Free Beer!!!

No, not really.

So, what's going on in the dear old Duchy of Alzheim I hear you ask?

Well, let me settle down in my creaking 1960s Parker Lounge Chair (ah, the Danish design school) and expound. It's what I do best.

First item: I know you are just fizzing with excitement over the fort-building project that I have on the go. The basic earthwork has been glued with some thoroughness to a large base board and a polystyrene glacis has been impatiently jigsawed together from fissiparous lumps of the accursed material and likewise glued in place.

A VERY long time was spent in picking up the assorted scraps created by the application of bread-knife, hot wire cutter and sanding block as I surformed it into the gentle slope we expect from such a piece of military engineering.

After the whole thing was looking at least fairly uniform, I then splodged "Polyfilla" from my trusty Polyfilla Gun over the whole surface, smoothed the whole off with a spatula and then my wet hands. It was glorious fun. Even more so since it was done out of sight of the children who I am sure would have wanted to get in on the act.

That first coat has spent the past couple of days drying thoroughly and I hope it will get another tonight when I get home from work. Tomorrow is a day off for me, so I will be running to ye olde hardware shoppe to purchase a new bottle of PVA/White Glue so as to be able to stick down the ramparts and hollow traverses.

State Secret: Werke XXXVII

Awaiting a 2nd coat of splodge.

Second item: Excellent fun as I find building fortifications, earthworks and additional sundries, we do need troops to fight in, among around and over them. I now am the proud posessor of one completed Alzheimer and one Prussian unit of infantry. A second unit of prussians are on the workbench as I write with a third in plastic bags as well. I have also started assembling and priming a gun and crew for them as well.

Prussians occupy a small, inoffensive tabac.

The new boys are at the faces-collar-and-tunic stage at the moment. Lots of gray next. Will I dazzle you with a painting article soon? If you want me to, I shall. I could even do pictures

A popular spot for a march-past

I am making steady progress, which always feels nice. Remember, an hour a day. Every day.

Third item: ohh, pretty.

http://www.indiegogo.com/28mmprussian

I have a stash of the 28mm hard plastic HaT Napoleonic Bavarians, too. Quite a big stash. Take them, throw in some Stadden Napoleonic mounted officer types and ADCs &c... Is it becoming time to think about Alzheims' role in the Napoleonic Wars? Say yes. Go on.

Fourth item: Little Wars will be held on Saturday May the 25th at the Mornington Secondary College. I am hoping do put on a demonstration game, hopefully out of pre-existing materials for the greatest part to speed development along. We are looking at a fictional Russian attempt on Melbourne in about 1885 and will be defending Fort Gellibrand against sundry cossacks, marine infantry and grunt infantry and the Vladimir Monomakh with the cream of Melbourne Society, the HMVS Cerberus, HMVS Albert and various torpedo boats.

Come along if you can. There will be forts, disappearing artillery, a monitor, redcoats and Russians. All in a setting not so far from the forts designed to defend melbourne in the 19th Century. Good fun for all boys aged from 8 to 80 and even for the more intelligent sort of girl, just to coin a phrase.