Almost there

Well, still no internet connection, but it is at least within sight. In the meantime I have been busy buying furniture, but you don't want to know that - you only want the important stuff:

• I had toast for breakfast again, but I did nip out for a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea at about 10:30
• I saw Opera North's production of Verdi's Macbeth which was, as expected, rather fine. I don't wish to give the plot away, but that Lady Macbeth - she's a wrong'un.

• I also caught Fairport Convention who I hadn't seen since the winter of 75/76. As one might guess the set had changed somewhat over the years (as had the band), but the highlights were still 'Matty Groves', 'Meet on the Ledge' and a magnificent 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' featuring support act Edwina Hayes.
• I went to see Ed Miliband speak and was rather impressed. I know politicians get a lot of stick for 'spin', but he answered questions in a way that would have been alien to his predecessors. I can remember seeing, for example, Michael Foot and Dennis Healey speak and fine orators though they were they didn't do a lot of interaction. I also saw Enoch Powell once and although he happily answered questions, he was so completely bonkers that it didn't add much to the sum of human knowledge.

Anyway, you probably can't stand much more excitement at that level so I will quit while I'm ahead. I will just mention that the Punic Wars campaign continues and that I am certainly not ahead there.

When deeds are called for

''Ah tell me not that memory
Sheds gladness o'er the past;
What is recalled by faded flowers
Save that they did not last?''

- Letitia Elizabeth Landon

Punic Wars Campaign

Having spent a long period with nowhere to live I now find myself with the luxury of living in two places at the same time. However, neither has either phone line nor broadband and so my postings here remain rather infrequent. However, briefly passing through somewhere connected I thought that I would, entirely for my own benefit, write up the first two weeks of the Punic Wars campaign that James is laying on at the moment.

During the entire Punic Wars they never killed anyone

My main problem in taking part is having no real idea of a) what happened during the Punic Wars b) the boardgame being used for the map parts (indeed I can't even remember the name of it) or c) Command & Colours Ancients being used to play out the battles. However, not knowing the history or the rules is my default setting and so I have pressed on regardless.

James is doing a card by card write-up over at Olicanalad so I will simply give the highlights or indeed the lowlights. My greatest triumph so far as the Romans has been to give Hannibal the pox before he crossed the Alps allowing me to attack him with superior numbers. Sadly a combination of his higher rating as a general and my ineptitude at C&C led to a fairly easy Cartheginian victory. Still, given that my understanding of how to play both elements of the game can only get better and on the assumption that not all Roman generals can be as crap as the one defeated here one mustn't be too pessimistic.