Blog Review 3

Two friends from UK came to stay with us for four days during the week, and we had a great time hill walking and wargaming. But despite that I managed to get quite a bit of work done on the blog. Mostly before they came and after they went. Apart from during their visit I have hardly been off the computer all week. Jan has been very patient, but not sure how long that will last. However I must confess she has followed the progress of the blog with great interest. She insists of checking the blog and forum first thing each morning, and as soon as we get home if we go out. Like me, she is delighted with the interest shown.

I am not sure how accurate the blog record of hits is. It has reached 700, but has not increased over the past two days. Even though I know there have been "hits". And it only seems to increase in 10s, when it does increase. Not that it really matters, and it is pretty vain to be checking in the first place.


I managed to get at least one entry on each of the three blogs.

Paul and Jan in Spain is easy, just a few captions on the photographs already taken.

Walking Napoleonic Battlefields takes the most work, but is also very rewarding. First I check what photographs I have. Then what I can use from my library. Finally I type up the story on word, download the photographs in the correct order, cut and paste the appropriate sections. It was particularly interesting doing this week, Quatre Bras. This was the first battlefield we walked, and we learned a lot - in particular do a lot of preparation! Happy memories.

And lots more work on Napoleonic Wargaming. With such a lot of information on different blogs I was becoming concerned how new readers could find their way through it all. Thanks to Clive Smithers I have managed to rearrange and index it quite well. Clive is a fellow blogger, and I would have been lost without his patient assistance and well explained solutions.

I have added the 25mm photographs of the model soldiers. One blog for each nation, showing HQ, Army Group and each Corps. It has taken a lot of work, and is the first photographic record of my 25mm collection.

Today I added photographs of the 15mm figures. Some layout as the 25mm. Again a good days work. But now anyone can quickly see what each corps looks like in 25mm or 15mm.

Only the 6mm to do now. I have already taken the photographs. I am not sure how to present them yet, a corps in 6mm would not look very impressive. Perhaps I will do them all on one blog, just show Army groups. I have also taken some close ups which I will add for interest.

Once that is done I can get down to the campaign proper. I am not very pleased with the first battle report I did, but it will need a little thinking over to decide how best to do it. We have more visitors this week, so I doubt it will be tackled before next weekend.

I have had a few enquiries about the wargame rules. They are a collection of pages dealing with each aspect of the game, for example movement. They have been done to aid Jan and I as we play the game. They do not explain how the game is played or the sequence of events. So I have prepared a Summary, which I published as a blog. When I did so I offered to send a copy to anyone interested. I have had about 8 requests, and all have been sent. I have asked for feedback when they are used, and look forward to seeing whether they are easy to follow, and whether they give a good game. They work for us, but that does not mean they will work for others.

So, all in all, very pleased with the progress.