PC Update

Last week I was able to get hold of a PC off a friend. Around the start of the weekend I formatted it and began reinstalling Windows and all my other programs. At present the vast majority of the programs that I wish to use on the PC are installed, especially the desktop blogging software.

For over a year now the desktop blogging software I have been using to create my posts has been Windows Live Writer (see left), which is free to download. It works with both Wordpress and Blogger amongst many other blog providers. Windows Live Writer can also work well with blog pages (except Blogger). Posts can also be scheduled for future publishing. To date I have used this software for Wordpress and Blogger only.

Windows Live Writer is one piece of software I would rather not do without. Makes life so much easier.

Picasa is used to correct contrast, lighting and colour in all my photos so that they look their best especially the wargames ones.

The Flickr Uploader is used to upload my photos in bulk to Flickr.

Using the Flickr4Writer plugin, I can then insert my photos into my blog posts though this is mainly done with Blogger.

So I am back up and running again with a fully functional PC though the threat of having my internet suspended is ever present. That too will be sorted within the next 8 weeks. It was those things, especially the PC playing up, that caused me a lot of problems at the end of last year and particularly between April and July 2010 that meant my websites were neglected. All the data including photos from last year are sadly out of reach till I am able to access the data on the other hard drive.

Good News! Whilst experiencing these problems in December 2010, I also took some photos with my main digital camera at the Grimsby Wargames Society so apart from the photos taken with my Nokia there is a month’s worth of Wargames Photos safely stored away on my camera to be posted to this blog. They will be posted within the next 2 weeks or earlier. Now they are the REAL photos……

Steve Walker RIP

Today I learned the sad news that Steve Walker, a long standing member of the Grimsby Wargames Society, had died of Cancer last night after fighting bravely against it ever since he had learned it had returned in August 2010 last year. In the following months Steve lived life to the full doing many things he always wanted to do including driving a tank over a car! Wargaming was one of his passions as well as painting wargames figures and blogging about it and anything else that interested him including the BBC Series Ashes to Ashes set in the 80's starring Philip Glenister as DCI Gene Hunt, a series we both liked. Steve was also one of the many Grimsby players who helped playtest the original Rapid Fire! rules. He liked WW2, AK47 and many other periods. Recently Steve had allowed me to take photos of some of his figures. You can see them here: grantsgrimsbygames.blogspot.com/2010/11/steve-walkers-15mm-flames-of-war.html. The best place to see his photos,
his well painted figures and to read his thoughts and ideas is to read his Panzerfauste Painting blog at http://panzerfaustepainting.blogspot.com. I always found Steve to be a friendly, helpful person and it was always good to see him down the club and privileged to know him not just by having him on my Facebook friend list. He will be missed by myself and by the Grimsby Wargames Society. My thoughts and condolences go to his family at this difficult time.

Pirates at Grimsby 17th December 2010

On the 17th December 2010 a Pirates game was once again held at the Grimsby Wargames Society. The ships belonged to Andy Hamilton, Mal Taylor and Mike Barnatt