Inspiration...

... and a HG Wells related question.  Recent postings on two of my favourite blogs got me thinking (quiet at the back!). Firstly, today's post on His Grace's blog exhibited a new addition - a band from Wittenberg. This re-awakened an old enthusiasm of mine. Why do we not see more military bands on the tables of glory? They must surely be worth additional morale points, they most certainly offer the most marvellous uniforms, for the Eighteenth century wargamer in particular, but other periods too. Sadly, apart from the odd musician in random scales, my various armies boast only one band:

A small Confederate band in 15mm (so, small in both senses) plays stirring music while their comrades from a Zouave regiment march past. The Band Master has realised that an exalted one rides alongside, and has turned to salute:

Nice, old school look about him, even in 15mm - Minifigs, I think.  

Now, that brings me to the second inspirational set of postings, over on Funny Little Wars - Garden Campaigns, where the Padre has recently provided an after battle report on an American Civil War/War of the States action. As readers of this blog will know, I have a Funny Little Wars 'Army Black' in the making, conscripted from Armies in Plastic's value for money 54mm figures, with a few, much more expensive Tradition 54mm toy soldiers added to the pointy headed mix. The combination of FLW and the ACW set me to parading some of my ACW toy soldier style figures that I had collected a good few years back for an earlier attempt at H G Wells' inspired gaming. Here are some of the chaps. First, the Blue Bellies:

Note the Iron Brigade in reserve in the far background.

And, the Rebs. First some colours:

Good Lord, what is Scotland's flag doing there! (I wonder when the National Museums of Scotland will run an exhibition about the very deep, formative ties between Scotland and the southern states? Religion, flags, morality, bigotry, self-reliance, violence... Odd how the SNP don't make more of it). And Johnny Reb's firing line:

While, below, the famed Cavaliers of the South ride through an abandoned Blue Belly gun line. (I say, Cuba has got into the picture again!).

Now the point about this never-completed project is that these marvellous toy soldier figures (which were a joy to paint) are in 42mm, not 54mm. At the time (about 10-12 years ago) I understood that the figures that H G famously used and photographed were, in modern usage, in 42mm. So, my question is, were the original H G Wells' chaps in 42mm or 54mm ?

The second question (which I have just remembered) is does anyone else remember, or, indeed, have a copy of, the wargames magazine that the revived H G Wells in 42mm article was in ? It was either Miniature Wargames or Wargames Illustrated, probably from the late '90s, and involved beer mats and wine corks.