Andy's Modelmaking Misadventures

[Andy in Germany]

Oh heck, why did you have to make it more complicated?

Complicated?

Hohenzollern is the grey bits, including the bits that aren't connected to the other grey bits, like the grey bit near Lindau, which is surrounded by Württemberg and Bavaria, and a couple of hundred KM from the other grey bits, but not including the yellow bit in the middle of the main grey bit by Magerkingen: that belongs to Württemberg.

See? Perfectly simple.

Also, the state was offered to Prussia because the nephews/cousins/uncles/all of the above of the king of Prussia abdicated. This territory was and to some extent still is a splatter of lumpy hills, and while very pretty, it is rather hard to get to or travel around, with about three fields that were not at forty-five degrees. Because of this The king said no, until someone pointed out that if Prussia didn't take it, Württemberg would get it, and well, obviously that couldn't be allowed to happen...

In the World of Ascension Hohenzollern is independent again, and their chief Export is the mercenary Hohenzollern guard*. This is based in Igelsweiss, which is a tiny exclave in Baden. As the Igel is German for a hedgehog, the Hedgehog is the logo of the guard, and of course it means that in any game when the Hohenzollern guard arrives I can use the Call sign "The Igel has landed"

I'm easily amused...

*Again, all characters are based on real people.

 

[classic33]

If it's any help, the national racing colours are as follows:

Britain - racing green
France - light ultramarine
Belgium - yellow
Italy - red
Germany - silver
Argentina - sky blue
USA - royal blue & white
Japan - white with red trim

That should cover all the bases, I think...

Except that's Shamrock Green(Ireland), which can't be used by Irish teams.

 

[Reynard]

Except that's Shamrock Green(Ireland), which can't be used by Irish teams.

Naah. Irish green is more of a mushy pea green kind of colour. Like their rugby & footy shirts...

 

[Andy in Germany]

“Being a member of God’s two chosen people groups can be such a burden.” Dr. Solomon Mckinley.

As we have seen in the last few months, Ascension Island is a dangerous place; quite apart from all the gang warfare, political intrigue, heists, chases, and extortion going on, there’s the danger presented by being on a tiny mountainous scrap of land in the middle of thousands of miles of the Atlantic Ocean, so a hospital was required.

The first hospital on Ascension was built around 1829 when the Island was developed to support the Royal Navy, particularly the West Africa Squadron, which was on the front line of the fight against slavery from 1808–1856. In my world, it was expanded in the 1920’s because of the increased traffic through the Island, with an ugly prefabricated second wing.

A tiny hospital on a tiny island is not a very attractive proposition for aspiring doctors, so after the Royal Navy gave it over to civilian use, probably with a sense of relief, the facility has been “managed” by a fairly long line of incompetent doctors, usually embittered and close to retirement. Then Dr Solomon Mckinley arrived.

Mckinley is a giant of a man, standing at 6’7″, and has a personality to match. Born in Glasgow, he was a consultant doctor in a large hospital in Northern England, but under the government of Oswald Moseley and Edward VIII, being Jewish made him a target of the Auxiliary Police, and he ended up exiled to Ascension. Here, a lifetime’s experience and enthusiasm has been focused on the few wards under his authority and has revolutionised healthcare on the Island; patients now have a good chance of leaving the hospital more healthy than they went in.

He is also a former college heavyweight boxing champion, which several of the more boisterous tourists discovered to their cost when pressing their attentions on the nurses. Captain Bryant’s Royal Navy Police soon discovered that if called to the hospital, they were unlikely to be rescuing the staff…

 

[classic33]

View attachment 763163

“Being a member of God’s two chosen people groups can be such a burden.” Dr. Solomon Mckinley.

As we have seen in the last few months, Ascension Island is a dangerous place; quite apart from all the gang warfare, political intrigue, heists, chases, and extortion going on, there’s the danger presented by being on a tiny mountainous scrap of land in the middle of thousands of miles of the Atlantic Ocean, so a hospital was required.

The first hospital on Ascension was built around 1829 when the Island was developed to support the Royal Navy, particularly the West Africa Squadron, which was on the front line of the fight against slavery from 1808–1856. In my world, it was expanded in the 1920’s because of the increased traffic through the Island, with an ugly prefabricated second wing.

A tiny hospital on a tiny island is not a very attractive proposition for aspiring doctors, so after the Royal Navy gave it over to civilian use, probably with a sense of relief, the facility has been “managed” by a fairly long line of incompetent doctors, usually embittered and close to retirement. Then Dr Solomon Mckinley arrived.

View attachment 763164

Mckinley is a giant of a man, standing at 6’7″, and has a personality to match. Born in Glasgow, he was a consultant doctor in a large hospital in Northern England, but under the government of Oswald Moseley and Edward VIII, being Jewish made him a target of the Auxiliary Police, and he ended up exiled to Ascension. Here, a lifetime’s experience and enthusiasm has been focused on the few wards under his authority and has revolutionised healthcare on the Island; patients now have a good chance of leaving the hospital more healthy than they went in.

He is also a former college heavyweight boxing champion, which several of the more boisterous tourists discovered to their cost when pressing their attentions on the nurses. Captain Bryant’s Royal Navy Police soon discovered that if called to the hospital, they were unlikely to be rescuing the staff…

Those two groups being those of God's Own County and who else?

 

[Punkawallah]

Complicated?

View attachment 762763

Hohenzollern is the grey bits, including the bits that aren't connected to the other grey bits, like the grey bit near Lindau, which is surrounded by Württemberg and Bavaria, and a couple of hundred KM from the other grey bits, but not including the yellow bit in the middle of the main grey bit by Magerkingen: that belongs to Württemberg.

See? Perfectly simple.

Also, the state was offered to Prussia because the nephews/cousins/uncles/all of the above of the king of Prussia abdicated. This territory was and to some extent still is a splatter of lumpy hills, and while very pretty, it is rather hard to get to or travel around, with about three fields that were not at forty-five degrees. Because of this The king said no, until someone pointed out that if Prussia didn't take it, Württemberg would get it, and well, obviously that couldn't be allowed to happen...

In the World of Ascension Hohenzollern is independent again, and their chief Export is the mercenary Hohenzollern guard*. This is based in Igelsweiss, which is a tiny exclave in Baden. As the Igel is German for a hedgehog, the Hedgehog is the logo of the guard, and of course it means that in any game when the Hohenzollern guard arrives I can use the Call sign "The Igel has landed"

I'm easily amused...

*Again, all characters are based on real people.

You’ve got to love the 18th century :-)

 

[Andy in Germany]

Those two groups being those of God's Own County and who else?

I had a feeling you'd say that. As the name suggests, the (real) Dr. Solomon Mckinley was a Scot of Jewish descent, although I don't know if he practiced the faith at all. His head nurse on Ascension, who I recall later joins the f*schist Auxiliary Police, clearly loathes him, although as he says, it isn't clear if it's the "Solomon" or the "Mckinley" that causes her dislike.

 

[Andy in Germany]

You’ve got to love the 18th century :-)

Indeed. Thing is, I must have crossed that border a dozen times: I've cycled along several of the valleys. In fact, if you follow the river that flows north from Hechingen, I live in the village where it meets the river flowing west-east on the map.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Another of the “minor” characters of Ascension this week. Meet Jack O’Sullivan, fifteen, arrived on Ascension six years ago after stowing away on a coal ship.

“Arrived” is a rather genteel term; he was discovered just as the ship had left Liverpool, and was unceremoniously dumped on the quayside in Ascension. Since then, he’s worked as a boot boy, messenger, and now sells newspapers to the wealthier patrons of the Island.

O’Sullivan has a reputation for being first with the news: not only does he have the latest editions of most major papers each morning, he’s also the go-to person for anyone wanting to know what is happening in Ascension’s constantly evolving political and criminal scene; for a price, of course.

O’Sullivan is named after one of the Editors of the “Workers Dreadnought” a long defunct English language newspaper from the early 20th century. The figure was very kindly sent to me free by a member of a tabletop gaming forum.

 

[Punkawallah]

I recognise that one! With the cap and red tie, an obvious Trotskyite!

 

[Andy in Germany]

I recognise that one! With the cap and red tie, an obvious Trotskyite!

This is where the ridiculously overdeveloped lore kicks in again. In this world, WW1 Ended in 1917 and the Soviets didn't take power. The leaders are currently trying to foment revolution in different countries (Except for a certain Georgian who is building an international crime network).
Trotsky, being a true believer, has gone underground and is involved in grassroots activism, mostly based around blowing things up...

No, I don't get out much, why do you ask?

 

[Punkawallah]

I suspect you just have too much free time!

 

[Andy in Germany]

I suspect you just have too much free time!

It's amazing what you can create when you don't have a Netflix subscription or a social life.

 

[Gwylan]

It's amazing what you can create when you don't have a Netflix subscription or a social life.

Well you can fix both those.
Personally, I'd go for the social Iife

 

[Andy in Germany]

Well you can fix both those.
Personally, I'd go for the social Iife

Tried it. I found it overrated.