The Loose Association of Wargamers

Jeremy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 24, 2023 8:41 am

FreddBloggs wrote: ↑Mon Apr 24, 2023 8:36 am I like plastics, multipart metals I truly hate.

Like the scorpion men you sold me?

They are not favourites no. But I just sold them, no hand in their design.

One copy DBR!

Scored a bunch of mdf stuff from warbases, sarissa and supreme littleness, plus some Perry Spanish Guerrillas at Carronade. Two Railway halts, one for the Far East and one for Mexico, gunsmith shack, windmill and water store. And in honour of the coronation, a tumbril and guillotine set.

DougM wrote: ↑Sun May 14, 2023 2:00 pm And in honour of the coronation, a tumbril and guillotine set.

Thanks to former Python, Terry Jones, and his TV series on Mediaeval England, I learned that the first recorded mention of a guillotine-like device was near Halifax, in Yorkshire. It was used to execute livestock rustlers, with the animals themselves being used to draw the blade up, before it was released. I also learned that you can have a forest without any trees, as the Norman-French word "foret" means managed land. not necessarily woodland.

Was a good series.

BaronVonWreckedoften wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 9:31 am Thanks to former Python, Terry Jones, and his TV series on Mediaeval England, I learned that the first recorded mention of a guillotine-like device was near Halifax, in Yorkshire. It was used to execute livestock rustlers, with the animals themselves being used to draw the blade up, before it was released. I also learned that you can have a forest without any trees, as the Norman-French word "foret" means managed land. not necessarily woodland.

As always with these things "facts" are simplified for brevity and to tell a story

Colour me intrigued and tell me more.....

BaronVonWreckedoften wrote: ↑Mon May 15, 2023 3:12 pm Colour me intrigued and tell me more.....

The Halifax gibbet only predates the Guillotine by about 200 years, previous executions are recorded but were most likely with an axe. This means that it is about the same date as the "Scottish Maiden" a similar thing. There is a european execution machine called the "Planke", which is also, apparently, a pre cursor of the Guillotine.

The origin of the word "forest" is a bit unclear too as whilst it might well come from the Anglo-Norman legal term for a managed place of agriculture it might also come from the Franco-German early medieval "Forist".

As with all these things there is probably a truth to it that comes from a combination of all the stories we are told.

The Halifax/Yorkshire guillotine was actually just a henchman with a big chopper.

I was about to buy some 15mm flag sheets until they were £10.40 p&p at checkout.