Great game of #ArmouredStorm with @andycrow.bsky.social last night. Three platoons of Matilda II's forlornly tried to hold off Panzer Armee Afrika until reinforcements arrived but initial successes soon turned sour as the PzIII's and IV's wreaked havoc when they got in close...

More #ArmouredStorm last night as @andycrow.bsky.social & I introduced Phil to the game. Initially it looked like an easy victory for the DAK as they stopped the British on the right flank, but the left turned into a bloody battle before ultimately Phil's Germans won the day...

When I was at Anglia TV about 25 yrs ago, a girl in our office sent out a team email that said, “It’s been a crap Monday, who wants to come to my flat for a smoke?” Sadly she sent it to everyone in ITV. Melvyn was one of the first to reply with “That sounds lovely but sadly I’m filming in Newcastle”

@andycrow.bsky.social & I tried our Dan Mersey's #ArmouredStorm company level Western Desert tank rules last night. Great little game, the use of the Tactics Board to choose orders (and prevent your opponent picking the ones they want) is really clever. Lot of fun and two close battles.

Game four of the #ForceOnForce campaign was a night rescue with intel received the POW's were being held in a Tamarud Alghurab compound. Hummers sped through the dark streets whilst an M2 smashed through the compound wall. The POWs were rescued but one rescuer was KIA fighting insurgent fanatics.

Back to Uruq and game three of @andycrow.bsky.social & my ongoing #ForceOnForce campaign saw the US forces falling back through the city. The mission went smoothly, with three Fire Teams reaching safety with no casualties, but the appearance of an insurgent mob saw FT4 cut off and captured!

@andycrow.bsky.social & I started our #ForceOnForce campaign last night with the US trying to suppress the Tamarud Alghurab in Uruq. Game one started well for the US, moving swiftly through the town, an insurgent IED in a truck failing to go off and the target asset captured...

Back to the liberation of Uruk last night with @andycrow.bsky.social relearning #ForceOnForce. What felt like a tight battle with the US losing one KIA, four WIA and accidentally shooting a civilian but completing their mission resulting in a decisive victory over the Tamarud Alghurab insurgents!

Government has got this spectacularly wrong. If an organisation is breaking the law, prosecute it. But arresting people for holding up signs is a waste of police time, it's increasing support for the organisation &, above all, it's a flagrant violation of free speech. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"On Dec. 24, 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders became the first humans to orbit the Moon, and the first to witness the magnificent sight called 'Earthrise.'" www.nasa.gov/image-articl... #NASA #JimLovell #Apollo8 #Apollo13 #SpaceTheFinalFrontier

Had a 'Bob off' down Bristol Independent Gaming last night as @andycrow.bsky.social and my British Lights gave Mr & Mrs @jennyturner1971.bsky.social's French Légère a convincing thrashing on the plains of Spain... #SharpePractice

I visited La Ferte in June. An extraordinary place, that I found to be much more visceral than the Atlantic Wall fortifications in Normandy. The temperature drop and atmosphere change as you descend the stairs was unsettling.

A smashing day enjoying @lordraglan.bsky.social's hospitality and great company with @ironcow2103.bsky.social

17. The ultimate constraint on rearmament was not money but labor and capital plant.

He's one of Britain's richest men. So why does Asif Aziz's property company keep leasing London gift shops to overseas students based in abandoned offices or flytipped car parks — before vanishing without paying millions of pounds in taxes? www.londoncentric.media/p/asf-aziz-l...

4 games of Gallipoli action this weekend with @andycrow.bsky.social and others. The RND managed to get a foothold in Ottoman trenches, fought off a counter-attack, battled to take the second line, then narrowly held off a massive Turkish attack. 2 RND and 3 Turkish platoons wrecked. #spreadthelard

A much delayed battle report of an I Ain't Been Shot Mum game fought earlier this year (it has taken some time to translate the original report which appeared in Pravda!) #SpreadTheLard

Weird they're showing Swan Lake on Fox right now

Muwatalli the Merciless (played by Phil Turner) led the Warriors of Tarhunna (Hittites) to an overwhelming 5-0 Glory Point victory over the Warriors of the Green (Sea Peoples), leaving their leader Kubaba (@andycrow.bsky.social) as vulture chow in the dust in last night's #ChariotsRampant game.

Thank you to @lordraglan.bsky.social for a wonderful day of gaming and hospitality. @ironcow2103.bsky.social and I faced a stiff fight to secure Liepaja. A pleasure to play on such fabulous terrain with lovely figures.

A nice start to the bank holiday weekend. Great effort @toofatlardies.bsky.social #SpreadTheLard

17th May, 1940. 12 Blenheim IVs of 82 Squadron, led by Sqn/Ldr Miles Delap, set out on a mission to bomb German armour at a crossroads near Gembloux. A group of Bf109s intercepted the formation and only one damaged aircraft returned to base at Watton. 22 aircrew were killed and three captured. 🧵1/4

HaT Miniatures were kind enough to send me a couple of sample sprues of their forthcoming 28mm HARD plastic Napoleonic Prussian Landwehr, How does HaT's re-entry into the wargames market stack up? Find out here... bleaseworld.blogspot.com/2025/05/war-... #SharpPractice #SpreadTheLard

He also gave us televised snooker but once again people sadly just focus on a single small part of his career.

Is anyone aware of Battlefield guide books for the Franco-Prussian war? Something akin to Pen and Sword's Battleground Europe series?

Super Ayrshire Killie 💪

Good morning from Taunton. Worcs are 22/0 from 5 overs.

And he's armed with a bayonet to discourage heavy petting and diving in the shallow end.

Your owning despot is pleased www.theguardian.com/football/202...

New Invasion Threats episode just gone out over on the YouTube channel. This time I take a look at how the picture changed with the invasion of the Lowland countries in mid-May 1940- youtu.be/pT0Om-cMei0?...

Awful, horrifying stuff, often forgotten. Incredible that one of the bastards wanted to film it

A nice day to get out in the Brecons and blow away the cobwebs. I even managed to have a cup of tea with the ducks!

Glorious Spanish dragoons riding down pesky French cavalry who have arrogantly stood on top of a hill.

RAFFLE 🏆 Like, reskeet, and follow by Feb 25 (midnight EST) and you can win a signed copy of my Littoral Commander #wargame. May the odds be ever in your favor. 😉🎲 #wargaming

I forgot to add #JoyOfSix to the first few posts of this thread. So if you like small scale #Wargaming, have a look!

Playing Valour and Fortitude today using Rob's lovely 6mm Peninsular figures.

I shall be avenged!

Get it in the diary... Winter Wonder Lard VI (I'm too sixy for my Lard...) www.facebook.com/events/16550... #SpreadTheLard

Zealand in the Eighties. Danish forces fight a gallant, but ultimately futile defence of a small town in last night's #7DTTRR game against @andycrow.bsky.social's Soviet horde. Forgotten what fun 'Seven Days' is and happy the Danes took it to extra time and a seventh turn...

Running my own game at #WinterWonderLardV I wasn't really able to take any photos of the other excellent games down BIG, hopefully we'll see more through today, but what I saw looked (as we say in Bristol) GURT LUSH! #SpreadTheLard

Pictures from Winter Wonder Lard #SpreadTheLard 1/

It's smaller than I expected, tbh

Three pings a bloody minute! #NavalHistory (Text from 'The Royal Navy in the cold war years' by Edward Hampshire)

We've had two last minute drop outs for WWL - so if you fancy a fun day of Lardy gaming in Bristol on Saturday (for just £12!), then get in touch with me or Steve ASAP! There might even be room at the post match curry... #SpreadTheLard

Doing some hobby for the first time in months. Trying to get started on these 6mm Soviets from 2D6 Wargaming for O Group. They're fiddly!

Fans of Lardy attire rejoice - there is a snazzy new design available to add to your collection! @glenbrookgames.bsky.social will happily provide you with 2025's smartest look if you cross his palm with silver. (Full details on the Facebook event page) #SpreadTheLard

Had a smashing game of Sharp Practice with Jenny and Phil today as my Spanish tried to escort the 'three wise men's to a barn in the east to visit the Chief. I even managed to blag a win as my Dragoons delivered a punishing charge against the French voltigeurs! Viva el Rey! #SpreadTheLard

Join the reserves! #SpreadTheLard

26th Dec 1943: Sinking of the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst at the Battle of the North Cape. Caught by a RN force of cruisers and the battleship HMS Duke of York, she was sunk after a running battle lasting much of the day. Of her crew of 2,000, only 36 were rescued from the freezing waters. 🧵1/5

For many years, Wee Derek produced an index of all the articles across the different Lard Magazines and specials. I've added this year's magazine articles to an updated index, which you can find here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... #SpreadTheLard