Wargaming in the Limburgs Museum

In the Limburgs Museum in Venlo (south east Netherlands) a exhibition is held with the title "The Sun King and Orange" (in Dutch De Zonnekoning en Oranje) which is about the battle between The Sun King and William of Orange and specifically about the 1673 campaign along the Meuse and the siege of Maastricht in which d'Artagnan (of the Three Musketeers fame) died.

Wargamers are invited one weekend during an exhibition to show demo and/or participation games connected to the theme of the exhibition. Last year it was the Roman period theme; this year the Sun King versus Orange was the theme.

So three clubs heading to Venlo. Two of them with a participation game (Amsterdam 6Shooters with their Siege of Naarden 1673 and the Hired Guns from Uden with a 1672 game.) The Hired guns club also had a painting table where visitors to the museum could paint some wargames figures.
The Alde Garde was there with a demo game about a battle in the southern/Spanish Netherlands in 1693.

Well, lets start with some pictures of our demo table.

Then of course the great table about the siege of Naarden 1673:

And of course the participation game plus painting table from Udens Hired Guns

Visit to the Limburg Museum in Venlo

 In the Limburg museum in Venlo there is an exhibition called in Dutch "De Zonnekoning en Oranje" or "The Sunking and Orange" about the siege of Maestricht which laste 13 days which was remarkable as Maestricht was considered a very strong fortress in those days. 

The siege was in 1673 so 350 years ago this year and of course it is also known because of the death of d'Artagnan during this siege.

In the Limburg museum on the 18th of June (of course also known as Waterloo day to commemorate to Abba song 😆 ) there were also a small exhibition for the Dutch Archiological Days plus reenactment for the Sunking/Orange exhibition).

Some pictures underneath starting with some pictures of the exhibition about Louis XIV. 

Wargamewise; Belloludi was there with a small game about the siege of Venlo

And the reenactment outside: 

1673 marines

and 17th century artillery

salvo shooting

And d'Artagnan also makes his appearences but probably his cassock changed colour?

Some additions to the French League of Augsburg army

In the painting que of Jan two units of LoA miniatures became ready.
The Du Roi dragoons and the La Marck infantry, the last one in their striking yellow uniforms, were finished. Some pictures underneath.

The French army now consist of two dragoon regiments (Du Roi and La Reine) and three dismounted ones (the dismounted versions of Du Roi and La Reine plus the d'Asfeldt dragoons).

Dismounted Du roi on the left, La Reine on the right and d'Asfeldt in the middle.

Open Monumentendag/Nationale Figurendag

In the Weekend of September 8th was the so called "Open Monumentsday " in the Netherlands in which a lot of historical buildings are open to the public.

On the same day was held the National Tin Figures day at the fortress of Vechten in which also the Dutch Waterline Museum has opened its doors some years back.
The Open day was partly in the exhibition rooms, partly in other rooms of the fortress. Some (older) pictures of the fortress of an earlier visit.

We, with another group (who were demoing 1940; the bridge of Rotterdam), were asked to give a wargames demonstration on the figures day on Saturday but we were also invited to give a wargames  demonstration  to some groups of schoolchildren who also got a tour through the fortress and museum on Friday.
We had our 1692 game with us, made up some easy rules for the kids and after giving first a short intro, let them play. We, and hopefully the children also, had a great time.

Saturday, the figures day, was a succes. A lot of people came and for the first time saw tin figures and also our wargames. Maybe we convert some to our hobbies.

Some pictures of Friday. Please don't think we played with criminals but the s.....d privacy rules forced us to block the childrens faces; what a shame.
A big thanks to Yvon, Anne-Marieke en Terry for all their work before and on this day.

And pictures from saturday

Of the pictures of the Rotterdam bridges only one was suitable to show. But don't hesitate; come to Crisis  Antwerp -first weekend of November 2018, have a look at their demo which will be bigger again, and buy May 1940 figures which are the only correct 1940 Dutch 28mm figures around.