I'm related to Anne Boleyn!

Okay, not the actual Anne Boleyn but the bird who plays her in 'The Tudors'. Now I can't back this up with any kind of proof but on the word of a number of old Aunts from the South End branch of the family Natalie Dormer is one of my "twice removed's" from over Reading way. Prior to this my family's only showbiz connection was the bloke who played the scruffy haired dim one in Please Sir (a cousin of my dad's) and a researcher who worked on Hannibal for the BBC.

Anyway here is a photo of my possible cousin.

As far as sculpting goes the Saxon characters are nearly done and should be making an appearance any time soon. Cavalry and horses are also well on their way and if all goes to plan the Early Saxons should be finished in time for the Warfayre show in Reading. Whether they will be in production by then is another matter...

I've started work on a new set of dollies for next year's first quarter project. It's gonna be a 'something old, something new' range for me and I'm really looking forward to it. Keep your eyes peeled for further developments.

I've now had about a dozen requests for Quidditch teams so I may sling these in a mould and produce them with a chunk of the profits going to Cancer charities. This is under discussion.

Games Day was a blast from the past and despite my affirmations that I would not slip into my old ways I ended up getting back into 'GW staff' mode and shouting like a loon whilst shiny faced young chaps rolled buckets of dice. Never again (until the next time...).

The Worlds at Derby was a good show. Despite a fire alarm on the Saturday that pretty much shut the show down a couple of hours early the Beast had a good weekend and I managed to catch up with some old chums, which reminds me, I must sort out those Falklands orbats for the Rules of Engagement chaps.

The next few weeks promise the joys of Warhammer World and the late years WHW campaign weekend. With a bit of luck WABbit will have finished his army in time to win the bet. You see, if he doesn't then the Welsh lord figure I'm sculpting for him will be ceremonially crushed underfoot in the car park outside Bugman's on Saturday evening. Good luck D. The following week sees the Beast Boys hitting the continent when we attend the Crisis show in Antwerp. The Beast haven't been for a couple of years due to one thing and another and for the first time the Soapster will be in attendance. I claim this to be reither a blessing or a curse but if you are going to the show come along to the new and improved GB stand and say hello (Or even Goddag or Goede dag or Bonjour or Guten Tag or Hola or Hej or Olá or Bunã ziua or Dzien' dobry or Salutonor....)

'The Bennett project', an army painting commission continues to advance slowly but with the upcoming completion of the Saxons I will have more time to devote to painting Byzantines some of which will be making an appearance here closer to Christmas.

Well, one tenuous familial link to a D list celeb, some vague rumours and a couple of hugely brief reviews is about all I can muster at the moment. I'll be back with some photos when the wife gives me back the camera. She denies having confiscated it but I haven't been able to get my hands on it for ages. Personally I think she's lost it but I've got no proof yet. Time will tell.

Stay lucky,
Soaps.