Wednesday, 5 March 2025

The Elephant in the room

Progress continues on the mutiny project so here’s yet another ((yawn)) show and tell to bore the arse off you.

With only a few walls and a couple of buildings still to complete I hope to start gaming my “not a campaign” campaign pretty soon. 

First up in this show and tell are these mutineers from the 6th Light (native) cavalry. They should give a good account of themselves in any open country fighting I reckon.



Next up is Mohan Chaterjee, friend to all. Available for removals, taxi service and bar mitzvah’s. No job too small. Special rates for all sahibs. 


And on we go to the actual movers and shakers. Here’s 87 year old Ranbir Mukhajee the forcibly retired* former Raja of Mukala province sitting here atop his elephant, (named Colin). The guy with the flag is his young ambitious nephew Vikram Bagchi, who’s heard on the grape vine that he might be nominated as Ranbir’s successor to the Mukala throne, should the sahibs ever choose to leave India for some strange reason. 


This is Mrs Fanshaw’s company bungalow, situated on the opposite side of the road and a little to the south of the HEIC district office compound. The widow Fanshaw has a very nice hat which she wears to church on a Sunday.


These are three resin wells from TT combat that I’ve just realised are still to be painted. I’ll get right on it. 


In the blast furnace of an Indian summer they are no doubt going to be vital objectives. Note only Europeans and Brahmins may draw from the central well and only those of the untouchable caste from the leftmost. 

Life imitating art? Could the young lady in the painting be Lettice Weatherby Blythe (below in the green dress) perchance? I think we should be told.



The temporary infirmary / hospital set up (should it be necessary) is provided by a number of Paperboys bell tents. 


Finally. Man of my word. Here’s the elephant in the room.


Right then mes amis, I’d best be offski, or as I believe they say in India… अब के लिए अलविदा


*By 1857 the (not so) Honourable East India Company had settled on a new and effective land grabbing wheeze. Native leaders without children of a responsible age were pressured, sorry I meant persuaded, that it was in their best interests to cede their lands and holdings to the company and “retire” on a generous government pension.