Right Chaps, I might have to go on radio silence for a couple of days while I immerse myself in figure hell.
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Good luck mate, we’re with you in spirit.
Make mine a treble.
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Aaaargh! I’ve just found I’ve run out of Kalashnikovs (I do so hope GCHQ haven’t miked my house) so have had to put the figures on hold a bit until a replen can be effected.
In the meantime I’ve been reassessing the wall sections; I’ve painted some contrasting colours (of brick/breeze-blocks in different greys) but to my mind it doesn’t look right at all. So, I think I’ll revert to monochrome, probably a medium grey which is what I planned in the first place. The cobbles are a not dissimilar colour but with the activity - ie lots of figures, obstacles and the details, I still think it will work. I hope so!
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I think I would paint all the blocks the same colour, but then add a little interest by painting a reasonably subtle colour gradient across each of them — probably easiest to do by making a paper mask the size of a block and spraying each with a lighter or darker shade of the base colour.
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Or easer still, paint it a single color and use filters. It takes the tiniest dot of oil paint and a brush lightly damped in mineral spirits. No need for masks or cleaning the airbrush.
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Where do you live mate I’ve got a load of aks I don’t need
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Thanks Terry, but a package from Kingkit is on its way as I speak; thanks anyway.
For the record, Darkest Wiltshire, not far from Stonehenge.
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and that A303 dip is the most loathed part … it breaks my soul driving along that stretch with all the idiots stopping to look at some rocks …
I was thinking about that dio and with hindsight etc (being the great thing it is ) it would of been cool to have the wall only partially built with blocks/stonework laying around waiting to be put in place and the monkeys looking at it very confused … Its all looking very good though … RMPs came out very nice with the extra detailing …
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Thanks John! For those that know, it’s often worth detouring through Larkhill, thence to Shrewton to come out at Winterbourne Stoke (assuming you’re heading west), thus avoiding said “rocks” - one of the most iconic monuments of the Neolithic age and a World Heritage site. Sigh.
There should still be enough builders’ debris, spare blocks, shovel, wheelbarrow etc to indicate a recent build, I hope, and I have a cunning plan for an extra figure; talk about making a rod for one’s own back!
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I remember way back when the A360 use to carry on down behind the henge and join the 303 at the bottom of the dip ! BTW, is Rollestone still used as a transit/exercise camp ? I did my Heli Handlers course there and underslung loads course from it.
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Don’t mess with BootsDMS, he’s a closet Druid living near Stonehenge & knows all about blocks of stones – didn’t anyone notice he went AWOL around the winter solstice? 
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I’m pretty sure Rollestone is still in use (unlike The Bustard pub, nearby, which has been closed for some time). Rollestone is home to 2 x balloon hangars used by No 2 Balloon Company RE in 1909; they’re obviously listed buildings. It was also in use as a nick in the 1980s (I think - I can’t quite remember, when the Prison Warders decided to go on strike or something).
I’ve used the camp several times but would hope it’s had some sort of refurb; it was a bit cack. I always preferred Knook - always toasty with drying rooms.
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Ah yes that’s the winter solstice, I’m not surprised you didn’t show the summer solstice when you all go bare-ass nekked. Did you make bail eventually last June?
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That reminds me Tim (I can hear the groans from here as a result of those 3 words); back in around 1976 (blazing hot in the UK for once), Stonehenge wasn’t fenced off and attracted thousands of the hippy fraternity every year.
I was ensconced at Div in nearby Bulford Camp; I was one of the few Clerks who could drive in our branch so I was always detailed off to drive the Clerks’ Land Rover. Now, the CO of the HQ supporting Signals Regiment opined that the whole - HQ and regiment - were crap at convoy driving on exercise; he was probably right. To remedy this, all HQ drivers had to participate in a one-day convoy drills exercise which took us all over Salisbury Plain, and onerous stuff it was. We had to stick rigidly to military speed limits, often because some heavy truck was quite a slow mover.
As it happened the crawl-along-convoy drove past Stonehenge (not the main A303, but a small road that went quite close to the stones - fairly recently covered over). The already slow convoy then stopped. The reason: bare-breasted hippy girls cavorting amongst the stones, waving at soldiers!
The CO was apoplectic; his carefully planned exercise and timings all now in disarray. The RSM and assorted Royal Signals SNCOs got amongst us and sorted out the chaos. Eventually the day came to an end, and we returned to barracks, well refreshed in equipment recognition.
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Can I ask a practical question at this point. Are we gonna do Stonehenge tomorrow night?
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Aha! A replen delivered today courtesy of Kingkit - and very efficient they are too:
No excuse not to crack on with the figures now - though I have been working on the base.
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Just a final wrap on the Stonehenge tangent, I am one half of “Stonehenge Modellers” - the other half being my great mate Pete Smith. We exhibit at around 4-5 shows mainly in the south of UK. Some years ago when attending the Belgian national show Plastic & Steel, we initiated a prize for “Best post-1945 Military Vehicle”, in the form of a small model of Stonehenge.
We were then unable to go for a couple of years running (and greatly missed it), but we plan on attending this year in early October, and hope to resurrect the prize, below:
An engraved plaque is added.
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Back to the project: the base as mentioned above; I’ve still to paint the kerb-stone dividing the road from the cobbles:
Hopefully beginning to look suitably oppressive and sinister.
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Great built so far, may I ask if cobblestone is a set or scrathbuild?
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