2013 Roundup and some exciting news

One of my all time heroes.

H and I returned from a weekend away in  Edinburgh, her Christmas present to me, a few days before the ticking over of 2013 to 2014. Sadly we were both in the throes of colds and the freezing weather only compounded these. When we did manage to venture out into the monumental treat that is Edinburgh we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. A particular treat for me was a Whisky tour and tasting on the Saturday evening. 

Enjoying a drink amongst the world's largest collection of single malt Scotch whiskey.

We returned with a handful of memories (mostly of made-for-TV films viewed from a hotel bed) and the remnants our colds. Nevertheless, I would heartily recommend Edinburgh to one and all. From a wargaming perspective, spending a day and a half in our hotel room gave me an opportunity to almost finish "Legion" from the Horus Heresy series of novels, as well as catch up on the "back issues" of the newly discovered "Joy and Forgetfulness" blog by Mr. Conrad Kinch. His conversational style has a whimsy reminiscent of P.G. Wodehouse and makes for excellent reading. So being bedridden actually had an upside.

+ Herewith follows the obligatory year end round-up +

So, another year has passed, and as is the case every year, I simply did not get enough done. One the upside this year has marked my return to the hobby proper and that in itself is a small miracle, but I can't help but feel that more could have been accomplished if I hadn't been quite so all-over-the-place. Belgium, Australia, Denmark and my Reserve commitments have meant that I haven't been home enough to get much done. I am not going to enumerated my various projects, and what I completed, there simply isn't enough to talk about and it never does well to dwell on one's failures.

Suffice to say, I have had a ball, and as ever my desk is resplendent in its near permanent array of partially painted figures, alongside those which are done but need basing, and those soon to be varnished. The therapy offered to me by these tiny legions is the breakwater of my sanity after what can often be long and stressful days. 

I thought I might include some awful pictures of what is currently "on the desk", here you go...

Dark Vengeance Dark Angels, all they need now is flocking and a bit of paint around the base edge.

My test figure for Word Bearer chosen Chaos Space Marines. Again, Dark Vengeance. A great figure, not quite done.

French Legere, ready for matt varnishing after a dip.

Another angle on the Legere.

Do I have any resolutions for the coming year? No. The reason? I am about to embark upon a great adventure, to Australia. H and I visited in September, and we liked it so much we decided that we would like to live there just a little longer. Given that I am approaching the age at which I will no longer qualify for the work-holiday visa, H and I thought that there was no time like the present. I quit my job, and am preparing to escape to warmer climes on January the 13th for a year or maybe two. Are we nervous? Naturally. The gamble of setting off into the unknown is never an easy commitment, but equally I look forward to embarking on something charged with potential. 

How will the blog continue? Well, I think that this might be an interesting opportunity to chart my experience in the differences between the Australian and UK wargaming scenes. The higher cost of wargaming in the Antipodes will also be a factor, given that I shall be paupering for a while. To that end I think that the most sensible route would be take some unpainted things with me, nestled in the depths of my suitcase.

However, with the weather being glorious, I suspect I might find precious little time to sit down and paint. We shall have to see how my hobby deals with such a change in circumstances. Of course, miniatures and painting aren't the only aspect to the hobby. There are also books and various board games too, but for now, standby. 

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish readers a happy and prosperous New Year and thank you for reading.