Secret Santa a belated Happy Christmas and other chit chat!

Well that's Christmas over again for another year, I had the 3 important Christmas days off work,Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day but now I'm paying the price, I swapped the three shifts with a co-worker, which now means I'm working every day until the 10th January!!!! At least the place is closed down  for the holidays and I can get a little painting done.
Apologies if I've missed any of your posts recently, like many of you, Its been a little too busy in the Rousell household, what with Christmas and work to even look at the computer for too long. So a belated Merry Christmas to all.  But now I'm back at work so I can once again bore you all to tears with my NYW figures!!

I've a few nearly bits and bobs nearly finished for Curts Challenge, I had to send an emergency plea for supplies to Warbases, just before Christmas, as I only had a few bases left. (Thanks Martin!!!!) I spent so much time getting figures ready for the Challenge I didn't even think about the damn bases!!!

As I already mentioned in a previous post, my main aim in this years Challenge is to get the French NYW army completed. I've been sorting through Richard's Horse units, to save himself money he only bought 1 command pack per regt of horse, now me being the particular plum I am, I've got to add the missing command stand and flag to all the second squadrons, which will leave spare figures which I'll then add to, to make new units. So I'll be posting a few 12 man units that I only painted a few figures for, so you'll have to trust me on this one!!!!

Thanks have got to go to Ian and Cath for organizing the Secret Santa plan. And thanks to my not so secret Santa, Dave D, who sent me the most excellent figures in the pic above, they're 2 Essex minis wagons to go with my NYW figures, I do plan to get these sorted for the Challenge, Thanks Dave!!!!!
I hope my Secret Santa liked his gift, he was a right bugger to by for, I searched his blog for what seemed like an age to get some ideas, but in the end gave in and emailed Cath, who sent me a nice long list of goodies to buy from, that made it a lot easier.
I also got three wargaming gifts for Christmas, which I don't usually get, as the Mrs R seems to think I spend enough money on figures and stuff throughout the year. She may have a point????

The Fort William Henry Osprey

War & Conquest Rules 

And finally John Childs newly re-printed The Nine Years War and the British Army 1688-1697

A must if you're interested in the period

Apologies have got to go to Tamsin, I was sorting my shed out, making room for more figures, when I found the Sandbags they she most graciously presented me with at Salute. We did think we'd have to use them a couple of weeks ago, as the Thames was going to flood, which I live pretty close to.  Thank God we didn't have to use them after all. When I picked them up a figure fell out of the packet......

K9

Lastly, you may have tried to go to the post I posted yesterday, which infact wasn't a post at all.I was trying to comment on Juan's blog, Jugando con "Munequitos" and somehow my comment turned into a post??? which I deleted as soon as I could, so it's all Juan's fault!

I couldn't have possibly pressed the wrong button....could I????

I hope you all had a great Christmas, plenty of booze, grub and of course painting!!!! 

Ray