A new project

[paulr]

I was wondering today if you had managed to secure the place you mentioned a while ago. Good to hear the move is on

[Sandinista]

I'm currently sat in a house full of boxes. removal firm due on Wednesday to load van to take down south.
Lorna and the cats are already in Pukekohe, I am just finishing up here, before heading down Wednesday night.

Cheers
Ian

[paulr]

Good to hear, I hope the final part of the move goes smoothly

[Sandinista]

Move went well, even better was there was a parcel waiting for me when I arrived from a certain Middlesbrough based company. Not opened it yet as the place is still chaos, I must be patient 

Cheers
Ian

[paulr]

Great news

Your patience is impressive

[toxicpixie]

Stay on target, Gold Leader! Paints & brushes  out first, then the lead

[Sandinista]

Well, the house is sorted, and more importantly my games room is back up and running.
I have prepped and stuck on sticks the 1st three Venetian units, 1 foot, 1 dragoon and 1 horse. Will undercoat these later today after we get back from the beach. Then I can paint them tomorrow.

Cheers
Ian

[paulr]

... Will undercoat these later today after we get back from the beach...

Talk about rub it in
I'm pretty sure most of the snow has gone, up north

[Techno]

"Back from the beach.".......Mutter, grumble, grumble.

Cheers - Phil

[Orcs]

"Back from the beach.".......Mutter, grumble, grumble.

Cheers - Phil

Yes you can go off people can't you !!!!

Cheers

Mr Jealous

[Orcs]

Lorna would divorce me 

I have just finished designing all the flags and Leon has emailed to say he has posted the package off 

With a bit of luck, by the time I have settled into Pukekohe they should have arrived.

Cheers
Ian

If you don't mind me asking , What made you move down from the stunning Bay of Islands area?

[toxicpixie]

"Back from the beach.".......Mutter, grumble, grumble.

Cheers - Phil

C'mon, you can enjoy the stunning Freshwater West (sand shell cottage, sadly!), with its breakers crashing in all the way across the Atlantic from the 'States! It'll be bracing, Phil!

[Techno]

Almost the last time I went 'to the beach', there was a chap with errrr.....what do you call it.....a windsurfing kite ?

Von and I watched him for a few minutes, which the chap spotted.
"Would you like to have a go ?", he asked, in very friendly way.

"Ummm...no...That's very kind of you to offer.....But that would almost certainly take me off my feet, and then dump me a few hundred yards out, in the Irish sea !"

(See.....I'm not TOTALLY daft.) 

Cheers - Phil

[Sandinista]

If you don't mind me asking , What made you move down from the stunning Bay of Islands area?

Yes, the Bay of Islands is very pretty but it is deserted. The Far North District, of which the Bay of Islands is part of, is about the size of North Yorkshire but has only 60,000 inhabitants, Kerikeri being the largest town with around 5,000 inhabitants. Most of them in retirement homes, I lived in Kerikeri and at 53 it seemed as if I was in the younger part of the age range. There is no public transport, the roads are poor quality and the local council is inept to say the least.
The three main employers are the council, the prison and Top Energy. As unemployment is double the national average, you are stuck in your job as the rest is seasonal low paid fruit picking work. The shops only opened during work hours and for a couple of hours on a Saturday morning, the prices for everything was a little bit more than Auckland. Wages are about 10% lower than NZ average and 20% lower than Auckland. House prices were increasing insanely due to the influx of Aucklanders.

I now live outside of Auckland, with a train station in walking distance. We are more rural than we were in Kerikeri, but with modern amenities close at hand, including motor racing, rugby, bars, cafes, restaurants...

There are also two wargames groups within 10km of me, which is good.

The far north is a nice place for a holiday but I would not recommend living there, not even in retirement.

Cheers
Ian

[Sandinista]

Here are the first painted units 1 of Dragoons and 1 of foot