Early War Miniatures

A comprehensive range that covers all the major early war armies in WW2 in 20mm or 1/76.

Schneider P16 Half track armoured car (France)

Does Danish Norwegian French you name it - go here

Belgian tanks of 1940

Char 2C

The Char 2C, also known as the FCM 2C, is a French heavy tank, later also seen as a super-heavy tank,^[1] developed during World War I but not deployed until after the war. It was, in physical dimensions, the largest operational tank ever made. Wiki

Ralph Mitchard in 2000

Here's me on my 40th birthday at the Glastonbury Rural Life Museum. We were filming a Monmouth programme for BBC Education and during the downtime my band at the time entertained. I am on guitar. 

Happy Birthday Little Walter

Aero Journal

Coincidentally this French journal has a special on 1940 if you are interested. 

French Troops On The Move (1940)

Newsreel

Hurricane (2018) trailer

I don't know whether Andy G still reads this blog but he likes Hurricanes - this looks good - about the Polish 303 squadron -  airmen in the war.

Ralph Mitchard on Pinterest

See if there is anything that interests you - here

150 Years of the Radstock Co-op

Celebrating this year is the very successful Radstock Co-op. Here's a snippet from Chris Howell's 'I Have Heard Tell.'

Robert Johnson King of the Delta Blues Vol 2

This was one of the first bluues lps I owned. Ordered it from Woodmansies in Frome didn't realise it was vol 2 as I didn't have vol 1 but it has a better cover and the songs are equally as good as on volume 1. 

Noah Lewis harmonica innovator

Highly innovative harp player who was originally in the Jug Band scene. Wiki
Died in poverty of gangrene from frostbite.

Susan Wells outside Rough Trade Bristol today

photo by Bea - see what's on at RT Bristol

France 1940

I've found myself interested again in the Battle of France. All images from the book "1940 Le Soldat Francais" by Oliver Bellec

9 April movie

From the wiki April 9th (Danish: 9. april) is a 2015 Danish Second World War film directed by Roni Ezra and starring Pilou Asbæk and Lars Mikkelsen. The film depicts the German invasion of Denmark which commenced on 9 April 1940 and follows a group of Danish bicycle infantry sent as a vanguard to slow down the German advance until reinforcements can arrive.

Easttop T008K

Been looking at the cheap end of the harmonica world and found these to be very good for the money. Check them out on ebay.

Happy birthday Big Walter

Back in the 70s Walter Horton was for me a teenage harp enthusiast the greatest living bluesman. Obviously that changed in 81 when he died but he did manage a cameo in the Blues Brothers with John Lee Hooker. I've been revisiting my harmonica past recently and started a Facebook group Mouth Harp Maestros if you are a fan of blues harp. 

Ralph Mitchard teenage blues freak

Walter Horton, better known as Big Walter (Horton) or Walter "Shakey" Horton (April 6, 1921^[2] – December 8, 1981) was an American blues harmonica player. A quiet, unassuming, shy man, he is remembered as one of the premier harmonica players in the history of blues.^[3] Willie Dixon once called Horton "the best harmonica player I ever heard."^[3]
Wiki

Me and the Devil Backscratchin'

First heard this blues combo from Cornwall on Geoff Barker - check their webpage for more. YouTube channel. 

Billy Boy Arnold - one of the last of the truly greats

Love this guy. He's a living link to John Lee Williamson, his mentor in Chicago, who he covers here. 

Engineer Basevich Russian Civil War 1/32

I want these sets! I think they are made in Russia

Available from here in the UK

Adge Cutler Back on the Farm

1967 Bristol is the setting for this video.

40 Years ago

So 40 years ago tonight I saw Adam and the Ants for the first time. Corsham Art College. Sue was there though she had already seen them in Bristol where they almost got bottled off. We got right at the front as would be our norm. After the gig I spoke with Adam.  I remember it well and after the gig the Frome punk gang I was with went to the Hexagon Suite where we got asked by the bouncers to hang about as there was a coachload of lads from Knowle West who were intent on a fight and they wanted some numbers. So we had a brief scrap in the carpark. I was still only 17. Pic by Ray Stevenson. Songs that stood out were Plastic Surgery,, Lou and It doesn't matter (a 12 bar!)

New recording from the terraplanes

Recorded in Midsomer Norton (Sounds Involved) in December 2017. Vocals - Susan Wells and Celia-Jade Mitchard. Bass Dave Mackay drums Andy Payne and guitar/harp Ralph Mitchard. Written in 1933 by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed Photos by Joe Simons.

Hostiles

This movie looks good.

Guss and Crook

More info here

Somerset miners and carting boys wearing the device - my Grandfather was 12 when he had to wear one

An 18thc coal mine in the Midlands

Radstock during the 1817 strike when the riot act was read

The Annual Register, Or, A View of the History, Politics, and Literature for .the year 1817

Terraplanes cd compilation

Bad Detectives in 1978

40 years ago. Some studio shots by Ian Mackay of the Frome band. I was 17.

Tucker's Grave Inn to reopen

Save Tucker's Grave Newsletter 6/12/2017 

Dear Supporters of Tucker's Grave,

After a long wait we finally have some great news!

We have heard from the (soon to be) new landlady of Tucker's Grave - Sue Gait. She is taking over from Glenda and will be opening up on Tuesday the 12th of December. Read more

new terraplanes downloads

Here on Bandcamp for terraplanes demos/

Gigs in the West Country

 I have a fb group called Old Radstock and recently we were discussing gigs in the area who played where. Them with Van Morrison played Coleford British Legion as did Lulu and the Luvvers. Beatles played the Pavilion, Bath. John Lee Hooker played there too.

Brix & the Extricated at the Thekla Bristol

If you are an old Fall fan there is only one show in town these days the band made up of old stalwarts from the glory days of the Fall. We went as a family group - daughter Celia got at the front and took this photo and was given a pick by Brix for dancing. Sister Anne drove. The set was excellent - old Fall classics like New Prinz, Cruiser's Creek, Deadbeat Descendant - the years rolled away under the wheels of the Hanley brother's juggernaut-style rhythm section. Their own songs were good too - all in all a great package. Brix was a ball of energy and enthusiasm filling the old boat with warmth. A night out to remember.

Radstock's last tunnel

From Deviant art's Brutha Voodoo page

Somerset history

If you haven't bought my booklet now is a good time - post free from ebay.

1/35 WW2 Italians

This scale is pretty good for vehicles and a few sets of figures. 

Italian movie from 2002 El Alamein - La linea del fuoco,

It's up on Youtube but you have to pay. Or you could buy the DVD. Here;s the wiki

Perry Miniatures WW2 (desert) range

If you are thinking of 28mm Italians in the desert these figures by the Perrys are very appealing.

Battle! Charles Grant

These old school wargames rules for ww2 were published in book form in 1970. Copies of this book fetch high prices but fret not. They are available  in magazine form free to download here

Italian cavalry ww2 1/72

Waterloo 1815 do quite a lot of Italian subjects. These could double as Greeks.

Charge of the Italian Savoia Cavalleria at Izbushensky

There's a distinct lack of 10mm cavalry for WW2. Here's an action with Italian cavalry - Pendrad Pithead take note
"On 23 August 1942, the Savoia Cavalry Regiment, under Colonel Alessandro Bettoni was ordered to take Hill 213.5 in order to secure the right flank of the Sforzesca Division that had been forced to withdraw to new positions. The Italian cavalry reinforcements advanced on the night of 23/24 August, but the Savoia were soon under fire from two battalions from the Russian 812th Regiment that had just taken up positions overnight in preparations for further attacks. The Italian Commanding Officer, Colonel Bettoni Cazzago decided to counter-attack immediately the Russians in order to regain the initiative. With Captain Francesco De Leone leading the the 2nd Squadron forward shouting "Avanti Savoia!"., the Italian cavalrymen overran the 812th Regiment in a series of attacks lasting several hours." (http://world-war-2.wikia.com/wiki/Bat... Battle of Isbuscenskij)