187-390 Painting Points for January

The first of my Saxe-Nweilintz Musketeers arrive in there new uniforms, with first of the horses from the Royal Stables.
They have been marching so much the grass has been worn away..... honest !!!!!
These are for me.... to go to the UK Big Battalions game at Grimsby in October.... 25% of my commitment to the cause is completed.
Austrian Lancers...... Lances to follow
Its a different unit...... honest !!

Told you it was..... and you didnt believe me, shame on you !!

In addition to these 290 points painted, I have also finished a 100 point Rebasing Project for my Romans, which have now faught their first battle in 3 years.

Bringing January to 390 Points.

I have also managed to prep a further 22 units for painting next month (24/30 figures each)

Thanks must go to Wanstead Evening College for giving me 3 evenings a week for painting and to my alarm clock for getting me up 3 hours before i start work so i can get an additional 12 hours painting, so 30 to 40 hours per week..... this will slacken off once the college courses finish and the GF wants more 'together time' but then September comes its back to school and back to the brushes.

On a news front, Wargames Factory have announced thier initial release of Ancient figures in hard plastic, but only in America and not much yet, but they are now linked to Ospreys Field of Glory this should expand quickly, just doubt that they will be available for 15£ over here, especially if old ~Glory get them... theyjust change the dollar sign for a Pound sign and pocket the exchange rate.... might import some while I still can.

Cheers Shaun

145-186 PP YTD

These are the latest batch winging their way to Zac, the back row are shirt wearing Rebels.

These are going unbased again. Next on the block are are 24 Austrian Uhlan for Graham and 54 Prussian 7YW for me..... oh and some Roman bits need finishing

Cheers Shaun

The Ready Room - Production Line Painting

Well that was a busy few days, rebased 9 units of 24 figures, 4 units of 12 figure, 2 units of 6 cavalry and 10 artillery. Repainted 144 tunics and prepred the last 12 Cavalry, 144 infantry and 6 bases of Command figures, mounted and foot, to be painted up over the next 2 months to fill out the ranks and reduce the lead mountain, before the new recruits arrive.

These are racks i use as a production line for my painting schedule.

On the left are a Bunnygirl American football team and a unit of GW Imperial Guard 'falshirmjager' troops.

The top box, based and not undercoated are 4 units of Old Glory French to be painted as Danish troops and 2 units of Chassuers a Cheval, 96 Infantry and 24 Cavalry.

The bottom box has 2 units of Cuirrasiers, 2 units of Austrian Lancers and a units of hussar, black undercoated and a Battery of French 12 pounders.

The books are my Blandfords, but i also have a lot of Ospreys and many others, altho none of them seem to have the pictures i need of the troops i am given to paint.

The process i use for painting is pretty much what i have learnt over the past 20 odd years, 12 years ago I was painting badly, dry brushing everything, using any old paint and the brushes i hate to think. So i slowed down, and painted the best i figure i could, it took over an hour and had highlights, eyes and all the correct colours, with buttons and everything a French voltiguer, i sat back and couldnt see the eyes or the third highlight. So i revised it a little and started working on my speed...

The figures are based onto card, usually 3 figures in a single rank and the base is then covered in a sand mix, then left to set. I usually base up 4 to 6 units at a time and then paint then in pairs or three's of the same colour, usually 48 to 72 figures in a batch (cavalry count as 2), becuase this is the most if can fit into the figure space on my paint tray!! but also i can usually get a colour done across those figure at a sitting.

Once dry i spray undercoat in Black, usually on a stick or board, ensuring the undersides of the figures are properly coated, as well as the sand base.

These are then left to dry before the base colours are added to the clothing, darker then needed to provide a shade between the black and the final highlight. Bestial brown is then painted over all exposed flesh areas and hair, picking up any woodwork at the same time. scorched Earth is painted over the base surface.

Next come any metalics, then the highlight on the flesh, and a Graveyard earth drybrush over the base, covering the edges. The final stage is the flesh, which is Dwarf Flesh, then Elf flesh highlights, followed by touch ups and quality control.

Once all 6 units in the batch are completed then i flock the bases and add a flag (www.warflag.com) to finish the unit, then a spray of GW Purity seal.

Recently i have taken on paint only orders and started to paint for sale units on the Bring n Buy at various shows, this has further reduced the Lead mountain.

Then its back to the start and base up more units...... the never ending cycle of painting.

At which point i am off to paint the flesh on 145-184 (ACW 28mm figures for Zac)

Cheers Shaun

Yellow Army

The current forces from Egyptus, the emporers' old right hand man, comming to claim the Empire for himself.
The Marines are comming..... lock up your sons!!!!!!

The auxilia to augment this will be Numidian skirmishers, Light cavalry and Elephants, north african stuff.

cheers Shaun

Green Army

This Army is going to be based around a Renegade Commander, a battle leader.... comming to save the Empire from the weak control of the Senate, and extravegant excesses of the Egytus forces. They will need sheilds first tho.
The completed force will have 2 added warband, the Skavenii and Lintzii, along with a cavlary unit or two.
The current auxilia, these may be replaced with more ethnical warband types.

A veiw from ground level.... experimental by me.

Red Army so far

The complete Army that will form into the Romula Legions, need to add the command stands, Preatorians and some more Auxilia.

The core force are these 3 Cohorts of Legionnaires..... nice.

A unit of Auxilia spear.

A unit of Equittes and the Scorpio bolt throwers, there are 2 lots like these in the force so far.

The command will incorporate red and represent the senate.

cheers Shaun

133-144 For ME !!!!!

Newest Roman Auxilia for the Egyptus Legions.

When i had finished i showed them to F, who said 'blue and green should never be seen'..... WTF do i know about fashion, might highlight up the blue into a white.

cheers Shaun

Project 2 - Rebase completed

Well the RSM95’s are now Nationalised Brits….

Having paid £41.23 to the government, following the £180 pounds to DPC for them, bringing in 360 infantry and 10 mounted officers a grand total of £222 or 58.5p each. These troops will flesh out my initial purchase of 4 bags of infantry, and provide the Colonels for the first 10 units.

Last nights efforts on the Roman front saw a big push on rebasing the remaining Painted figures.

24 figure Cohort with (new) unbleached Linen tunics (no shields yet tho)
24 figure Cohort with (new) unbleached Linen tunics (no shields yet tho)
24 figure Cohort to be repainted in Green tunics
24 figure Cohort to be repainted in Green tunics
24 figure Cohort to be repainted in Green tunics
6 mounted figure Cavalry unit
6 mounted figure Cavalry unit
24 figure Cohort of Praetorians, to be painted from fresh

All the bases are now cut for the remaining stands and the figures counted and sorted into their units and command groups.

Added to shopping list Barbarian Auxilia cavalry unit 6 figures.

Next job, probably sometime this evening is to start sanding the bases of all the units in preparation for a Bestial wash, and a graveyard earth dry brush…. Sunday should see a flocking for the lot….. with Monday as an over run if I am slowed down by the weekend’s excesses. Might recruit Craig into doing the sanding of the bases, at 9 I feel he should be used as cheap labour, although I fear it will cost me dearly in the long run.

Cheers

Ox

Project 2 – a journey of a 1000 miles starts with a single step

Well the first batch of re-basing, repainting and repairs has started for the Roman forces.

24 figure Cohort in Red tunics with red shields
24 figure Cohort in Red tunics with red shields
24 figure Cohort in Red tunics with red shields
12 figure Auxilia Archers
12 figure Auxilia Archers
12 figure Auxilia Spear – need to add shields
12 figure Auxilia Spear – need to add shields
12 figure Auxilia Spear – need to add shields
10 Scorpio bolt throwers – with 2 crew each – need to repaint 6 of the crew tunics
16 figure skirmish unit of slings
24 figure Cohort in Blue tunics with blue shields (repainted from red tunics)

The scorpio’s are based weapons and crew on a 50mm x 50mm stand.
The close order troops are based 3 per stand, 50mm frontage and 25mm deep.
The Skirmishers are based 2 per stand, 50mm frontage and 25mm deep.

Having sorted through my unpainted figures I find that I am short on Auxilia Archers, with only 24 but am up on Auxilia spear, with 36 painted and a further 72 in the box.

This evening should see the repainting and rebasing of the Easter Cohort in unbleached Linen tunics with a yellow shields, have test painted one shield (over the current red one) and it looks okay, the yellow transfer showing through.

I should also get the 3 cohorts rebased for the green army, although I doubt I will get them repainted, will also try to rebase the old cavalry and start to base up the unpainted sculpts onto their new stands.

So having looked at the box of figures I have a little shopping list for extra’s.

3 Elephants, with howdah and crew
36 figure warband for the Skavenii
36 figure warband for the Lintzii
12 figure Eastern Auxilia Archers
16 figure Eastern Auxilia skirmisher (javelins I think)
12 figure Eastern Auxilia Cavalry (numidians??)

Hopefully all Foundry to match, good job I am going to Hammerhead in Newark on the 10th February, I can sell some stuff on the bring and buy, might see the guys at Newline if they attend as I don’t know if Dave Thomas will be attending the show, failing that I can try gripping Beast or at Old Glory. All pretty much Army compatible, but not in the same units thought.

This should give me 3 Armies, if pointed out with the normal upgrades in Warhammer Ancient battles, of around 3000pts each, or with all the spare bits thrown in and more officers… a single 10,000pt Army. Not bad for what is gonna be probably 3 weeks work, spread over the next 3 months, using figures I haven’t gamed with for in excess of 2 years. Shame I don’t play WAB anymore!!!!!!

So as this is digging into my yearly total of Painting points I feel I should be getting at least something for the repaints/rebasing effort…. The unpainted figures will count themselves in, so no worries there.

Rebase a unit of 4 (12figure) = 2pts
Rebase a unit of 3 stands (6mounted figures) = 2pts
Rebase a unit of 8 stand (24figures) = 4pts
Repaint and Rebase a unit of 8 stands (24figures) = 8pts

Giving the Rebase/repaint side of the project a respectable = 100pts
With 200 odd points to follow from the newly painted units to complete the Project.

Blimey a 300 point Project…. That’s some peoples yearly painting programme. I will post pictures on Sunday evening of the armies as they appear then, based or not, painted or not…. JP I am sure you can wait til then, and before you ask this will not effect my Seven years war painting, but I can see it effecting the ad-hoc painting for the ‘bring n buy’ sales tho, my main 3 collectors are keeping me ticking over nicely for orders coming in so far this year, so not too worried about my own lead mountain just yet.

Cheers

Shaun

Project 2 - Roman Civil War

Ok, this is straight nick from Iron_Mitten, so thank you.

I have from years ago 10 Roman Cohorts of 24 figures, painted and based (but not shielded) for WAB, so multiple and individual bases, with these are 16-20 painted Cavalry, around 60 Auxilia painted and 10 bolt throwers The unpainted are around another 24 cavalry, 60 Auxilia and 48 Preatorians.

All the Legionaires are painted in red and the auxilia are in blue, cavalry are blue with yellow shields. Each Cohort has an attached Scorpio bolt thrower with crew.

So following on from my query to iron_mitten they use WAB rules and have based their figures on 50mm frontage bases, close infantry 3 per base 25mm deep and Loose 2 per base 25mm deep, with skirmishers 2 or 3 per base 50mm deep base, Cavalry are 2 per base 50mm deep, while the army command are on a 50mm square, bolt throwers I didn’t ask, but assume a 50mm square, warband are 6 per base 50mm deep. This all seems to be a nice way to go forward.

I play a lot of different rules systems, from ‘command and colors’ board games to WAB and this basing system will fit in with all of these, also it will enable a quick playtest of the new ‘Field of Glory’ rules from Osprey.

So there are 3 Armies from different area’s of the Empire, one from spain, one from Rome and one from the East…. I need eastern auxilia, meh

Ok, so I don’t know everything I need to about Ancient Rome, History or Political or much at all, but I do know wargames and have run campaigns and with the new found concept of fictional History I recon I have some ‘wargamers’ licence on this one.

So I was thinking of an Army from North Europe/Britain, using Green as a colour, 3 Cohorts, with bolt throwers, some Auxilia and then warband allies, mebbe some Chariots and Cavalry. The second army would be from Rome, using the red painted troops, again 3 Cohorts, with bolt throwers, Auxilia and skirmishers, little cavalry but bolstered by the Preatorians. The third army from north Africa, painted in Yellow/unbleached Linen with Tribal Allies, Eastern Auxilia and mebbe an Elephant (woohoo), with a unit of blue Marines too. Now if I keep it Ancient Mythical I can use some slightly out of period troops like Spartans or Peltasts etc for auxilia/allies, like they are doing on the Hypoboria blogs.

Just remembered ‘The Lost Regiment’ series of books by Forschen, set on a different world where humans are plucked from our planet throughout history and settled as ‘farms’ for the flesh eating orcoids of the planet….. all nice and peaceful until the Americans show up!! Anyway, so I could transpose the action from earth to that planet, or not…. Ugh, brain hurt. Ooh Egyptians..!!!!

Figure first, then rules, then campaigns…. But am enjoying the background stuff too, bonus I guess.

Cheers Shaun

77-132 painting points

These are the last of the Order for Pat, 12 Berdans and 36 Rebels plus 4 mounted officers.

I beleive they are being based singularly, so to leave a distinction between the 24 figure Rebel unit and the 12 Rebel skimishers, i have painted the unit with white bread bags and the skirmishers with Black.

next 42 points should be here for the weekend as i have 3 painting nights this week curtesy of the GirlFriend (F) being at her evening classes full time this week, plus tomorrow is PEWC club night so will get a game there.

Have been trying to get them to do a WAB/Fantasy big battle day one big table, 8' by 24' with a battle and a siege on it, but as usual the naysayers are booing the idea..... oh well, never mind then.

Cheers Shaun

Ancients - inspiration

Hi all,

found a blog that has turned me into a bit of a fanboy, its in the links and is iron_mitten.

very pretty and very well done....

now i want to rebase my Romans and repaint as 2 armies, mebbe even 3 add some irregulars and pretorians...... then a warband army which wont cost 750£, still not sure on the WAB rules tho, but as a start it will get me playing til 'Filed of GLory'is delivered, tested to destruction and the sold on, and i then write my own ancients rules as is the case with most things.

so i think i have found a quick turnaround Project 2

cheers Shaun

Uk Big Battalions Game - and a Project

Projects seem to be the order of the blog these days, I trawl around a few blogspot sites and the main theme seems to be people setting up their up coming years project.

As you see from the previous post I have a few Projects on the go, from these I cant seem to choose which one to concentrate on for the year. Seven years war should be my main push, but to be honest I have become disillusioned with the whole idea!! Nothing major has completely put me off, but lots of little niggles which just tend to leave a sour taste for the forth coming big battalion battle in Grimsby on the weekend of the 11th/12th October.

Project 1. Skavenberg and Saxe-Nweilintze

These 2 mythical countries are my setting for battling the Tricorn era, I have both Armies in 10mm fully painted except for maybe a few more Cavalry units, although I might just move a Cuirassier from one side to the other and be done with it!!
The plan is to build these Armies in 28mm figures, using RSM95 figures from DPC in the USA, each Infantry Battalion/Regiment being a unit of 48 Ranks and a 6 figure command stand, each Cavalry Regiment being 2 Squadrons of 12 Figures and a command of 2 figures, then Artillery will be by the Gun.

A modest push to get units finished will be my main Project for the next 9 months should give me some finished figures to take along, especially as I made a minimum commitment ot the game.

1st Btln 1st Regt – von Krump (white jackets, red facings, white lace) completed
1st Regiment ‘Fire Brigade’ – von ???? (blue jackets, red facings, white lace) January
2nd Btln 1st Regt – von ????? (white jackets, red facings, yellow lace) February
2nd Regiment ‘Del Montes’ own’ – (Blue jacket, Orange facings, white lace) March
Skavenberg Dragoon Squadron – (green jacket, red facing) April
Saxe-Nweilintze Hussars Squadron – (Black jackets, white facings) April
Saxe-Nweilintze Cuirassier Squadron – (white jackets, red facing) May
Saxe- Nweilintze Dragoon Squadron – (light blue jackets, yellow facings) May
4 Artillery – (1/2 black jacket, red facing) (1/2 brown jacket, red facing) June
Gren Btln 1st Regt – von ???? (white jackets, red facing, bearskins) July(extra)
3rd Regiment ‘the wannabee’s’ – (blue jackets, yellow facings, white lace) August (extra)
Guards Regiment ‘die hards’ – (black jackets, yellow facing) September (extra)
Staff officers – October

A Battalion a month seems ok, with the 3rd Regt, the Grenadiers and Guards units falling off the list if I am struggling and expanding the Cavalry Squadrons to Regiments if I get the figures for myself for Easter.

There that’s a project 1…… so Project 2?? Hmmm let me think

Cheers

Ox

Skavenbergers, march on!!!

The troops are the first RSM95s i have painted, they are Austrianesque, but not historically accurate, so count as my first unit, 4 companys of 12 figures, witha command stand... the dark brown square is amounted Colonel, who is currently in the post from the USA.

The dog is out of scale, his name is Leo.

cheers

Ox

1-76 Points

well there are the first 76 figures, still havent set up my photo taking area, so you get my sofa cushoms too.

many

Ox

Projects....

Hi all,

Well probably only 3 people that read this… but hello anyway.

Last night saw the completion of the first 76 ACW figures for Pat, and thus the opening 76 points for this years target, picture to follow, as I am at work and not at home. 76 Union figures from Dixon, no 2 figures the same… hard work, just 12 Berdans left and 36 Rebels to paint, and that’s Pat surrent batch done, then its on to some Redoubt ACW for Mike, (actually his 9 year old son, Zac) nice firing line figures and some (12) rebels for Mikes side. ACW seems to be taking off again last year, even more so with this years expected Perry release of Plastics.

Reading Undead Johns blog (where do my friends get their nicknames from) he talks of finishing projects as part of this years ‘to do ‘list. So I thought of all my unfinished projects.

1. American War of Independence (3rd time around) This period always draws me back, I paint lots of units then sell them…… then collect them again, currently I am swinging towards finishing them and selling them on, again.

2. English Civil War (1st time around in 28mm) This was inspired by WECW release, I thought I would get 2000pts of Parliament from Old Glory and then someone from the club would join in…. well they didn’t and I never did get further than basing and undercoating, did ponder if I could wedge them into the Seven years war project, but I think it just a little too far out, guess I will finish then and sell by the unit too.

3. Franco-Prussian war (1st historical figure owned) Well when I was 20 I was made redundant form work, so I treated myself to a several bring and buy finds, and then a massive Foundry order followed, I think I have around 2000 figures all in (infantry cavalry and artillery) I even painted lots of figures for each side, back in the late 90’s but then nothing, probably 20% painted in total, lent them to ‘Wargames Journal’ for a photo shoot, so rebased them…. Really don’t want to sell them, not sure if there is a market even? Will keep and paint up for Retirement as they were my first ‘Historical Armies’.

4. Romans (1st Ancient figures owned) I got these for a set of rules that required all 10 cohorts at 24 figures on the table…. Then came Warhammer Ancient Battles and I discovered I had a 10,000pt Army, who knew? Still have Cavalry and Pretorians to paint, did paint all 10 scorpio tho, very scary looking when lined up next to each other. Will finish them some time and Keep, not sure if I could do a Germanic tribes army big enough to match them, at 4 pts a figure I need 2,500 half naked barbarians…. Hmm, mebbe one day, in plastic from the Perrys (WISHLIST stuff) oh yeah arnt Wargames Factory bringing some out in Plastic 15£ for 48 figures… so that only a 750£ bill for the infantry, hope they are one piece castings!!!

5. Seven years War (Mythical Duchies) This only started last year and have painted the first unit only, still not sure what I am doing here to be honest, really liked the idea of Fantasy Musketeers and all that, but it has been increasingly soured by various Forum threads and bit n bobs, will carry on for a year, do the UK Big Battalions Bash in Grimsby and then see what I want to do, carry on or sell it on. To Be Decided.

I suppose these are the main projects still outstanding (20 years in one case) then there are the other figures I got…..

6. 10mm Gaming., Ancients, SYW, Napoleonics and WW2 and Fantasy. Well I got losts of stuff here as it is dirt cheap but little of it is painted (except all the SYW stuff which is completed) I got Romans again, Macedonians, Persian and Greeks, War of the Roses (both side) I got Chaos and High elves…. Really don’t know what do with it all, Keep and Paint I recon.

7. 15mm Gaming. Ancients mainly. Waiting to see what Ospreys ‘Field of Glory’ is like, will prolly paint and sell, but their aint any money in 15m painted figures, mebbe just bring n buy the lead and stick to 10mm stuff. Dunno. To Be Decided.

8. 15mm ECW, Peter pretty figure for ‘Regiment of Foote’, still bagged. Oh dear!!

9. 15mm Victorian Sci Fi, Peter pig German, British and French from Lancashire games, fond memories of my 28mm Redcoats n Zulus (long since sold) and a chance seeing of a game at Salute many years ago. Bad choice to start this. sell or finish n keep, To Be Decided.

10. 20mm Sci fi, all painted, never use it…. Would sell it if there was a market.

11. 20mm Plastic Ancients, none painted, never use it….. cant paint it (too bendy) and only own half of it…. Just taking up space now actually. No resale value.

12. 20mm WW2, the funky new hard plastics from … someone….. not sure why this happened, I blame Rich. Still boxed.

13. Warhammer Fantasy, lots n lots….. paint and keep, mebbe fight the Romans with it?? No resale value in it.

14. 40K. Marines and Imperial Guard, lots n lots…. Paint it and keep for when Craig (son,9) wants to try it all out I suppose, again no resale value.

15. 40mm Lord of the Rings prepainted figures, 1200 odd figure bought in bulk when they ended the manufacture, softish plastic, had grand visions for this stuff, have done nothing with it since I opened the blister, no resale value.

16. Heroscape, bought 9 basic sets for the terrain, got lots of spare duplicate figures to do summit with, no resale value.

17. Mechwarrior, clicky bases from Wizkids, got a box of stuff I don’t play with anymore, no resale value.

18. Warmachine, Khador and Skorne, one fully painted by John, the other in its box, really nice figures, couldn’t get into the rules tho nice but not for me, don’t want to sell but can see it happening soon. (lucky john gets half the profits if I do sell them!!)

19. Various bits of Napoleonics, ACW and Ancients 28mm and some in 40mm to paint for the bring and buy sales.

I do hope I haven’t forgotten anything as this seems to be an awful lot, please bear in mind this is after 3 years of rationalising and downsizing, I have left around 40 box files of stuff in various states of finished and bare lead (probably is lead too!!) from a starting point of 120 box files plus various over full carry cases.

So all you guys that thought you had a problem, it isn’t really that bad after all.

Cheers Ox

Painting...... mostly ACW

Well painting continues on the Union for Pat, Pledge points mounting up already.

JP, the Seven years war are for want of a better plan, all going towards the Duchies of Skavenberg or Saxe-Nweilintz, the first unit are white coated, trousered and gaitered, with a red collar, cuff and vest, while the companies are denoted by pompoms of white with a colour dot, red, yellow, blue and green.

Picture will follow once i flock em, still waiting for the local seamstresses to provide a pair of flags tho.

Next order expected from the US in the next couple of weeks. 360 more Infantry plus 10 mounted officers. Bank managers says i can order some cavalry for Easter..... nice.

cheers

Ox

2008 - PLEDGE time

ok, last years went well so i will do it again.

1. paint 1000 28mm figures

is that enough?? maybe a commitment to the blog?? ok, well lets try a

2. post a couple of messages per week

3. post a picture of most of the figures i paint.

As i usually paint in Units, altho of late all the ACW is unbased, and these are usually then for sale, it could generate some sale away from the bring and buy!!! ya never know

well thats should be enough, and i might even have gotten rid of enough figures that i could total what i have left, hmmm, probably not.....

approx.
500 Seven Years war (10% painted)
1000 Franco Prussian (25% painted)
350 AWI (30%)
300 EWC (10%)
400 Romans (70%)
400 Naps, EIR and Greeks to paint to sell (24figure units)
lots of GW 40K and Fantasy figures - Marines/Imperial Guards and Elves
plus mebbe a push to finish my DISC Game... fantasy thing, a few armies (20 to 40 figures each) left to paint.

then there are the 10mm
Warmaster Fantasy Armies
Ancients - Greek, MAcedonian and Persian
WW2 - British, German and US - '44 Europe

theres probably more.... dont want to look anymore

Happy New Year

Cheers OX

2007 - pledge to final update

ytd 1094 x28mm
December added
48 Austrian Grenadiers24 Austrian Militia8 French Carabinier (16)24 French Old Guard52 Seven Years War Austrians30 ACW Yankees
so 194
giving…. 1288 for the year
so exceded my PLEDGE by 288 28mm Figures, and 365 Bases of 10mm, cleared the overdraft so that i am actually in the Black, cleared some space, created a painting area and will soon have a wargames table again, after xmas decorations come down….. same again next year methinks.
happy new year to everyone
cheers OX