Update on those Royal Mail paint restrictions

If you need a reminder here is a link to the problem.

I've just received an update from Change.org

<<Hi everyone,
It has been some time since our last time, during which we've been in constant contact with the people in Royal Mail's Dangerous Goods Support team. There was another senior meeting at Royal Mail, held in late February, where the policy was discussed. As before, unfortunately they have decided against any changes to it at this time.
As yet, we have also not received any answers to the questions we have posed, regarding how Parcel Force can send 'potentially damaging' items and Royal Mail can't; what statistics they have to show that paints are more likely to break in transit than other fluids; and why alcohol can be shipped as a 'decision on a business level' yet paint can't.
In an effort to get some answers to those questions, we have contacted several other Royal Mail departments, in the hope that someone somewhere can provide logical reasons for all of this.
We are also going to be contacting several MEP's as this restriction is harming trade between many EU countries. We are hoping that this will push the issue further, and help us achieve a favourable change to the policy.
Thanks again for your continued support, and don't forget to join our Facebook group: Facebook - PostOurPaint or follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PostOurPaint @PostOurPaint
Cheers,
Leon

This message was sent by Leon Pengilley using the Change.org system. You received this email because you signed a petition started by Leon Pengilley on Change.org: "Moya Greene: Lift the restrictions on shipping water-based paints.." Change.org does not endorse contents of this message.

View the petition>>

Update January 2015

See this update that shows that people power can work, as the restrictions have been lifted. This gives the new, much more sensible regulations as from 12th Jan 2015
shipping-water-based-paints petition_update

Omaha beach landing craft from a new modeller

When I started blogging about our rather eccentric Waterloo project last Autumn little did I know that only two miles up the road my progress was being watched.......... Mark Freeman had just embarked on his "mid-life crisis" to recreate the fun of youthful modelling and was enjoying collecting 1/72 scale plastic Waterloo figures and making a diorama of parts of Waterloo in lots of manageable-sized sections.  He was looking to my blog for inspiration and modelling tips and got in touch with me. Over  the intervening months I've enjoyed his company and considerable enthusiasm and am gently encouraging him to try his hand at wargaming. His Waterloo model is coming on nicely but Mark is already exhibiting that common wargamerly trait of "butterfly" concentration. Not long ago he started modelling World War Two...again I gave him a bit of advice and  before I really noticed he'd come up with a camera phone snapshot of his one-off model inspired by the Omaha beach landings on 6th June 1944.  I was so impressed I got him round for a more considered photo shoot in my lounge.
Here is one view and for many more photos and Mark's own words please see the Pages side bar at the right for the Mark Freeman Guest Page

Waterloo Project: Treble Top! 180!

Well, you can't blame me for that title!  The expert miniatures-painting-machine that is Kevin East has been at it again. In fact he sent me these pix some weeks ago but I held them back while my Hussarette paintings were fresh off the easel. I know Kevin forgives me but I doubt readers will when they see this lot. It is a generic French Light Battalion that will form part of the 1st Legere for Hougoumont and one of the three battalions of 13th Legere for La Haye Sainte (I have to do one of the latter myself)

In Kevin's own words:
"Here’s another addition for the Waterloo series of games we will be putting on in mid 2015. Completed on time, to my tentative schedule, a French light battalion of just over 180 figures.  I already had 60 figures from my existing collection, which are in battalions of  36 figures, so the 120 that I just completed now make up a complete French battalion representing 558 actual men. All with the correct colour company pompom, the battalion is completed with its own vivandiere who will be playing her part in the  games!

Beyond the 2015 1:3 scale games and at a later date, these newly painted figures will divide into 36 figure battalions. We plan to stage Quatre Bras, Plancenoit and maybe other Waterloo actions at 1:20 scale. This will mean a repainting of the pompoms and also the creation of all the 6 figure command stands that each battalion will require. So the figures will be able to fit into the two different ratio scenarios quite nicely.

Here you can see the two French battalions completed to date, in a ‘10 litre really useful box’ storage tray which I buy from Hobby Craft. 

They are a reasonable price at just over £7 and hold up to 400 foot figures. The box is even tall enough for flags and lancer figures. I now have a collection of 11 of these boxes and they are ideal for transporting the figures to the various venues for the games.

Now I’m onto the next 180 figure French Line battalion! Vive L’Empereur!

Kevin"

Thanks so much Kevin - they are an inspiration to us all.