“The First Noel…”

On a snowy December’s night, Major de Winter rides his trusty horse ‘Tinsel’ through the streets of the small town of Advent. He is returning to his lodging at the Manor House. Indeed, all the men of his regiment, the 1st Noel Foot Guards, are billeted in the town for the Christmas season.

‘No doubt’, thinks the Major as Tinsel trudges dutifully on through the snow, ‘most of the lads are already enjoying the delights of the local public house; a most disreputable tavern named ‘The Holly and the Ivy’…

As stated in my previous post, I’ve retrieved my Christmas Infantry Brigade from storage. Two regiments take turns to parade on the mantelpiece over the Christmas period. Whilst for this year it is the turn of the 1st Noel Regiment of Foot Guards, I’ve been busy painting a half-dozen figures to add to my under-strength Yule Grenadiers.

Using, Revell’s increasingly rare “Seven Years War Austrian Infantry” set, this year I’ve added a drummer, five marching grenadiers and am just finishing off a mounted officer.

The Yule Grenadiers are now 17 strong. The flags of both regiments was designed by my young daughter on computer. The 1st Noel have a nice red flag with lots of baubles, the Yule Grenadiers have a flag featuring a Christmas pudding on a green background!

For this Christmas, my daughter has received an innovative advent calendar which builds daily into a snow-covered town using pressed out card for houses and trees. I thought this might prove to be a nice backdrop for parading both regiments (scale notwithstanding) and she kindly let me borrow it for these photographs.

On a snowy December day, the Yule Grenadiers take up their right to march through the streets of Advent, the regiment enjoy the honour of having the ‘freedom on the town’.

An NCO and musketeer of the 1st Noel Regiment of Foot, pieces of tinsel in their tricorns.

The 1st Noel Regiment of Foot:

The Yule Grenadiers:

Great news those with access to British television, the very wonderful Time Commanders returns after an absence of about a decade. The series features hour-long episodes dedicated to wargaming battles from ancient history. Episode one will feature the Roman-Cathaginian battle of Zama, 202BC. Previous episodes included such battles as Cannae, Gauagamela, Chalons-sur-Marne, Tuetoburg Forest, Qadesh and Stamford Bridge. It’s all done using virtual figures rather than painted versions, but makes for great television nevertheless!

Clip from the series Time Commanders

Best wishes for the season to everybody!

Marvin.