Toy soldiers - to arms!

From the chaos of the painting table...

 at last the combatants are beginning to take the field in preparation for the big game.  And the honour of first in the field goes to the Prince of Orange and his GHQ Staff.

The Prince takes a view of the field from Quatre Bras...

Some Napoleonic Bee's were taking a close look...behind you!

From the recent re-enactment at Waterloo, it looks close enough to the 'original'...

Eric Edelman in the role of the Prince of Orange at the recent Waterloo 200 re-enactment - photo c/o Waterloo200.org

and the ground is certainly going to hide a few surprise - perhaps the battlefield in central London is not too different to the fields of Waterloo?

Photo from the Daily Telegraph 'Waterloo 200' report.

Waterloo - in the sunshine

Some scenes from a visit to the battlefield earlier in the month - traveling from the Lion Mound, via Hougoumont and the Emperor's last HQ...

and a Waterloo sunset at Plancenoit to close the day...

En Avant

The build up has indeed started for the Waterloo 200 game - with an anticipated 1000 + toy soldiers and ten players...

Waterloo 200

The great day dawns...and the Waterloo blog will be back soon

A Little Wars 'Wintereisse' ...La Haye Sante and Major Baring - Part 2

Major Baring's inspired defence lives on in a number of ways at Waterloo.  It was a delight to find these Funcken illustrations of the battle:

The Funcken 'comic strip' book of the battle being a real gem, and completely unknown to the writer!

And the memorial to Major Von Baring and his gallant men is being restored for the Waterloo 200:

And glorious blue skies over the farm of La Haie Sainte.

A Little Wars 'Wintereisse' ...La Haye Sante and Major Baring - Part 1

After being suitably refreshed and restored - onto the farm of La Haye Sante and the King's German Legion.
  

The farm has been an icon since childhood days and the 1/72 scale model by Airfix.

And a superb new book, 'The Longest Afternoon' has brought the story of Major Baring and the KGL vividly to life...

The best book I have read about the Battle in many years, and a real tribute to Major Baring and his gallant Hanoverian Regiment. 

A Little Wars 'Winterreise' - In search of toy soldiers....

The glorious November weather stimulated the 'wanderer' to head straight to the 'Butte de Lion', for refreshment and the anticipation of some toy soldiers.

The whole area around the Butte is a construction site - getting ready for the Waterloo 200 - and there proved to be disappointments in store!

On my first visit, some thirty years ago (an eager 16 year old in those days) there was the wonderful experience of finding Historex and Starlux figures in seemingly enormous quantities.  The purchases then were a dismounted Emperor Napoleon (Starlux) and Cuirassier; and four Historex kits of the Old Guard.  Alas, all bar one have perished on the 'lawns of battle' and in the never ending house moves of a military career.

Alas, there are no such delights in store today.  The visitor centre was interesting, and had a large range of 'stuff' - and some excellent books - but the glory days of Starlux and Historex have departed like the last Eagles....

Of course, the whole place is a construction site, and the new centre may restore things to their glory days?  Or am I just imagining a 'land of lost content?'  

From the 'Butte de Lion' - onto the battlefield!

'I can't shoose the season
to depart from this place
I won't delay or ponder
I must begin my journey now'

Die Winterreisse