Pendraken Miniatures Forum

ABOUT YOU

Name:
Colin Lambert   (AKA Albie Bach)

Location:
Cheddington, UK

(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/In%20The%20Line%20of%20Fire/ColinandSaffy_zps0688edf9.jpg)


PAYING FOR IT!

Current occupation:
Postie for the last 15 years

What's the best job you've ever had?
Being a Postie was great until about 6 years ago.

What would your ideal occupation be?
Running Birdwatching holidays.


GETTING INTO IT!

How did you get involved in wargaming?
I played with Airfix as a kid. Unfortunately I didn't get into it seriously and didn't rediscover proper wargaming until Game Of War came on telly (with Paddy Griffith, Iain Dickie and Arthur Harman). Then I found Tring Wargames Club.

http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/wargames-on-film-and-tv-game-of-war.html (http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.co.uk/2009/12/wargames-on-film-and-tv-game-of-war.html)

What was your first figure?
After my Airfix days it was a 15mm Napoleonic starter pack that I bought from Iain Dickie.

Do you have a favourite period/genre?
WW2 followed by ACW.

I've always enjoyed playing ancients, but never found the right way to make up my own armies for various reasons: what rules, what scale, what have the others at the club already got, etc?.  It seems Warmaster Ancients will be a 'stayer' and I'm now painting an army.

I've also just finished some Pendraken Saxons and Norse for Dux Bellorum which I've put on 40x20 bases so if I added to them I could use them for WMA, but it's not likely.

How big is your figure collection?
I keep all of my collections in those Really Useful 4L boxes. Each box contains about 100 x 10mm vehicles/guns or 150 infantry stands.

All in all I have the following collections. The number in brackets is the number of boxes the collection fits in:

10mm WWII - Germans (3 boxes), Japanese (1), Russians (2.5), US (2), BEF (1), French (1) plus AVBCW (1)
10mm Dark Age - Saxon and Norse (1)
10mm Visigoths (1)

20mm WWII N.Africa - British (3), Germans (3)

Dystopian Wars - Russians and Italians (2)

15mm ACW - Union (1.5), Confederates (1.5)
15mm Napoleonic - British (2), French (2)
15mm AK47 Republic armies (1)
15mm FPW – Prussians (1) - bought painted and hardly used

28mm Vikings (1) – bought painted and never used
28mm Saracens (2) – bought painted and never used

I only buy what I'm prepared to paint and use now.

And how big is your unpainted lead mountain?
I have a box of about 200 unpainted 15mm Napoleonics which I intend to get around to one day, but apart from that I buy what I want as I need it.

Do you have a favourite model in your collection? And do you have a pic?
My painting is not great, but I like this photo of my AK47 stuff:
(https://sites.google.com/site/colinswargaming/gallery/Landscape%20%282%29.JPG)
 

and my latest Pendraken Dark Age Norsemen (with the inevitable dog hair, I've just noticed)
(https://sites.google.com/site/colinswargaming/gallery/Vikings.jpg)


What is the most important aspect of wargaming for you?
Gaming; with club mates or solo.


PLANNING IT

What project are you currently working on?
Various 10mm battlegroups for Warmaster Ancients and Dux Bellorum

Do you have any long-term projects on the go?
Thirty seconds walk from our house I walk the dog up the fields onto the ridge between the Paps Of Cheddington; two hills called Southend Hill and Westend Hill on the edge of the Aylesbury Vale.

The scenery is rural but varied, and gives me lots of inspiration for scenarios for all periods. On my side of the rise is our village whilst on the far side there is an ex-ww2 airfield which is now used as a small industrial area.

I'm planning to model the whole thing with interchangeable sections for a 6x4 table.

Do you have any wargaming influences?
Mainly what is going on at the club, but also Miniature Wargames magazine and this forum.


BUYING IT!

Do you buy scenery, or scratch build it?
I mainly buy terrain. I scratch build some defences when I have a specific need.

Which figure range is at the top of your request list?
The Pendraken Ancients 'reboot'.

Which individual item is at the top of your request list?
I'm really looking forward to the remodelling of Pendraken's German 20mm/37mm Flak units.

Which wargaming websites do you visit regularly?
Forums – Pendraken & Specialist Military Publishing (for BKC)
Suppliers – Pendraken, (Spartan Games at the moment)

If someone handed you £100 right now, what would you buy?
I'd use it for a down-payment on the new Pendraken Ancients.

What has been your biggest one-off purchase?
20mm WWII British for N.Africa – painted.


PAINTING AND MODELLING IT!

How many hours a week do you paint?
About 10.

What kind of technique do you use?
Dark basecoat. Overbrush main colours. Highlight. Detail. Thinned Gloss varnish with brown ink added. Matt varnish (with more ink added as required). I don't use spray cans at all any more.

Do you have a preferred brand of paint?
Vallejo.

Do you have a painting area? And do you have a pic?
(https://sites.google.com/site/colinswargaming/gallery/workspace.jpg)


Have you had any painting/modelling disasters?
When I first started painting my own stuff I dropped an open pot of black paint onto the dining room carpet...

Now I've got a dedicated work space upstairs.

I spent ages painting a Napoleonic Light Infantry unit and sprayed on the varnish which went cloudy. This is one reason that I don't use sprays any more along with cost, coverage, control and clogging problems.

Do you have any painting/modelling top tips?
I chamfer the edges of my 2mm MDF bases so they appear very thin.

Instead of using magna-base I crosshatch the underside of the MDF base with a craft knife and line the box with felt or similar. I transport my stuff to the club like this. It's OK if the height is less than the width.

Listen to Radio 4 Extra while you paint.


PLAYING WITH IT!

How often do you get to game?
Usually once a week at the club plus a game at home

Do you belong to a local club?
Tring Wargames Club: https://sites.google.com/site/tringwargames/ (https://sites.google.com/site/tringwargames/)

Do you have a funny wargaming story?
They seem to fall into the category of "You had to be there."

Something that makes me laugh with the benefit of hindsight is being told by a club committee member (who had nothing to do with the game) "There's a house rule. You can't move that gun without a limber", even though the rulebook specifically states limbers are not part of the game but can be used for aesthetics. My reply was suitably brief.

And have you had any Wargaming disasters?
Not yet....

Once I went out to walk the dog and half way realised I had left a box of 10mm WWII Germans perched on top of a small box and teetering on the edge of a table – with my wife vacuuming about the house.
All was well but I counted them and found it contained over 100 vehicles and guns – all Pendraken. It would have been a pain if that got knocked down, and it would have been my fault.

Do you prefer short games or long campaigns?
I prefer one-off games, but like fairly large games. I'm not really into campaigns.

Do you have a wargames room? And do you have a pic?
(https://sites.google.com/site/colinswargaming/gallery/Table.JPG)

Note: Really Useful 4L boxes!
(https://sites.google.com/site/colinswargaming/gallery/Storage.JPG)

How do you store your figures?
Really Useful Boxes 4L, with an insert tray for a second layer for 10mm and 15mm figs.


READING ABOUT IT!

What are you reading at the moment?
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell and general reference material relating to my current project delving into Ancients.

Do you have a favourite book?
Non-fiction - It Never Snows In September by Robert Kershaw
Fiction - The Fort by Bernard Cornwell

Do you buy any wargaming magazines, and if so, which ones?
Miniature Wargames with Battlegames – in my view it has greatly improved since Henry Hyde took over as editor.


WATCHING IT!

What are your 3 favourite films?
Withnail & I
Hot Fuzz
The Big Lebowski
(http://www.blogodisea.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/big-lebowski-gran-lebowski.jpg)


And your 3 worst?
I've chosen these because I paid good money to see them!
Life Of Brian
Avatar
Skyfall

What are your all-time Top 3 TV shows?
Father Ted
Midsummer Murders
Faulty Towers
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514PDSHCXNL.jpg)

And right now?
Antiques Roadtrip
Total Wipeout
Top Gear
(http://pic.auto.mail.ru/content/documents/in_text_images/c/a/ca1795021c3cbabb32f6a56aa46ac216.jpeg)

LISTENING TO IT!

Who is your favourite band?
Scientist

And favourite album?
Scientist Rids The World Of The Curse Of The Evil Vampires

And your 3 favourite songs?
Scientist, Dematerialize


The Upsetters, Dubbing Sandra


The Stranglers – anything really, but let's say Duchess



NOT RELATED TO IT!

What other hobbies/pastimes do you enjoy?
I'm a Volunteer Warden at a local nature reserve and enjoy Bird Ringing, Bird Surveys and casual Bird Watching. I also enjoy Moth recording and Walking.

What do you drive?
Scooby Doo Philippa Forrester (AKA Subaru Forester)
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02539/Subaru-Forester-I_2539074b.jpg)

Are you a breast or thigh person...
Breast

And who are your Top 3 Totty?
Jessica Biel in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre


Kate Beckinsale

Kate Humble (with our dog, Saffy, at Portland Bill Bird Observatory)
(http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l575/PendrakenMiniatures/In%20The%20Line%20of%20Fire/KatewithSaffy_zpsc97417cc.jpg)

Do you have a favourite quote?
"The unforgivable crime in war is not making the wrong decision, but making no decision." - Frederick The Great

If you could do anything, what would it be?
Move to North Norfolk or Anglesey, as long as I could take the club with me.

8)

Great interview Colin !
Cheers - Phil.

OK, I'm confused.... are Nosher and Albie Bach one and the same person, or is Nosher just doing a mate a favour by posting for him?

Whichever way, it was a great interview. And you actually know Kate Humble!  :)

Really good read, thanks Colin :).

Maybe Nosher and Albie Bach are just Leon clones? In fact ... perhaps we're all Leon clones?

Nice one Colin,
Didn't realize you were so close to me in Leighton!  ;)

Nice Interview....Are you a twitcher in the bill Oddie mode?

Quote from: Fenton on 20 November 2013, 12:10:24 PM
Nice Interview....Are you a twitcher in the bill Oddie mode?

Well, we all think Colin's a bit of an Oddie!  ;) :d

Quote from: Hertsblue on 20 November 2013, 11:15:02 AM
OK, I'm confused.... are Nosher and Albie Bach one and the same person, or is Nosher just doing a mate a favour by posting for him?

Neither.  :)  Nosher is helping Leon out by doing the editing and posting of the In The Line Of Fire feature for him. Thanks Nosher.  8)

Quote from: Hertsblue on 20 November 2013, 11:15:02 AM
And you actually know Kate Humble!  :)

My wife and I (plus our dog) were staying at the Portland Bill Bird Observatory doing some bird ringing and the BBC came to do some filming for Autumnwatch. They filmed us but didn't use it.  :(   I reckon they were just getting the lighting and sound levels right for the filming of the Observatory warden. We met Kate Humble and she is really nice even at 7 o'clock in the morning.   :)  She loved our dog. Chris Packham also turned up later but we didn't get to speak to him.
My wife was filmed with Elle Harrison  :)  for Countryfile a couple of weeks ago but it hasn't been shown yet. Fingers crossed it will be one day.

Quote from: Fenton on 20 November 2013, 12:10:24 PM
....Are you a twitcher in the bill Oddie mode?

I'm a bird ringer and birder, not a twitcher :)   I'm interested in British birds and their behaviour, survival, breeding success etc. Twitchers want to see as many different species in a year as possible. Twitchers charge around the country trying to spot some rarity which, in reality, is usually a poor lost soul that has been blown way off its migration route and has no real hope of making it back.

Quote from: mad lemmey on 20 November 2013, 11:41:49 AM
Didn't realize you were so close to me in Leighton!  ;)

Yep. Just down the road.

Quote from: Albie Bach on 20 November 2013, 04:41:09 PM
I'm a bird ringer

Do you get a good tune out of them?

Good stuff, always interesting to hear what my fellow lunatics gamers get up to :)

However,

Quote from: Albie Bach on 20 November 2013, 04:41:09 PM
I'm a bird ringer

I'm going to have a certain Meatloaf song in my head all evening now!

Great to see someone else with good musical taste  m/ m/

Quote from: fsn on 20 November 2013, 04:49:18 PM
Do you get a good tune out of them?

:D
My mum could never disassociate "I ring birds" from "I wring birds"  :o

Quote from: Sandinista on 20 November 2013, 05:00:31 PM
Great to see someone else with good musical taste  m/ m/

8) More to come on the Top Tunes thread I think.

I see Leon has fixed the links.
Thanks Leon. 8)

Colin

Nice intervieuw!!

Yes I really enjoy reading about other forum members great interview

take care

andy

good interview

Just drove through Cheddington on the way to Tring Zoological Museum with the littlest one, didn't look like you delivering the post?  ;)

Cool interview, nice to see ITLOF back on the forum!

Quote from: mad lemmey on 21 November 2013, 01:05:01 PM
Just drove through Cheddington on the way to Tring Zoological Museum with the littlest one, didn't look like you delivering the post?  ;)

If you can, Will, you are welcome to call in on Saturday  :) My club mate and forum member, Sunjester, is coming over to my place to do a couple of introduction games of Chain Of Command for me and another club member. About 10am-5pm. If you are interested I'll PM my address.

Unfortunately I don't deliver in Cheddington. That would be good.

I would love to be not sure I have enough brownie points after being out all last weekend!  ;)

Another day I hope... :-bd

Quote from: mad lemmey on 21 November 2013, 03:56:17 PM
Another day I hope... :-bd

Yes, it's a bit short notice. I'll think of something for another time.  8)

I had to look up where Cheddington was as I had never heard of it

Between Pitstone and Mentmore! Just off the centre of the universe.
Even has its own station...

Quote from: mad lemmey on 21 November 2013, 04:56:38 PM
Between Pitstone and Mentmore! Just off the centre of the universe.
Even has its own station...

thanks....doesnt help but thanks

The centre of the universe being two hundred parsecs beyond Alpha Centauri? No wonder he doesn't deliver there!  :D

Quote from: sunjester on 20 November 2013, 02:11:16 PM
Well, we all think Colin's a bit of an Oddie!  ;) :d

He's no more an Oddie than you - Or  me acctually

Good interview Colin.

Quote from: Just a few Orcs on 25 November 2013, 05:22:14 PM
He's no more an Oddie than you - Or  me acctually
Good interview Colin.

Thanks. Hope you liked the Jessica Biel video. I had to spend ages cramming Youtube with Russian tank and Reggae searches to get rid of all the suggested videos.

Great interview Colin  8)

(I'm totally with you on Jessica Biel...hardcore body. Yum.)