasks such as this website. Call it working to rule instead of working on rules if you like.

In the last two weeks I have attended two large outdoor events, the Mauchline Holy Fair and the Girvan Lowland Gathering. I have had guests to stay, helped a long term and dear friend and her friend move house, written about ten thousand words of fiction, read four novels, watched half a dozen anime movies and listened to several new and older albums. I have spent quality time with the greatest lady in the world (my wife!) where she reminded me why she is still my number one after sixteen years together and I had the pleasure of learning that my middle son came third in his sports day at school and my eldest son came first at his (hence the image above).

What has been most interesting though is the concern from several wargamers and others for me. Why have I been so quiet, am I all right and so on. Let me say I am fine and what I have been working on will be happening later this summer. Thank you for your concern one and all!

Lastly I have decided that I can no longer keep up efforts to maintain my tabletop wargamer blog. So instead of putting it on hiatus I am going to end it totally. This will be in another post shortly.

GBS

Citizen Keen

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Gavin Syme

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

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Gavin Syme

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

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Gavin Syme

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.

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

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Gavin Syme

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.

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.

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!

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Gavin Syme

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.

Gavin Syme

The online residence of wargame creator and writer Gavin Syme

Tag Archives: Family