Shaka Zulu - TV Research!

I recently discovered that the 1986 mini-series Shaka Zulu was on Netflix and, although it is largely set some 50-60 years before the Anglo Zulu War of 1879, I was interested enough to take a look at the first episode. I wasn't expecting much from this 1980's South African made TV series but I couldn't have been more wrong and I have been gripped by all 8½ Hours of it. I was a little amazed that I hadn't seen it before but it does have a lot of nudity (entirely culturally authentic) and graphic violence so it's probably not the sort of show that would have got an airing on the BBC!

The film is based on the writings of the first British traders to enter the Zulu Nation during the reign of Shaka. They were sent by the colonial administration of what was then the Cape Colony to discourage Zulu expansion south into British territory. What the 'traders' discovered was a highly organised and vibrant culture full of political intrigue and self confidence on a scale that utterly amazed these white men who had expected to find a bunch of ignorant savages. The first few episodes start from the European/Colonial perspective with the local Governor worrying that Cape Colony could be at risk from the neighbouring Zulu nation. They decide to send a deputation to the Zulu King partly to assess their intentions but also to intimidate Shaka and impress upon him the foolishness of any threats towards the white colony to the South. The British delegation find themselves utterly outplayed by the shrewd and intelligent king in their first meeting.

It has to be said that the series does take some liberties with the known historical facts, although I would argue no more than most movies usually do. The timelines of key characters and events have been moved around with events like the Battle of Ggokli Hill for instance depicted taking place nearly a decade after it actually happened. But in other areas, such as illustrating Zulu culture, I thought were very well done. Shaka's 'madness' at the death of his Mother for instance ties in well with the historical record and his imposition of mass executions and enforced national mourning that followed lead directly to his death at the hands of his his half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana.

The Wikipedia page on the TV series includes a link to a 1986 LA Times review of the series that was less than flattering. I don't agree with much of the premise of the review but there was one paragraph that had me laughing out loud: 

"In fact, "Shaka Zulu" may be the most violent TV production ever shown nationally in America. It has lots of blood spilling and blood drinking, lots of spearings and grisly impalings, with many of the impaled writhing on long sticks. There are burials of the living and a couple of beheadings, one of which affords close-ups of both the head and headless body. It is probably also the nudest production ever shown on America's non-cable TV. That includes male rear ends and female bare breasts."

Roll forward to 2018 and all I could think was "how quaint". If this series were made today it would be right at home on HBO!

One of the criticisms levelled against this series by the LA Times review was that the story was very violent "There is no interpretation here, no motivation shown beyond savagery. Violence is shown as the product only of barbarism or black magic." I think the reviewer needs to re-watch the series because I thought there was plenty of motivation and backstory and it was clear that this was more than just a story of savagery. It is an often violent history but the motivations of the key players are rich with love, jealousy, pride, arrogance, intrigue, ambition, politics, madness as well as a belief in magic and destiny; indeed everything you would expect in a good Shakespearean history.

There is another side to this TV series though that is less than uplifting. It was made during  a period of international sanctions against the apartheid government in South Africa. The South African Broadcasting Corporation put up the twelve million dollars it cost to make the film but in order to distribute it overseas (and bypass the sanctions) they used an American company. This company, Harmony Gold, ended up taking 80% of the profits from the film which were estimated to be in excess of $500m! Meanwhile many of the black stars of the film were paid a pittance, including Henery Cele who so magnificently portrayed Shaka in the series. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this mini series and my review reflects this, but if you are interested take a look at these two opposing reviews, one positive by the NY Times and the aforementioned LA Times article which was quite negative. There is also a great review on the blog My Two Cents that is worth reading. Even better, go watch the series on Netflix (I think its also on YouTube) and form your own opinion. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

BBC Time Commanders: A review

If you are a Wargamer and live in the UK then it probably hasn't escaped your notice that the BBC has revived the historical warfare program Time Commanders, this time hosted by Gregg Wallace. The format pits two teams of players against each other in historical scenarios and uses a computer simulation to track the action on huge TV screens. Each team has an elected leader and two captains who interpret orders via computer operators and each episode focuses on a different period of history. The show is interspersed with weapons and tactical analysis from co-presenters Mike Loades and Sandhurst’s Dr Nusbacher.

Right lets start on a positive. This is a history program that (sort of) gets wargaming on TV and in the public domain. The format is designed to engage the viewer in something akin to a game show but is actually a history program in disguise.  I like the segments that look at the weapons and tactics and the experts they have on hand do a good job of conveying the uniqueness of the periods being played. I would prefer these to be a little longer and more detailed but maybe that isn't suited to the time slot and target audience (I'm not sure who these are, but more on that later).

At the core of the show is the simulation engine being used to play the battles out. As in its previous incarnation Time Commanders uses a complex computer program which supposedly takes into account multiple variables covering everything from the weather to fatigue and morale. I say supposedly because there have been a couple of moments where I felt an in game event should have had a much more significant impact on the outcome of a battle. In particular the first show which re fought the Battle of Zama between Hannibal's Carthaginians and Scipio's Republican Romans. At one point Hannibal came under personal attack, was cut down and killed, but this event apparently had no effect on the morale of surrounding units.

Variables like this aside I felt that the computer program being used (it looks like a version of Total War) just didn't seem to offer a sense of realism and just doesn't work for me. The game play looks too fluid, movement appears to be too fast and the result is something that feels utterly unrealistic. The Waterloo game for example seemed to be over far too quickly with the whole battle descending into a rather scrappy close quarters slugfest. Part of the attraction of using a 'real time' computer game rather than a IGOUGO turn sequence tabletop game is that decisions are simultaneous and this will favour commanders who can think on their feet. But so far it seems that all the commanders have struggled to keep order and devise a proper strategy beyond reacting to the other sides actions. Worse still as a viewer its almost impossible to tell what is going on. I accept that some of this may be the result of poor editing but my attitude is that if it looks and feels unrealistic when what is the point of the show.

In the end the whole thing feels like a televised computer game (which of course it is) and not a 'proper' wargame and while the big screen and graphics look very cool, when the battles start I just feel the format was missing something pretty significant. Ground scales are constricted and unit numbers are representative rather than realistic and are therefore more akin to a tabletop wargame... which begs the question why not play a tabletop wargame?!?  If you have a big graphics engine to run a simulation on it should make at least some attempt as looking realistic. The analogue wargamer in me finds it very hard to be inspired by pixels instead of figures but I also find it hard to see what the non gamer would get out of this show.

One of my other major criticisms of the show is that it is sadly one sided in the Gender balance. In the first two episodes one of the team commanders was a woman but thus far she has been the only female competitor to feature. I hope this balance is redressed in later episodes but so far it seems the message from the BBC is that wargaming is only for blokes. I was also dismayed that among the presenting team the only female face to be seen was that of Dr Nusbacher, and this is only because 'she' used to be a 'he' when the format was previously aired. (acquiring a female presenter by chance like this doesn't count BBC!). 

Lastly, and for me most importantly, I can't stand Gregg Wallace. He grates on my nerves when he's presenting TV programs about things he understands (ie food programs). Putting him at the helm of a historical gaming show is nonsensical. The BBC appear to be desperate to get their moneys worth out of this presenter by shoehorning him into as many shows as they can get away with. Wallace certainly has the energy and enthusiasm to carry off programs about food and cooking but in this format his exuberance just comes across as deeply irritating and condescending. Maybe its just me but I find it hard to think of a less appropriate presenter for this type of show. I can think of at least half a dozen excellent female presenters that could have been called in to host the show and reduce the teenage testosterone levels that turn what could have been a serious program about tactics and history into a typical Saturday in Games Workshop.

I guess my overall feeling with regard to this show is the same as when the format was aired before, and that is one of dismay. Its not an entirely unwatchable show but there are so many disappointing elements that I feel this has been an opportunity missed by the BBC. 

War and Peace - Pt 1 Celebs

It's taken a few days but I have finally finished processing my pictures from War & Peace. I managed to cut them down from a thousand to about five hundred and have labelled all of them. Some of the more obscure vehicles were difficult to identify but I think I have managed to get them all. As always if anyone notices any mistakes please let me know and I will check and correct as appropriate. So on with the photo review... I'm breaking this down into several posts so I can include as many pictures as possible. Of course not all 500 will make it to the Blog but when I have finished I'll post a link to the web album where the whole set are stored. 

So I'm going to start off with a review of all the Celebrities I met at the show this year. Of course an event like War and Peace isn't about the celeb's that attend but rather the vehicles and equipment on display, but it was still non-the-less enjoyable to meet with a few actors and historians that I know and admire. 

TV presenter, military historian and teacher Andy Robertshaw

Herr Flick (Richard Gibson) and Helga Geerhart (Kim Hartman) from the TV Comedy 'Allo 'Allo!

Herr Flick and Helga pose with my Brother-in-Law Ray

Yvette Carte-Blanche (Vicki Michelle) star of 'Allo 'Allo!

Officer Crabtree (Arthur Bostrom) star of 'Allo 'Allo!

Lieutenant Hubert Gruber (Guy Siner) also from the series 'Allo 'Allo!.

"Wave. Or you vill be shot!"

Bruce Crompton is a former Para who has been in the Militaria business of years. Earlier this year his new TV series "Combat Dealers" was aired on  Quest TV. 

Bruce and his team were filming for a new series at this years War and Peace. He told me the second series will be 10 episodes and will air sometime in the spring next year. 

The Military Wives Choir were in the Victory marquee and gave a fantastic performance of "Sing"

WWI military historian Paul Reed often appears on television.

A celebrity of a different kind - The full sized replica Sherman used in the making of the film 'Fury'. Most of the vehicle is light weight metals and wood with a rig at front and back for film crew to shoot close ups of the actors. For wider shows where the whole tank was seen a real Sherman was used.

The missing paint reveals the turret to be made of some sort of fibreglass. 

The film is due for release this October. 

Another replica (the tank, not me). This time a copy of a Tiger tank. Again this is a light weight mock up on a powered chassis and is only designed for close shots of the upper hull (hence the tiny tracks driving it!)

Tomorrow I'll start posting some pictures of the actual vehicles on display in the arena and around the massive site. 

War & Peace 2012 : Trade Stands

I'm still working through the insane amount of photographs I shot at the War & Peace Show on Friday and Saturday. Trimming the pile down is the easy part, but labeling and identifying everything correctly is proving very hard indeed. So in the meantime here are a few pictures from the Trader side of the event. Half the event is dedicated to memorabilia traders selling everything from replica weapons for reenactors through to recently recovered airplane parts or even whole vehicles.

Remains from a Horsa Glider recovered near Ranville in Normandy.

Original uniforms and equipment can be bought from hundreds of Traders

Ray looking at an assortment of original helmets

There are also 'unusual' items on sale such as this very early Tank Corp recruitment poster. 

More uniforms helmets and hats, all genuine and all very expensive!

Ray purchased this German Helmet for his collection. This was recovered from Juno beach just this year.

The cast from Ello Ello.

Walking around the site really is like wandering through a museum only you can pick up and examine the exhibits in great detail. I could never afford to buy most of the stuff on display but while other people spend huge sums of money to own stuff, I get hold history in my hands for free. 


I'll post more pictures as I work through the pile so expect to see more over coming days. 

War Hero in my Family

I've been watching a new-ish TV series on Channel 5 called War Hero in my Family and its really rather good. The format is rather like the BBC series Who do you think you are? although as the title suggests it focuses on usually a single relative of a given celebrity and then only those that served in some capacity in the Second World War.

Personally I'm not all that bothered about the 'celebrity' aspect of the series - I'd be just as interested if the programme was about regular folks ancestors - but its the war stories the programme tells that I have found so engaging. Last Tuesdays episode for instance featured former cricket captain David Gower (who I like) and DJ Sara Cox (who I can't stand). Other celebrity's that have been featured have included Chris Tarrent, Helen Lederer, Paddy Ashdown, Ann Widdecombe, Quentin Willson and actress Lisa Faulkner.

I found the story of David Gower's uncles very moving. One was the captain of a Destroyer in the Arctic Convoys and was later awarded the DSO for his part in the D-Day invasion. The other uncle (younger brother of the destroyer Captain) was a Captain in the Royal Artillery and was killed on D-Day in the advance towards Caen. His story in particular was shocking in its abruptness but also because of the family pictures David still has showing a gentle looking young man who should have had his whole life before him.

I've been privileged to meet and talk with many Normandy Veterans and their stories are incredible and vivid even 68 years later after the great invasion. They were lucky that they have had a chance to tell their stories but many young men never had that opportunity. One of the most important things that the viewer learned from the David Gower episode was that we should talk to our elderly relatives before its too late. The WWII generation is fading away fast and at some point in the next ten or twenty years we will suddenly find that they are all gone.

This first series is almost over but can still be viewed on the Demand5 website.

Easily Distracted

One of the biggest impediments I have to getting any painting done at home in the evening is the TV. I find any background noise distracting and even rubbish TV (meaning 99% of the stuff that is aired) has a magnetic draw to it that pulls me away from the painting desk and leaves me wondering where the evening has gone. I find it impossible to read or paint when the TV is on unless I listen to music on headphones and sit with my back to the screen.

Evil Edna from Willo the Wisp

Apparently the problem stems from the fact that our brains are wired for distraction (so much for intelligent design!). We are inquisitive creatures and even when apparently doing nothing our brains are processing information, getting all introspective and hunting for stimuli. The ability to concentrate actually uses a lot of energy and repeated changes of focus over the course of the day really can leave the desk bound worker as tired as the guy that's been on a building site all day. So by the time the evening comes along finding the energy to maintain focus and ignore distractions is about as hard as it gets.

My solution is to block out the unwanted stimuli, either by removing the distraction or removing myself from its influence. So I listen to my iPod while I paint and sit where I can't see the TV, but another perfectly valid solution might be to take my painting to another part of the house or down the shed. The only problem I have with the latter solution is it does seem a bit antisocial not being in the room with my family of an evening and my shed has no roof so it might get a bit damp (especially during the very wet drought we are having here in the UK!).

Of course the other option would be to get rid of the TV....hmmmm now that's an intriguing idea.

BLMA Playing Favorites

Over the last couple of weeks several Bloggers I follow have been posting a thread called Playing Favourites. Basically is a list of categories and an excuse to show your inner geek, so how could I resit joining in! Check out some of the other posts on the following blogs: Trouble At T'Mill, Mylardiesgames, Too Much Lead and Steve's Random Musings. So here's my humble contribution:

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Wargames Period - Easily WWII - no surprise there - closely followed by ACW. I'll happily play any period but I have a particular interest in the history of these two conflicts.

Scale - I'm a recent convert to 15mm for wargaming although I'd prefer 28mm for RPG's and skirmish type games. This is the scale I 'traditionally' painted but as I said I have been doing more and more 15mm in the last few years. Also thanks to Posties Rejects I have had a chance to play a wide range of games in 15mm over the last year and as a scale it is growing on me. I'd like to give smaller scales a try in future (10mm and even Micro Armour 1/200th) but I'm reluctant to branch out onto yet another game and set of models.


Rules - I don't think I'm qualified to answer this, because my experience has been limited to just a handful of  game systems. Generally I prefer simpler rules that allow the player to concentrate on strategic thinking rather than maths. I'll be honest, I find it hard to read rulebooks, no matter how many pretty pictures they include. I much prefer to learn at the elbow of an experienced player and as I don't belong to a club the only rules I have read are those I have bought for myself.

Boardgame - I haven't played Risk in years but as a teenager it was by far my favourite. Nowadays I think my favourite is probably the old classic, Chess. I'm useless at it but I regularly play on my Smartphone or PC and the beauty of playing a 'computer' is that I can turn down the IQ of the AI until I win (!!). Actually I win about 50% of the time so I still consider a game challenging enough to be enjoyable but not an exercise in self punishment.

Heresy 'Thrud the Barbarian'

Figure manufacturer -I love the 28mm miniatures of Heresy and Hasslefree. In 15mm I don't really have a favourite as I tend to buy from a wide range of manufacturers based on what I need from wherever it is available.


Metal/Hard Plastic -The quality of resin and plastic has improved hugely in the 30 years I have been collecting miniatures. I prefer Metal but if I need a particular figure, what it is made of is secondary to how it looks, what it costs and how easily available it is.


Club -I've never been a club man myself. Partly because for years there wasn't one local to me and partly because I'm not a naturally gregarious person. However I've now joined Posties Rejects which I suppose is a sort of unofficial club so I'll nominate them in this category.

The Evil GM

Opponent - My mate Peter (aka The Evil GM). We haven't faced off in a wargame battle for over 20 years but one day I'd like to beat him, just once. To my knowledge he has never been defeated in a wargame - the git - so victory against him would have to go down on my personal Bucket List. The chances of it happening though are vanishingly small because I have the tactical ability of a peanut and Pete is simply the luckiest SOB I have ever had the misfortune to meet in combat.


Film - I loved films like Zulu and The Longest day when I was a kid and they still inspire me today. But I have to say I'm excited by the opportunities that CGI have brought to modern war films like Saving Private Ryan, Enemy at the Gates and the HBO Series Band of Brothers and Pacific. Ironically I thought that CGI would also revive Fantasy movies finally bringing them the visuals that often lacked in older films. With the exception of the LoTR trilogy I can honestly say I have largely been disappointed on this front!

Book - I'm going to be boring now and say The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. Closely followed at the opposite end of the literary scale by the Conan stories by Robert E. Howard. However for pure inspiration I'd have to nominate Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee as a history book that literally changed my view of the world.


Art - Considering my book choices it should come as no surprise that I love the artwork of Frank Frazetta. I'm also a fan of the work of my mate Dave Stokes whose artwork has been featured here several times. Also I have to nominate the photographer Robert Capa in this category as well as I consider his pictures not just brilliant but works of art in their own right. His pictures of D-Day send a chill down my spine.

The Interweb - I live my life on the Internet. When I'm not working I spend an inordinate amount of time on social networks, blogging or reading other peoples Blogs and generally surfin' the web. Consequently I honestly can't pick out a single site or blog for highlight because I love it all (ahhhh).

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I hope you like some of my choices and I'm sure the moment I publish this post I'll think of several dozen new things I wished I had included. So what about you? Fancy picking up the baton and listing your Favourites?

Big Picture : Die-cast Fun

A few years ago I and my family took a trip on the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway. This is a Narrow Gauge train line that runs from Hythe all the way out to Dungeness and runs a selection of vintage steam locomotives. Along the way there's a small museum featuring a model railway and a selection of old toys. Amongst the latter I saw these two classics, both of which I had as a kid.

The metallic green spaceship at the top is an Interceptor from the TV series UFO. These were made by Dinkey Toys between 1978-80 and featured a front firing black and yellow missile with a loading spring located on the underside. Recently a mint example, in its box, sold for £132 on eBay!

The model at the bottom was one of my absolute favourites. Its an Eagle Transporter from the TV series Space 1999. This was another Dinkey toy in 1/110 scale. The pod (missing in this example) was detachable and there were several different types to collect.

Bletchley Code Breakers on TV

Last night I finally had the chance to watch a programme about Bletchley Park that was on TV last week. For those that don't know, Bletchley was the home to MI6 and Britain's code breaking HQ throughout WWII. It was here that the Enigma code was cracked by geniuses like Alan Turing.

The new programme Code Breakers: Bletchley Parks Lost Heroes is still available via the BBC iPlayer until Saturday the 5th and is well worth watching. It looks at the largely unrecognised work of a 24-year-old maths student Bill Tutte and a GPO engineer Tommy Flowers, who combined to hack into Hitler's personal super-code machine. This was not Enigma but an even tougher system, which Hitler called his 'secrets writer'.

The breaking of this code helped the Russians turn the Battle of Kursk, it advised and informed the planning for the D-day landings. The work of Tommy Flowers resulted in the creation of the world first practical electronic digital information processing machine - a forerunner of today’s computers. Unfortunately this machine and its successors were used well into the 60's during the Cold War which meant it remained a secret and the achievements of both men were never fully recognised.

RIP Elizabeth Sladen

I've just read the very sad news that actress Elizabeth Sladen had died at the young age of just 63. A BBC spokesman issued this statement: "It is with much sadness that we can announce Elisabeth Sladen, the much-loved actress best known for her role as Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and CBBC's The Sarah Jane Adventures, passed away this morning." Apparently she had been battling cancer for some time now and finally lost her fight.

Sladen first appeared in her signature role Sarah Jane Smith  in the BBC television sci-fi series Doctor Who between 1973 and 1976, opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. She went on to reprise her role in the revived series acting opposite David Tennant.


There are several tributes to her but I felt this one by artist John Kovalic best summed up how I feel about this sad news.

Tank Battles of WWII - DVD Set

I've been watching a series of DVD's I got at Christmas called Tank Battles of World War Two. It's taken a while for me to watch these as needless to say nobody else in the house is that interested. However I have to say they are missing what is, in my humble opinion, a great series of historical programs.

This set consists of 6 DVD's each focusing on a different campaign or period of the war. The order of the DVD's is a little weird but the content is excellent with very little overlap between them. Here - in Chronological order - are the campaigns covered

(Disc 6) Blitzkrieg - The early creation of the Panzer Divisions and the development Blitzkrieg as a means of wageing war.
(Disc 3) The Fall of France - When Germany attacked France it faced arguably one of the largest and best equipped armies in Europe at that time. Its rapid destruction and defeat is as much a testament to the power of Blitzkrieg as it was to the ineptitude of French military doctrine at that time.
(Disc 1) Tigers in the Desert - The rise of Rommel and the advent of the Tiger Tank. Includes an intriguing reconstruction of a Tiger Crew in action.
(Disc 4) Barbarossa - The massive offensive to take Russia was a huge gamble and flew completely in the face of the idea of Lightning War. Here, on the wide open steppes of Russia, the limitations of Blitzkrieg were finally exposed.
(Disc 2) The Battle for Kursk -Operation Zitadelle was the huge German offensive designed to put Russia out of the war. Instead this became a killing ground that saw the ascendancy of Russian armour and the beginning of the long retreat back to Germany.
(Disc 5) The Ardennes Offensive - A last desperate gamble against the allies in the West

Throughout the series various experts are called upon for their analysis and insight. These include David Fletcher of the Royal Tank Museum; German army veteran Gerry Majewski; Author and historian Bob Carruthers; Dr Robin Clifton of Warwick University; Dr Niall Barr of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst; and Professor John Erickson from the University of Edinburgh.

Over the course of these 6 DVD's the whole sweep of the war - from an armoured perspective - is discussed and analysed. One of the things I liked about these programmes was the fact that you get 300 minutes of documentary with virtually no repetition or overlap of information. The quality of the research and breadth of information covered is huge and presented in a very interesting and logical way.

If you have in interest in the development and use of the Tank as a weapon of war then I think these programmes will definitely interest you. I also think most WWII wargamers would also find the content useful, particularly where colour film and original footage is used.

No coal in my stocking

I must have been a good boy this year because I got a lot of nice new toys for Christmas. I also have my Christmas List handy to buy anything that I didn't get.

I got a new Camera Bag and Tripod, both of which are sorely needed. The Tripod in particular as my old one broke a few months ago and I used it primarily for photographing miniatures at home. I don't as a rule take tripods with me to conventions or living history displays, partly because I hate lugging the weight around and partly because a tripod just gets in the way of other people. I much prefer a Mono pod for show photography.

Another much awaited present is the new Kevin Dallimore Master Class book. I like his style of painting and his previous book (and articles on the Foundry website) have lots of useful tips and suggestions. I picked this book up at SELWG back in October for my wife. The lovely woman had given me express instructions to buy something for myself for Christmas, and who was I to argue?!

My daughter bought me a porcelain mixing pallet which is something I've been looking to buy for a while now. I can buy cheap plastic ones for a few pounds but they are horrible to clean, especially when scratched. The porcelain pallet should be a lot easier to wipe clean and wash, saving a lot of time and swearing!



I also received the usual clutch of DVDs but amongst them was a surprise from my in-laws that played to my weakness for Tanks. A 6 DVD set of programmes looking at the Tank Battles of WWII. That's five hours of programming to keep me quiet and keep me happy. 

Now all that remains is for me to mop up and buy some of the items missing from my list. I've already put in an order for a couple of books on Amazon (must get in before the VAT increases on January 4th!) and I'm hunting around the Internet for a bargain or two in the sales. Its a bumper Christmas for me.

Cthulhu Rises after BP Disaster in South Park

BP are at it again! Disaster in the Gulf has unleashed Cthulhu on the world and only the Guys at South Park can stop him.

 

 

I've had a strange and sudden upsurge in hits on this blog (up 300%!!) over the last six days and I've been trying to figure out why. Then I stumbled upon this clip on YouTube and now I understand why the Cthulhu keyword keeps coming up in search engine hits. This episode of South Park aired in the US on Thursday 28th October... right when my hit counter started to go mad. Far be it for me to ignore the gift horse... here are some more of my Cthulhu related posts.

• Cthulhu killed Paul the Octopus - My own personal conspiracy theory about the late football loving Psychic Octopus.
• Artifact from R'lyeh - Relics of R'lyeh turn up all over the place, including the British Museum.
• Hollywood Schmollywood - One of my favorite H.P.Lovecraft stories is going to turned into a big budget movie. I just hope they get it right.
• Mi-go Dreams - My daughters artwork can sometimes be a little disturbing!
• Cthulhu Fhtagn - I have troubled dreams. Maybe the prelude to insanity?

iä iä Cthulhu fhtagn iä iä Cthulhu fhtagn iä iä Cthulhu fhtagn!

Tiger 131 on DVD

Back in June I went to the Bovington Tank Museum annual Tankfest show with my brother-in-law. We had a great time and I shot several hundred pictures and posted them on this Blog. But I also treated myself to a couple of DVDs  while we were at the show and have been meaning to review them ever since.

The first DVD is "Saving the Tiger : The Story of Tiger 131" and is exclusively about the only running Tiger I Tank in the world. The story of its capture in 1943, its assessment back in England and its renovation are dealt with in detail and some of the key people involved at each stage are interviewed. In particular Peter Gudgin who's Churchill tank was knocked out by Tiger 131 and who later found himself being assigned to assess and report on the Tiger's capabilities.

In addition to the main documentary there are some extra features including the full length version of the 1943 Tiger recognition film produced for the Allied forces. I found this quite a useful insight into the training techniques employed during the war as well as highlighting some interesting recognition features of the Tiger.

The second DVD also features Tiger 131 extensively and is called "The Tiger Files".  This is a very interesting documentary lasting 72 minutes and includes archive footage and veteran interviews throughout. Whereas the first DVD looked specifically at the life of Tiger 131 this documentary looks at the full story of the tiger from drawing board to battlefield.

One of the most interesting parts of the documentary is some film shot inside the Tiger during a driving run. It shows the both the technological and technical innovation of the Tiger and some of the difficulties faced by all tank drivers on both sides of the war.  There is also some interesting interviews with various veterans that faced the Tiger in combat including Joe Ekins who is attributed with killing the German tank ace Michael Wittmann.

Tiger 131 at Tankfest 2010

Both DVDs can be bought via the Tank Museum website or in the shop at the museum itself. I think they are an excellent insight into this iconic weapon of war and well worth buying if you have an interest in WWII Armour.

Big Picture : The 88

The German 88mm Flak 37 Anti Tank gun. This particular example was featured in the HBO series Band of Brothers. Its now held in the Muckleburgh Collection in Norfolk.

From Muckleburgh Collection