Friday 27 March 2020

Panic buying paper products

I need to stock up given the lockdown we’re now enduring. I haven’t even finished the first of the last two such purchases. I’m sorry, but I saw it and it was cheap. Even with postage it was under £8 compared to £20 cover price.

Had a quick gander and it looks promising. Which is more than can be said for my photography.
Now I'm in week three of working from home, thanks to having an employer with a proactive attitude. It hasn't really made much difference to my work because at least 95% of it was done remotely. I don't sit with anyone in my department as they're all thousands of miles away, and my interlocutors, if that's the right word, inside and outside the company are scattered across the globe. So sometimes I'm a little taken aback when people ask how I'm coping with the change. The big change is not chatting to people in the office (a minus point of the changes) and not driving an hour each way (a positive change). I have to remind myself that other people's routine has been affected to a greater degree.

I haven't made the best use of the extra time saved by not commuting, although I will claim I've lost some time having to make more shopping trips in order to get all the supplies needed. I'm glad t say things have settled down a bit this week. The wargaming corner of the blogosphere seems to be full of chaps of both sexes getting things done. Must do better. Also since last week and the closure of the lido, I've had to adjust my exercise regime. A small price to pay but the pool is a lot kinder on the knees than the pavement.

But I'm not moaning. I really I have it good. I'm very thankful for my lot. The present circumstances has made me even more aware of my good fortune. I have my health (more or less), my income is secure, a lovely family around me, space and the tech for the kids to do their schoolwork online without getting in each other's way, a sizeable garden for a breather, and friends who send funny/interesting/annoying messages at all hours.

I'm nearly finished Hey for Old Robin. A very good read. I've learned lots of new stuff and it makes me want to find out more and get the lead onto the table. I say 'learned', but most of it probably won't stick. The book does a lot to counter the 'traditional' view of the 3rd Earl of Essex, though I feel at times it does go a little too far the other way. But these guys know a lot more than me on the subject, so who am I to judge. I'm not even a dilettante - I aspire to be a dilettante. The second book I bought, Wanton Troopers: Buckinghamshire in the Civil Wars, seems a bit dry at first. Lots of tables about who owned what, so it might not make its way to the reading list before the Minden book.
I dare say the Minden work will nudge me towards the order book for Heroics and Ros. However, there is one other siren call, already working on my wilpower. 'ave you 'eard about zis fellow le Comte de Foy, who 'as been seducing all ze wargamerz wiz 'is pictures of ze 'earlièr war? Very tempting you naughty man. I've even found myself eyeing the Irregular Miniatures 20mm WSS catalogue. But I must resist, and tackle the list I drew up four months ago.

4 comments:

  1. The WSS has been calling to me as well. A number of bloggers including our friend, Foy, are making resisting the temptation very difficult. I think I would seriously consider 10mm if I was to seriously consider WSS. The 10mm figures from Van Dyck Miniatures are superb. I wish the range would increase. Choices thus far are limited.

    Working from home is a tough transition for some. I primarily telecommute and have done so for about fifteen years. I enjoy it.

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    1. I’ve never seen the Van Dyck range before. Never even heard of them. They do look superb. Pendraken have a fuller range, albeit limited on cavalry, if you're thinking of 10mm. Their League of Augsburg range is very good - I’ve got quite a lot of the horse masquerading as ECW. With a judicious selection you could fit some in the WSS. I suspect they’re a bit larger than the WSS range though judging purely by the pictures bin of the sculpts on line.

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  2. The Old Robin book is pretty good - I agree, though my edition is (I think) smaller and more primitive than yours (though it is not about Young Robin). I was mentioning to a non-wargaming friend that I had started drawing up wildly optimistic schedules for churning out regiments from the mountain, and he suggested that it might be easier just to put a scratch on the wall each day, and put a horizontal scratch through the previous six scratches every seventh day. What a silly fellow. I did not share his opinion with the Contesse, since it is important to keep a degree of bonhomie in the imprisoned household.

    Oh yes - I got as far as the doorstep last night, to applaud the NHS at 8pm. I'm all in favour of this, but it was bizarre - I could hear clapping from various directions in the dark, but saw no-one. No-one mentioned "jazz hands" at any point.

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    1. Will gloss over your friend’s remarks.

      Young Robin would be the prequel about Essex’s adventures with Prince Henry, then his experiences in the Low Countries fighting the Spanish. Not sure who would play him though as Sean Bean is far too old now. Maybe that lad from the boy band who was in Dunkirk.

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