Skip to main content

A Lovely Thank-You Note from. . .

Thank you everyone for your delightful New Years wishes. It’s really very nice to be part of what is becoming a large circle of wargaming friends and acquaintances around the globe. Who knew back in late 1983, when all of this model soldier lunacy began, that I’d end up part of such a fun group of like-minded people? Likewise, I hope the new year finds all of you well and happy in wargaming and life in general.

On other fronts, the Grand Duchess and I just returned from 3 ½ days outside of Waukesha, Wisconsin, where we skied like maniacs at the Lapham Peak Cross-Country Ski Area, just off of Interstate 94. 25 miles of groomed trails (and we explored/skied most of them), many of which are lighted after dark until 10PM! We are tired and a little sore, but we had a blast and each feel that our respective skiing techniques have improved somewhat.

Finally, guess what was waiting in our mailbox when we returned? A small envelope mailed from Southampton, UK, containing a typed and signed thank-you not from the one and only Donald Featherstone!

I sent Mr. Featherstone a Christmas card with a short note in early December, thanking him for the fun and inspiration his work continues to inspire. I never expected that he might reply in kind. The note reads:

Dear Mr. Schwartz (I don’t know your Christian name),

Many thanks for your card and note. It is good to know that so many people around the world have found pleasure in wargaming and that I helped to get it started. I know so many people in your country and love them all!

Yours sincerely,

Don Featherstone

What a neat piece of memorabilia to tuck into one of the several Featherstone-authored books here at Stollen Central. And what a gentleman Donald Featherstone is!

Comments

Fitz-Badger said…
Wow! That's wonderful. What a gentleman he is and what enjoyment he and others brought to many of us by promoting this hobby.

I spent the holidays not far from you, I think. Visiting my sweetheart in Milwaukee, so I got the winter wonderland/white Christmas.

Back home in southern Calif. now, and expecting a good rainstorm for the weekend, so I'm hoping to get some painting done. Maybe I'll even try a bit of a skirmish with the small number of troops I have finished... if I do I'll be sure to take pics and post a report on my blog.
9:21 PM
tradgardmastare said…
Sounds a super trip and what a lovely note to find on your return !
Ordered the re print of "The wargane " yesterday and await its arrival with bated breath!
Have been mulling around idea of 1783 invasion of Scotland by the French -opposing the landing by local milita units. We shall see if it gets off the ground!
Hope to read another battle report of yours really soon!
7:09 AM
Snickering Corpses said…
What a treasure, Stokes. And certainly very gentlemanly of him to send you such a lovely note.
8:23 PM
Bluebear Jeff said…
Stokes,

While you know that many of us have already wished you a "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year", that kind note from Mr. Featherstone certainly is a nice presage of your having a very good new year.


-- Jeff
12:58 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The 18th century? What's the Fascination?

Hessian musketeers by All the King's Men Toy Soldiers of Snellville, Georgia, U.S.A. Just a quick post post today, but I thought the above question might be interesting food for thought. Obviously, there is an array of possible periods, theaters, and conflicts that might catch our eyes. But what is it about the era 1700-1799 -- either real, or imagined? Is it the commanders and politics? The fairly straightforward tactics? The myriad of uniforms and flags? The variety and scope of the conflicts? The patchwork of various and sundry petty states, (at least in Central Europe)? I'm very interested to learn your thoughts. Don't be a lurker! Please leave a comment -- or even two or three. Have a nice day everyone!
35 comments
Read more

An Early July Hussar Update. . .

  Marginally neater in appearance with green bases, girths, and ivory horse markings added, but I need to neaten up some hooves now before moving onto the rest of the tack. W here in the world did June go? While I still ponder the answer to that question, how about a quick painting update on the first batch of 14 Minden Austrian hussars and Nadasdy? Good.  I'm glad we are of a like mind. Still on the sloppy side, but I've managed to move things along, painting the green bases, white (ivory) horse markings, and beginning the miles and miles of tack adorning the various horses.  I always like to begin with the girths spanning the horses' ribs which helped hold the saddles in place.  Even with the figures mounted individually on temporary painting bases, these can be kind of tricky to access, but there we are. I've also used various Army Painter washes (Mid-Brown and Strong Tone) as well as their Speed Paint (Grim Black) to make the manes and tails of the horses a bit m...
9 comments
Read more

Basic Reds Done at Last. . .

  S till quite a way to go with the current batch of 20 human figures and a horse (of course), but they're actually starting to look like something after all of the red distinctions.  Quite a bit of painting in hour-long sessions the last week as and when time has allowed.  Mostly applying the basic dark red to facing areas and turnbacks followed by the inevitable touch-ups to clean up wobbly edges and those misplaced, minute splotches of Citadel Khorne Red.   They're looking like so many Austrian infantry regiments of the era at this point, but the eventual flags will turn them magically into the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment, more or less, of the AWI period.  But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. One frustrating point (ahem) of sad discovery.  I've started trying to use those Winsor & Newton 'Series Seven' brushes (#1 rounds) purchased last spring, and the blasted things simply will not keep a point.  Very frustrating since I have heard over the y...
3 comments
Read more