Ralphadeus. Music movies comics feature in this look at life from Somerset.
I got this really pleasant Robert Crumb cigarette lighter so I thought I'd revisit this mad artist, that seems almost synonimous with the 60s through his album art and alternative viewpoints. He first became known to me through these Blues Trading Cards where the individual style of Crumb's pen comes over even when copying old photos.
An attempt during the American Revolution to conquer Canada is repulsed by British and Canadians this day 1775 - another battle fought in snow. I am sure Canadians are glad their ancestors stuck by the British Crown. Can't really find any suitable pics to go with this but I found a great site for the Fifth Foot - Redcoats of the American Revolution - check out their site and watch their videos. This photo looks like Lexington but it's a lovely image so why not?
There was an interesting picture of a miner's wife washing his back in the Sunday Times' best photographs of the last century so this got me looking for more images and found this one of a Northumbrian Miner having his meal in 1937. Brilliant. If you are interested in history and photography why not look at East Durham Miner just home from the pit. Never heard of him before but I am impressed. Read more about him here.
These are highly articulated action figures of about 8 inches - I got a really nice Captain America vs Red Skull pair to add to my toys that lie around the house. I have got quite a collection of these including a Silver Surfer - but not as many as this guy - check out his collection and marvel at the diversity of the subject matter. All of us family members spend a lot of money on toys - mostly action figures - I can't tell you how many are at the moment covering all the flat surfaces of the front room. I suppose we appreciate them in a way that old people covet ornaments - anyway if you fancy having some action figures to prop up in odd corners of the house start you can do pretty well with starting at this Marvel Legend site
I remember well the Christmas of 1966 - when I got an Action Man - how exciting was that for a six-year old? 
So here's a picture of me as a Monmouth Rebel - namely Nathaniel Wade who led the Red Regiment and wrote an account of the battle. I was playing him for a TV programme when I was exactly the right age for the 85 Rebellion - 40 years old. Wade was friends with the Bristol Quakers who colonised Pennsylvania. He also became Town Clerk in later life.
Yesterday we had one of those conversations about whether our children enjoyed going off and doing reenactment and I think all of them would say on the whole it was a useful experience, especially when young. Camping and having open fires to cook on, meeting all sorts of eccentric individuals all make for a pretty happy diversion especially if there are others of their age group around to share it with. I found the English Civil War Society pretty child-friendly, but most societies are - but find out if they allow camp fires. This is the heart of period camping and without it it's not much fun. Probably the thing my son enjoyed most was chopping wood, keeping the fire going and this is after all essential growing-up stuff for kids of both genders. It can be rough and ready but you do finish up appreciating the modern comforts when you get back. In short, it is a useful thing to get some good basic hard campaigning - facing powder and shot - alright not that but facing the British weather into them in their formative years. You don't need a Dangerous Book for Boys or anything wussy like that - if you want to bring your kids up tough enough to enjoy themselves when it's raining or be able to cook on an open fire - or unselfconscious in funny outfits - take 'em reenacting - but don't leave it too late or they will sulk.
I was perusing the Christmas edition of the Radio Times looking to see what films were on and as usual feeling let down - but this is another thing from the b.v. days - before video - when the only place you could see a film was on tv or the cinema.
'Anything good on' asked Susan. 'Ring of Bright Water' said I 'We've seen that fairly recently haven't we?'
'Yes but Napoleon hasn't'.
. Ideal for garden warfare. Very useful to go with Armies in Plastic and Emhar WW1 stuff. How about a Renault FT-17 next in 1/32? I can't understand why noone is producing Poilu's in capots for this period either. If anyone hears of any French WW1 items in this scale let me know. Someone does a 75mm field gun kit but I am not sure of the scale.
An occasional series of links to do with post-war vehicles - this one is based on the same chassis as the Saladin armoured car - designed in 52 and served til the 90s. I think I like these vehicles as when I was a kid I would get pretty excited when these drove by which was quite common living near to Salisbury Plain. Actually the army did shoot a training film in Frome with the Naish's street area before redevelopment posing as Northern Ireland and local youths were employed to throw rubber bricks. I'd like to see that film if it exists anywhere. 
“Soldiers, when I give the command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her... Soldiers Fire!”
'Do you wanna learn - or am I being wasteful now'. I don't know how many times I've checked to see if any Subway Sect has been uploaded and now it's there - watch it now in case it disappears.Wiki here Discography
This lot of glum Londoners were to me one of the best punk bands ever - although they didn't really have an album out during their early classic phase they made one of the best 45s of the era - namely Nobody's Scared/Don't Splitit. Listen to it and the flip here. Their style was deadpan, flat vocals over trebly guitar and thunderous drums, a format that was discarded too early, as Vic Godard pursued a more rockier approach. I will never forget the disappointment seeing them supporting the Buzzcocks on the Love Bites tour when they had jumped on a power pop bandwagon. I still shudder at the thought of it. Never mind there are some early tracks knocking around - anyone know of a definitive compilation of that early stuff
The Bristol Connection? I think the Sect were a big influence on the Bristol scene - something just clicked I reckon - there were dozens of Subway Sect sound and lookalike bands and probably had it not been for the fact that we had Susan as a singer we would have been another. I think the Pop Group were influenced by them - of course this might not be the case but that's just a thought - their appearance on the White Riot tour and playing Barton Hill gave them a load of fans in this neck of the woods. Of course Johnny Britten - mentioned in an earlier posting joined them and apparently and this is something I didn't know - was in Joboxers. I remember him being a bit of a 'face' on the Clifton scene and also recall him joining the Media. I was in a documentary about Bristol's punk scene - I was interviewed in the Dug Out Club when I was at printing college there. ANyway enough nostalgia - buy the Punk in London DVD to see 'em do Ambition the way it should have been done as a single and Staying Out of View. Other not so good bands are featured like the Lurkers, Killjoys, JaM, Adverts and the Clash in a German documentary from 77 - also one from X-Ray Spex. Worth buying honestly. Pics and story
Interview with Vic Godard who is now a postman. His Myspace
Well here's a benefit of allowing anonymous comments - someone recommended this - a game of aerial combat in the Great War - just the thing if you have developed a taste for shooting bombers and things from watching the movie 'Flyboys'. Funnily enough I thought some of the dialogue in Flyboys was a bit like the cut-scenes from a pc game - 'today's mission will involve you hunting a Zeppellin - you'll need to use explosive ammunition and hit it hundreds of times'. That sort of thing. This looks ace though.
As today is December 2nd then it must be the day to celebrate Napoleon's great victory at Austerlitz in the battle of the 3 Emperors. Here's a photo by Keith Redfern of last year's bicentennial battle. There's a video here too, quite short and of the same scene.
and if you have an interest in this area or the Somerset and Dorset Railway then I highly recommend you invest some time in checking the other pieces in his portfolio.
. Four were arrested for riotous assembly and order was restored. The steam engine in the background is interesting. It's Blenkinsop's Salamanca, on the Leeds and Middleton Railway, 11 years before the better known Stockton to Darlington Railway opened. 
