The Socialist Alliance Assembles

[Doug ex-em4]

The Cringing Peasant Inn is a hostelry on the main road from the Midlands to Borchester. It serves good food, good ale and reasonable wine although its reputation has suffered due to a recent incident it was unwittingly involved in.
<more information on the "incident" here:  https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=126124.60 scroll down the page for the first mention of the inn. Note that In the intervening time, the road has been widened and almost miraculously, the inn has gained a garden>.




To continue. A prosperous motorist from Borchester is inside, sharing a lavish lunch with his secretary, his Rolls parked outside. Occasionally vehicles pass by, mainly cars or lorries, even some horse-drawn wagons. Otherwise a typically peaceful day in north Borsetshire. Lunch over, the motorist and his secretary drive off to return to Borchester by the scenic (and considerably longer) route.






Hours pass. A noisy and disreputable lorry appears from the north.


Surely there’s got to be more to it than this? There is. More information soon on The Socialist Alliance


Doug

[CapnJim]

We await further developments... 

[Doug ex-em4]

We await further developments... 

A development

Within minutes of arriving, the lorry has been backed through the inn’s hedge, with total disregard for the sanctity of private property or rural tranquility. Three people emerge from the vehicle and swagger into the inn. Minutes later, the innkeeper emerges from round the back of the building. He is struggling to manage a long ladder and a large cloth bundle. Behind him comes one of the occupants of the lorry, casually holding a lewis gun which nevertheless, she keeps trained on him.

With surprising agility, he places the ladder against the inn wall, climbs to the roof and spreads part of the bundle over it. It’s soon obvious that it’s a huge red flag. He then descends to the first floor balcony and attaches two more, slightly smaller, flags. When he’s finished, he descends the ladder and, after a few words with the Lewis gunner, he nods in a way that indicates he has received and understood instructions. He then scuttles back into the inn.

Two people then emerge from the inn, join the lewis gunner and look with great satisfaction at the flags.

"Comrades" says one, a determined looking woman in a green dress "HQ Section of the 47th Ad-Hoc Shock Platoon is established. Send concentration orders to section heads immediately."



The three are the HQ Cadre of the 47th Ad-Hoc Shock Platoon and consist of:
Leader: Comrade Major Bessie Braddock, the charismatic, firebrand Trotskyist, seconded from the Liverpool Socialist Enclave Brigade.
Second in command and Lewis gunner: Comrade Captain "Scouse’ Shelagh.
Commissar and Lewis gun second: Mildred "The Prof" van Dyke

Their job is nothing less than organising the invasion of the bourgeois stronghold of Borsetshire.


Doug

[Legionnaire]

What a crackin' set-up Sir 

I thoroughly enjoy when people spin a good yarn and accompany it with tasteful pictures. I can't help but notice that the landlord of The Cringing Peasant Inn is a very unlucky man, first there was some debacle with threatening crazy cultists, now the socialists are taking advantage of him, at gunpoint  . The poor man must have a stout heart... or maybe a very optimistic view of life  .

Keep up the good work sir.

[marianas_gamer]

The story continues! Looking forward to this.

[Doug ex-em4]

What a crackin' set-up Sir 

I thoroughly enjoy when people spin a good yarn and accompany it with tasteful pictures. I can't help but notice that the landlord of The Cringing Peasant Inn is a very unlucky man, first there was some debacle with threatening crazy cultists, now the socialists are taking advantage of him, at gunpoint  . The poor man must have a stout heart... or maybe a very optimistic view of life  .

Keep up the good work sir.

Thank you very much - appreciated. I know you’re a kindred spirit when it comes to to character back-story so I’m chuffed to welcome you here.

The story continues! Looking forward to this.

Thanks for your interest. It’s quite a journey and the denoument includes such famous names as Mad Lord Snapcase and Vagabond. So hopefully worth following. Hopefully…..

Doig

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

This is indeed stirring stuff, my old carbuncle!. A nasty incursion into the peace and quiet of Borsetshire by these raffish socialists. The somnolent authorities need something to prick them into action.

[CapnJim]

How dare those blasted reds sully such a fine and upstanding establishment as the Cringing Peasant Inn with such vile displays?  Surely, they will be taught a harsh and necessary lesson by the relevant authorities...

Or perhaps not.  We'll just have to wait and see what transpires...

[Doug ex-em4]

This is indeed stirring stuff, my old carbuncle!. A nasty incursion into the peace and quiet of Borsetshire by these raffish socialists. The somnolent authorities need something to prick them into action.

Never fear, your Lordship - the "somnolent authorities" positively abound with pricks…..

How dare those blasted reds sully such a fine and upstanding establishment as the Cringing Peasant Inn with such vile displays?  Surely, they will be taught a harsh and necessary lesson by the relevant authorities...

Or perhaps not.  We'll just have to wait and see what transpires...

As has been mentioned above by Legionnaire, the Cringing Peasant is an establishment prone to unsought misfortune. We can only hope the depradations inflicted upon it so far represent the limit of its troubles. Yeah - right…..!

Doug

[syrinx0]

Just escorted Bessie's twin from my painting table.  I do love the Pulp figures Ladies.

That poor innkeeper.  Still unknowingly paying off the unfortunate karmic debt his ancestors incurred.  Looking forward to the unfolding events of this tale.

[Vagabond]

The landlord of the Cringing Pheasant is a lucky man to have its lowly hostelry chosen to be the HQ of such an august anarchist activist as the renouned Bessie Bradock.

Bessie is looking very fit and trim after her recent shooting during the successful Bombard raid, the recovery powers of the young are quite remarkable, if only they continued into later life.

[Legionnaire]

The landlord of the Cringing Pheasant is a lucky man to have its lowly hostelry chosen to be the HQ of such an august anarchist activist as the renouned Bessie Bradock.

Bessie is looking very fit and trim after her recent shooting during the successful Bombard raid, the recovery powers of the young are quite remarkable, if only they continued into later life.

I doubt that the gentleman counts himself as "lucky". He's barely gotten over the savage unpalatable business of that cultist affair, when socialist revolutionary elements drag their muddy boots through his hallway  .

I really feel he's been underrepresented and there needs to be more of a biography about "The Landlord ", firstly, at this point, he needs to be named  .

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

I doubt that the gentleman counts himself as "lucky". He's barely gotten over the savage unpalatable business of that cultist affair, when socialist revolutionary elements drag their muddy boots through his hallway  .

I really feel he's been underrepresented and there needs to be more of a biography about "The Landlord ", firstly, at this point, he needs to be named  .

Seconded! Who is 'The Landlord'? My money's on Sid Perks?

[Doug ex-em4]

Just escorted Bessie's twin from my painting table.  I do love the Pulp figures Ladies.

Indeed. In fact, I’m a big fan of Bob’s whole Pulp range.

That poor innkeeper.  Still unknowingly paying off the unfortunate karmic debt his ancestors incurred.  Looking forward to the unfolding events of this tale.

You never know- the Socialists may turn out to be big drinkers👍. Although they may not be big payers👎

The landlord of the Cringing Pheasant is a lucky man to have its lowly hostelry chosen to be the HQ of such an august anarchist activist as the renouned Bessie Bradock.

Bessie is looking very fit and trim after her recent shooting during the successful Bombard raid, the recovery powers of the young are quite remarkable, if only they continued into later life.

Profound thoughts, Vaggers. A word to the wise - best not refer to Bessie as an anarchist. Trotskyists are very particular about these things.

I doubt that the gentleman counts himself as "lucky". He's barely gotten over the savage unpalatable business of that cultist affair, when socialist revolutionary elements drag their muddy boots through his hallway  .

I really feel he's been underrepresented and there needs to be more of a biography about "The Landlord ", firstly, at this point, he needs to be named  .

His time will surely come? For the moment, he’s The Landlord.

Seconded! Who is 'The Landlord'? My money's on Sid Perks?

Definitely not….!


Doug

[Doug ex-em4]

The HQ Cadre, along with two Socialist Alliance undercover operatives, has already been involved in a significant action deep in the southern part of the county, details of which can be found here: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=147714.0. Comrade Major Braddock sustained minor injuries in that action but is now fully recovered.

Having commandeered the telephone at the Cringing Peasant, Commissar van Dyke relays the concentration orders to the various elements that will coalesce into the 47th Ad-Hoc Shock Platoon.
The first element to be placed in readiness is a section seconded from the People’s Revolutionary Shock Army no6, Liverpool Free State Brigade. This all-female section is a battle-hardened bunch of dedicated Trotskyists, originally lead by Comrade Major Braddock herself. Now commanded by Comrade Lieutenant Maggie May, they are spoiling for a fight with the Borchester reactionaries. The platoon lorry is despatched to Liverpool to collect them.




The section awaits their transport at the famous  Pier Head on the waterfront.