Perth Museum

 I was working in Dundee last week and took the opportunity to visit the redeveloped Perth Museum on the way home. The museum opened in 2024 after a £27 million redevelopment project. The centrepiece is the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, one of Scotland and the UK’s most significant historical objects. Returning to Perthshire for the first time in over 700 years, having previously been at Westminster Abbey, and briefly at Edinburgh Castle, when the UK government agreed to its return to Scotland. It returns to London for coronations.

The stone in Perth is an oblong block of red sandstone that was used in the coronation of Scottish monarchs until the 13th century, when it was seized by Edward I during the First War of Scottish Independence and taken to England. Thereafter, it was used in the coronation of English and later British monarchs. You can't take photos inside the exhibition, but the story is explained in a couple of short videos, with support from knowledgeable staff.

There is an alternative story that says this is not the real stone; rather, the monks at Scone, knowing that Edward was coming for it, hid the real stone and substituted this lump of sandstone. They knew that if they simply hid the stone, Edward would be none too gentle in extracting it. There is some evidence that Edward knew he was being duped, as searchers returned later to hunt for the hidden version. I remain a sceptic that this is the real stone, but in many ways it doesn't matter. It is the idea behind the stone that is important.

The museum has other exhibits that make a visit worthwhile. This was the final week of a special exhibition showcasing the final letters of Mary Queen of Scots.

For military history, there are exhibits on Cromwell's invasion and the Perthshire Volunteers during the Napoleonic Wars.

Dundee also has plenty to see, including the Discovery, HMS Warrior, McManus Museum and Broughty Castle. The biggest redevelopment along the waterfront is the V&A Museum. Not an obvious trip for anyone interested in military history, but it does have an interesting display of Jacobite memorabilia, and some models from the Carron Ironworks, famous for the carronade.

I also made my first visit to Claypotts Castle, on the outskirts of Dundee. This is a fortified house in remarkably good condition. Its most famous owner was John Graham of Claverhouse, who died leading the victorious Jacobites at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689. Better known as Bluidy Clavers or Bonnie Dundee, depending on which side of the Jacobite line you stand.

Wargaming outreach

 There has been quite a lot written about the hobby's ageing. Having been at the funerals of two Chairs of our club in the past year, the message is being driven home rather starkly. On a more positive note, we do have a few young members, and quite a lot of our newer members are joining, or returning to the hobby in later life. 

All of this indicates that we should be doing more to take the hobby beyond our normal comfort zone at wargame shows and into other events where we can expose members of the public to what wargaming has to offer. I am particularly attracted to hobby shows held in museums, which is a win-win for both parties. I once got to the show held at the Tank Museum in Dorset, which was excellent. My local model railway club does something similar at the Maritime Museum. 

Last Sunday, we took a stall at the Glasgow Vintage Vehicle Trust's modelling Open Day at their Bridgeton depot in Glasgow. This isn't a museum in the conventional sense. It only opens on Open Days to show off the fantastic collection of vintage vehicles, mostly buses. We took a collection of wargames figures and a small participation game of Pillage to give visitors an idea of what is involved. While it's not a game I play, the handful of figures needed make for an excellent introduction for those who might enjoy it but be put off by one of our big games with hundreds of figures.

Other hobby clubs in Glasgow also attended, with some fine military modelling, model railways and engineering of all types. And of course the buses!

We had some excellent conversations with members of the public, most of whom had never heard of wargaming. It was also an opportunity to promote our Napoleonic Open Day on 31 May.

Bolton Castle

 I thought I had visited almost all of the castles in this part of North Yorkshire, but looking for a stop on our way home, I realised I hadn't visited Bolton Castle. I did walk to it many years ago when staying in Hawes, but it was closed.

The castle was built by Lord Scrope in 1379, although it took 20 years to finish. The Scrope (pronounced "scroop") family were originally Norman and became a powerful dynasty in the north. One was Henry V's Treasurer (a thankless task that one), and another fought at Towton. The castle was set on fire by Henry VIII when the 8th Baron reluctantly supported the Pilgrimage of Grace. It was also one of the castles used to imprison Mary Queen of Scots. The major damage was done by a Parliamentary siege during the civil wars, and it never properly recovered before restoration work in the modern era.

The castle is a mix of intact and partially intact rooms. There is a decent cafe, and a living history event was starting when we arrived. Bird of Prey displays are also held.

During the Napoleonic Wars, volunteer regiments were raised for home defence. The local version was the Dales Volunteers, and one of their cannons is on display.

We stopped off at Richmond on the way. My wife had interior design shops in mind, but that meant I could make a return visit to the excellent Green Howards Regimental Museum and the impressive Richmond Castle.

Of course, there is always a Balkan link, if you look closely enough 😂.

Helmsley Castle

We are down in North Yorkshire, and stopped off at the very pleasant market town of Helmsley on the way down. While my wife toured the shops, I made for the excellent castle, one of the largest in the area. I haven't visited it for more than 15 years.

The castle was constructed of wood around 1120. In 1186, Robert de Ros began work on converting the castle to stone. It was to stay with the family throughout the Middle Ages. It was sold in the Tudor period, and a mansion was built within the walls.

The castle was built on an outcrop of rock on the north bank of the River Rye. The main ward, roughly rectangular, was surrounded by high curtain walls with towers at the corners. The castle keep, known as the East Tower, lay about halfway along the east wall. The castle was surrounded by two deep, steep-sided ditches separated by a bank. The main gate to the castle was in the south-east corner of the curtain wall. This gate was protected by the massive Southern Barbican, which stood on an enlarged section of the bank between the two ditches.

Southern barbican 

It was a Royalist stronghold in North Yorkshire during the First English Civil War. It was besieged by Parliamentarian forces in September 1644 and surrendered on 22 November after a two- to three-month siege. The damage you can see today is largely a result of the deliberate slighting of the castle after the siege. It was later sold to the Duncombe family, who built a nearby mansion, and the castle was allowed to deteriorate, with locals helping themselves to much of the stonework.

Despite that, there is still plenty to see, including the keep and Tudor mansion. You can also get a good impression of how strong this castle was. This is good farming country that, in the Middle Ages, could have supported a large castle. Well worth a look.

Sikh arms and armour

I was down in Manchester for the footie yesterday. Passing quickly past that disaster, I popped into the Manchester Art Gallery, which was having a special exhibition on Sikh arms and armour. We were refighting Plassey at the club last Sunday, so I was in India mode.

The collection came from a bequest by Earl Egerton of Tatton and was mostly war trophies gathered during the Raj. It's been in storage, largely because of the association with violent Imperial collecting practices. However, the Art Gallery has rightly decided that these items should be displayed with the proper context explained.

The Sikh Empire was a powerful state in northwestern India that existed from 1799 to 1849. It was founded by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who united various Sikh confederacies and established a centralised government based in Lahore. Under his leadership, the empire expanded to include Punjab, parts of modern-day Pakistan, and areas of Afghanistan and Kashmir. Ranjit Singh modernised the army by incorporating European military techniques and maintained religious tolerance, employing people of different faiths in his administration. After his death in 1839, political instability and internal conflicts weakened the empire, leading to its eventual annexation by the British East India Company in 1849 following the Anglo-Sikh Wars.

It was a modest exhibition, but included some interesting exhibits.

Swords and knives are an important part of Sikh culture even today. They had a huge industry with remarkable craftsmen producing them.

These maces could do serious damage.

An unusual stock on this musket.

The full cavalry kit. My favourite exhibit.

A detailed look at a helmet.

I'm not sure how long the exhibition runs for, but it is well worth a look if you are in Manchester. 

Our take on Plassey, using Lust for Glory rules. An opportunity to dust down my 28mm Mughals.

Brough Castle

I drove down to Leeds on Saturday for the football, and my stopping off point for a break was Brough Castle. The castle is one of a number of medieval castles just off the A66 in the North Pennines, starting at Penrith, then Brougham, Brough and finishing at Barnard Castle. Brough Castle is next to the village of the same name, and you should turn off there, as the signage isn't great. There is no charge to enter, so suspect English Heritage hasn't invested as much in the site. In the summer, the local farm has a tea room.

Brough Castle was built on the site of the Roman fort of Verterae, which was occupied until the 5th century. The site protected the Stainmore Pass, along the Roman road from York to Carlisle. There is nothing left of the fort, but the helpful information board gives an artist impression of what it looked like.

William the Conqueror's son, William Rufus, invaded the north-west in 1091 and built Brough Castle around 1092, making use of the existing  Roman earthworks. It was a classic Norman motte and bailey design. In 1173, William the Lion of Scotland invaded the north of England and captured the castle after a short siege. It was recovered later in that year and rebuilt. After the Barons War the castle came under the Clifford family who strengthened it and gave it the shape you can see today.

The Cliffords were Lancastrians during the Wars of the Roses and the castle was captured, but later returned to the family. It fell into disuse after a fire. However, the castle was restored in the 17th century by Lady Anne Clifford, a major landowner in the Clifford family. In 1666 another fire struck the castle rendering it uninhabitable for a period, and afterwards materials were used for local buildings.

The ruin is in poor condition today and at risk of further damage. This is a shame because it is in a magnificent spot with great views all around. There are several information boards, which tell the story, and it is well worth a short visit. An ideal stretch of the legs stop.

Warwick military heritage

 I was in Warwick last Saturday afternoon, not for the castle, which I have visited before, but to visit the three regimental museums. Yes, that's right, a small Midlands town has three regimental museums. 

The first stop was the Museum of the Queen's Royal Hussars. Based in a former drill hall, it tells the story of the British Army's light cavalry regiment, amalgamated from many famous regiments over the years. There is nothing light about the current regiment, which utilises the Challenger 2 and will be the first to receive the Challenger 3. The regiment served in Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq.

The 3rd and 4th Hussars were created in 1685, and the 7th Hussars in 1690. The 8th Irish Hussars in 1693. One or more of the regiments served in just about every significant conflict the British Army was involved in since. This is reflected in the museum displays on two floors, with an annexe that holds the Parker Collection.

This is one for wargamers moaning about the effectiveness of mounted skirmishing. The Padget carbine was effective at only 25 paces!

An early version of Wofun miniatures!

Next stop was the Warwickshire Yeomanry Museum in the town centre. The regiment was created in 1794 and disbanded in 1956.

They have a room dedicated to the last unsupported cavalry charge of the British Army at Huj in Palestine in 1917.

Finally, the Fusilier Museum, which covers the history of the Warwickshire Regiment, now part of today's Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. This is the oldest regiment in the county, formed in 1674.

This drum was lost at Prestonpans and turned up in a Highland cottage.

The regiment can boast three of the most influential British commanders of World War II - Montgomery, Slim, and Nye.

Having three regimental museums in one town is quite unusual. And we should remember they are all run by volunteers. The ones I met were very welcoming and knowledgeable, adding a lot to the visit. A highly recommended way to spend the afternoon in an attractive town. Frankly, much better than the overpriced castle.