Tuesday 13 April 2021

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated

Following a recent ill advised dalliance with fromage, post 10pm, I have been gifted with a prophetic dream / hallucinatory experience detailing the cause, if not the timing, of my eventual demise! 

I know! 

Handy or what! 

Anywhoo under “cause of death” on my death certificate (which is the only certificate I’ll ever have won by the way) will be the words...Greg’s Steak Bake. What’s weird about it (well apart from everything) is that I have no particular liking for pastry products in general or Greg’s in particular.  

The immediate fallout from this revelation is that I no longer feel able to travel to the end of Cardigan high street, where there is an actual Greg’s, (I mean would you chance it?) and I now anxiously scan the maps on my phone for other branches whenever TCMB and I dare to venture further afield. 

Such an unlikely ending shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when I think about it, because over the last few years there have been a number of occasions when I probably should have snuffed it by more conventional means and haven’t. For the purposes of brevity I shall gloss over the time I fell out of a tree onto my chainsaw and even the time I fell off this building… while trying to take down an unwanted satellite dish. (I did bring the dish down with me so not an entirely wasted effort).

Or even the time I nearly drowned in my own filth in this cellar due to a blocked septic tank pipe.

All that time spent contemplating my own mortality in A&E. All that precious wasted time. Doh. It seems possible that as long as I can continue to avoid these particular purveyors of hot and fatty comestibles I may in-fact live forever, an exciting enough prospect that when I discussed it with the current Mrs Broom she give a deep sigh of (I think) delight. 

So then unless I’m struck down in the street by a pasty wielding maniac, there’ll be no need for someone to engrave the words “Game over player 1. Insert coin to continue” on any tombstone of mine. 

Shame that.

Toodle ooh.


Sunday 11 April 2021

Covid house blues

I called off my anticipated game this weekend thanks to the side effects of my first COVID jab,  however I did manage to finish off three more WOTR units. To that end I invite you to gasp in awe as I showcase my “work” through the medium of poor lighting and a crappy camera.




I also invested £10 to buy 128 hard to find ECW tomes at this chaps site. 

The Emperors Library

Here’s a screen grab of what I got for my dosh. Okay they’re all pdfs and not actual books, but hey... what do you expect for a tenner? The site covers loads of other periods so I thought I’d put this out there for anyone else that hasn’t seen it and might be interested. 

 1. A chronicle of the late intestine war in the three kingdoms
2. A Collection of original letters and papers, concerning the affairs of England, 1641 to 1660 vol.1
3. A Collection of original letters and papers, concerning the affairs of England, 1641 to 1660 vol.2
4. A discourse of the warr in Lancashire
5. A history of the life of Colonel Nathaniel Whetham, a forgotten soldier of the civil wars
6. A journal of the siege of Lathom House in Lancashire 1644
7. A narrative by John Ashburnham of his attendance on King Charles vol.1
8. A narrative by John Ashburnham of his attendance on King Charles vol.2
9. Charles I. in 1646 Letters of King Charles the First to Queen Henrietta Maria
10. Cromwell as a soldier
11. Cromwell in Ireland, a history of Cromwell's Irish campaign
12. Cromwell's army - a history of the English soldier during the Civil Wars, the Commonwealth and the Protectorate
13. Cromwell's Scotch campaigns 1650-51
14. Crosby records. A cavaliers note book; being notes, anecdotes, observations of William Blundell of Crosby, Lancashire, esquire, captain of dragoons ... in the royalist army of 1642
15. Heath's historical annual; or, The great civil war of Charles I. and the Parliament
16. Historical gleanings on the memorable field of Naseby
17. History of Charles the First and the English Revolution vol.1
18. History of Charles the First and the English Revolution vol.2
19. History of Richard Cromwell and the restoration of Charles II vol.1
20. History of Richard Cromwell and the restoration of Charles II vol.2
21. History of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, 1649-1656 vol.1
22. History of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, 1649-1656 vol.2
23. History of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, 1649-1656 vol.3
24. History of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate, 1649-1656 vol.4
25. History of the great civil war, 1642-1649 vol.1
26. History of the great civil war, 1642-1649 vol.2
27. History of the great civil war, 1642-1649 vol.3
28. King and commonwealth, a history of the great rebellion
29. Letters and papers relating to the first Dutch war, 1652-1654 vol.1
30. Letters and papers relating to the first Dutch war, 1652-1654 vol.2
31. Letters and papers relating to the first Dutch war, 1652-1654 vol.3
32. Letters and papers relating to the first Dutch war, 1652-1654 vol.4
33. Letters and papers relating to the first Dutch war, 1652-1654 vol.5
34. Letters and papers relating to the first Dutch war, 1652-1654 vol.6
35. Letters from Roundhead officers written from Scotland and chiefly addressed to Captain Adam     Baynes
36. Memoirs of Prince Rupert, and the cavaliers. Including their private correspondence Vol.1
37. Memoirs of Prince Rupert, and the cavaliers. Including their private correspondence Vol.2
38. Memoirs of Prince Rupert, and the cavaliers. Including their private correspondence Vol.3
39. Memoirs of the civil war in Wales and the Marches, 1642-1649, Vol.1
40. Memoirs of the civil war in Wales and the Marches, 1642-1649, Vol.2
41. Memoirs of the two last years of the reign of King Charles I
42. Memorials of the great civil war in England from 1646 to 1652 Edited from original letters of Charles the First and of numerous other eminent persons Vol.1
43. Memorials of the great civil war in England from 1646 to 1652 Edited from original letters of Charles the First and of numerous other eminent persons Vol.2
44. Military Memoir of Col John Birch. Governor of Hereford in the Civil War
45. Monk; or, the fall of the republic and the restoration of the monarchy in England, in 1660
46. Monk's Contemporaries Biographic Studies on the English Revolution
47. Notes of the treaty carried on at Ripon between King Charles I. and the Covenanters of Scotland, 1640
48. Oliver Cromwell. H.H. the Lord Protector and the royalist insurrection against his government of March, 1655
49. Oliver Cromwell and the rule of the Puritans in England
50. Oliver Cromwell's Letters & speeches vol.1
51. Oliver Cromwell's Letters & speeches vol.2
52. Oliver Cromwell's Letters & speeches vol.3
53. Papers relating to proceedings in the county of Kent, 1642-46
54. Robert Blake, admiral and general at sea
55. Royalist father and Roundhead son; being the memoirs of the first and second earls of Denbigh, 1600-1675
56. Rupert, prince Palatine
57. Scotland and the Commonwealth. Letters and papers relating to the military government of Scotland
58. Select tracts relating to the civil wars in England, in the reign of King Charles the First by writers who were witnesses of the events which they describe Vol.1
59. Select tracts relating to the civil wars in England, in the reign of King Charles the First by writers who were witnesses of the events which they describe Vol.2
60. The army lists of the Roundheads and Cavaliers, containing the names of the officers in the royal and parliamentary armies of 1642
61. The autobiography of Joseph Lister, of Bradford in Yorkshire, to which is added a contemporary account of the defence of Bradford and capture of Leeds by the Parliamentarians in 1642
62. The champions of the crown
63. The civil war in Hampshire (1642-45) and the story of Basing House
64. The Civil War in Worcestershire, 1642-1646, and the Scotch invasion of 1651
65. The Covenanters in Moray and Ross
66. The diplomatic correspondence of Jean de Montereul and the Brothers de Bellievre vol.1
67. The diplomatic correspondence of Jean de Montereul and the Brothers de Bellievre vol.2
68. The first and second battles of Newbury and the siege of Donnington Castle during the Civil War, 1643-6
69. The garrisons of Shropshire during the civil war, 1642-1648
70. The great civil war of the times of Charles I. and Cromwell
71. The history of the grand rebellion vol.1
72. The history of the grand rebellion vol.2
73. The history of the grand rebellion vol.3
74. The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England Begun in 1641 vol.1
75. The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England Begun in 1641 vol.2
76. The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England Begun in 1641 vol.3
77. The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England Begun in 1641 vol.4
78. The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England Begun in 1641 vol.5
79. The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England Begun in 1641 vol.6
80. The House of Lords during the Civil War
81. The Irish rebellion of 1641, with a history of the events which led up to and succeeded it
82. The king in exile. The wanderings of Charles II from June 1646 to July 1654
83. The King's general in the West. The life of Sir Richard Granville, bart., 1600-1659
84. The last years of the Protectorate, 1656-1658 vol.1
85. The last years of the Protectorate, 1656-1658 vol.2
86. The memoirs of Edmund Ludlow, lieutenant-general of the horse in the army of the commonwealth of England vol.1
87. The memoirs of Edmund Ludlow, lieutenant-general of the horse in the army of the commonwealth of England vol.2
88. The Nicholas papers. Correspondence of Sir Edward Nicholas vol.1
89. The origin of the first Dutch war of the Restoration
90. The parliamentary generals of the great civil war
91. The quarrel between the Earl of Manchester and Oliver Cromwell - an episode of the English Civil War
92. The Royalist Composition Papers vol.1
93. The Royalist Composition Papers vol.2
94. The Royalist Composition Papers vol.3
95. The Royalist Composition Papers vol.4
96. The travels of the King; Charles II in Germany and Flanders, 1654-1660
97. The whole proceedings of the siege of Drogheda and siege of Londonderry
98.Tracts relating to military proceedings in Lancashire during the great civil war
99. With Milton and the cavaliers
100. A letter or an epistle to all well-minded men in England, Wales, and Ireland ; in special to the Parliament and Army
101. Barnstaple and the Northern Part of Devonshire During the Great Civil War
102. Cromwell's Soldier's Catechism
103. Diary of the Marches of the Royal Army During the Great Civil War
104. History of Scots Affairs, from 1637-41 vol.3
105. Memorials of the Civil War. Comprising the Correspondence of the Fairfax Family vol.1
106. Memorials of the Civil War. Comprising the Correspondence of the Fairfax Family vol.2
107. Military memoirs of the great civil war. Being the military memoirs of John Gwynne
108. The Protector ; a vindication
109. London during the great rebellion. Being a memoir of Sir Abraham Reynardson, knt
110. History of Scots affairs, from 1637 to 1641 vol.1
111. History of Scots affairs, from 1637 to 1641 vol.2
112.  Lives of the warriors of the civil wars of France and England, Volume 1
113.  Lives of the warriors of the civil wars of France and England, Volume 2
114.  Memoirs of the Most Renowned James Graham, Marquis of Montrose
115.  Minute Book, War Committee of the Covenanters, Kirkcudbrightshire 1640-1
116.  Montrose and Covenanters vol.1
117.  Montrose and Covenanters vol.2
118.  Numismata Cromwelliana or, The medallic history of Oliver Cromwell, illustrated by his coins, medals, and seals
119.  Scotland and the Protectorate. Letters and papers relating to the military government of Scotland 1654 to 1659
120.  The Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland
121.  The Cromwellian union; papers relating to the negotiations for an incorporating union between England and Scotland, 1651-1652
122.  The life and campaigns of Alexander Leslie, first Earl of Leven 
123. Bellum civile - Hopton's Narrative of his Campaign in the West 1642-44
124. Sussex in the great Civil War and the interregnum, 1642-1660
125. The Confederation of Kilkenny
126. The Diary of Sir Henry Slingsby
127. The narrative of General Venables
128. The Ulster civil war of 1641, and its consequences; with the history of the Irish brigade under Montrose in 1644-46

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