Despatches

Note from the Editor:
Wow!! The longest issue of Despatches in what seems like forever! Well done, all of you! As always, if I've missed anything, please, as always, let me know in a comment to this post.

Fanfic:
The Strange Case of the Vanished Mr Norrell by brideoffrankenstein/OfShoesandShips; JSMN; Gen; John Childermass & Gilbert Norrell; There are many ways that John Childermass might have met Mr Gilbert Norrell. This isn't one of them.
On Trust (9/9) by ohveda; JSMN; NC-17; John Segundus, John Childermass, Mr Honeyfoot, Mrs Honeyfoot, Miss Honeyfoot, Vinculus, Charles; John Childermass unexpectedly finds himself in possession of one of Mr Segundus’ most important belongings.
Common as a Winter Cold by leahclaire/darksylvia; JSMN; Mature; John Childermass/John Segundus; Segundus and Childermass perform magic that has unexpected personal consequences of a marital nature.

Son et Lumière:
thisbluespirit: Upcoming Trailer: Peterloo
Fanvid: Archie in the Rain by sanguinity; Major character death; canon death
hmsacasta_feed: Images of Life at Sea 14
hmsacasta_feed: Images of Life at Sea 3
sharpiefan: The Royal Marines: Who They Are and What They Do (Photo-essay; 1/2)
sharpiefan: The Royal Marines: Who They Are and What They Do (Photo-essay; 2/2)

Of historical interest:
sharpiefan posts an AoS Linkspam
janeaustenblog_feed: The Telephone Game
sharpiefan posts Numbers of Marines to Rates of Ships

Miscellany and meta:
hmsacasta_feed: February List
comfortable_courtesan: We are happy to inform our readers
hmsacasta_feed: Purvis Lodge Part VIII
sharpiefan: Useful screencap links

Communities and challenges:
hmsloop_hostpur: copperfyre posts Hello!
thisbluespirit: Historium Commentfest 2019
tgarnsl: Hello!
sharpiefan: Hi there!
hmsloop_hostpur: colebaltblue: Introduce yourself

Rec of the Week:

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: As previously mentioned, I don't link to the Acasta blog any more as a regular thing, but I am including a link to this year's request for letters for their mail-bag project, which I think will be of interest to anyone who writes in this period.

Fanfic:
Wedding Night in Camp by sharpiefan; Show the Colours; U; Maggie/Cotton; 'wedding night' - does exactly what it says on the tin.

Son et Lumière:
Pics: dreamboatdreamer70 posts Something for Myself

Of historical interest:
austenblog: Plotting Lady Susan

Miscellany and meta:

Communities and challenges:
hmsacasta_feed: Calling All Writers
mandc_read will be reading The Thirteen-Gun Salute Chapter One this weekend

Rec of the Week:
Together At Sea by Makioka; Persuasion;PG-13; Admiral Croft, Sophia Croft; Mrs Croft knows her place aboard ship and so does her husband.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: This edition comes to you courtesy of a bout of insomnia, hence the silly hour of day it was posted. Hope you've all had a good week!

Fanfic:

Son et Lumière:
Pic: sharpiefan posts The Last Days of the Sea-Soldiers

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read are reading The Letter of Marque, Chapter Eight this weekend

Rec of the Week:
This popped up on hmsacasta_feed and I thought you might like it: Signal Flag Generator - there is a generator available to render any message you like into Home Popham's signal code, used so famously by Nelson just before Trafalgar.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor:

Fanfic:
Sweet Hay by barefoot_bard; Original; K+ (ages 13 and up); original characters; A soldier's scattered thoughts at the storming of Badajoz. April 1812.

Son et Lumière:
Picspam (of sorts): sharpiefan posts Sharpie's Law: The Proof
Pic: sharpiefan: On Patrol
Photo-essay: sharpiefan: Wardrobe Errors in AoS Dramas
Pics: sharpiefan: A Note to Wardrobe Departments on AoS Dramas

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read are reading The Letter of Marque Chapter Six this weekend

Rec of the Week:
Three Decks - Warships in the Age of Sail is a pretty interesting website for folks interested in the Royal Navy of Nelson's era

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: I apologise for the delay with this edition; I've had a couple of computer issues lately and am posting from a borrowed laptop. if you notice I've not linked to something which was posted since the previous edition of Despatches, please let me know and I'll include a link for it.

Fanfic:
Terror by justincase; Aubreyad; PG-13; Jack/Stephen. In the darkness he could see nothing, yet he moved with the knowledge of a man who well knew where he was, he had been here many times before.

Son et Lumière:

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:
sharpiefan posts I spy a Marine. Or two, or three
sharpiefan posts Belmont Park
sharpiefan posts Useful AoS linkage
sharpiefan posts 10/10 on the 'Weird Things People Do' Scale

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read are currently reading Reverse of the Medal, Chapter Nine

Rec of the Week:
This is Why They Call it Falling by rain_sleet_snow; Persuasion; Gen; Anne Elliot, Frederick Wentworth; No poet ever sauntered gently into love, and neither does Frederick Wentworth.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope you've had/are having/will have a lovely day!

Fanfic:
The Road Home by barefoot_bard; Original; K+ (ages 1 and up); original characters; Two soldiers go home at war's end. Suffolk, December 1815.
North Sea Christmas by barefoot_bard; Original; K+ (13 and up); original characters; A Marine gets an unexpected surprise for Christmas. HMS Adamant, December, 1796.
Advent Calendar Day 18: Not Crossing the Bar by takadainmate; Aubreyad; M; Jack, Stephen; Without any indication as to why, without disagreement, Jack and Stephen are not speaking.
Ophelia's Debut by alcyone301; Aubreyad; ?; Jack; Christmas Day; Jack reminisces
Avent Calendar Day 21: Hoopoes Are Not the Only Birds by le_russe_satan; Aubreyad (modern AU); PG; Jack, Stephen; : Again, this is a modern AU. This time a university one. Hope you enjoy this offering.
Advent Calendar Day 16: Christmas Morn at Sea by ashley_pitt; Aubreyad; ? ; Jack, Stephen; some time after Jack rescued Stephen in HMS Surprise
Advent Calendar Day 15: Instruments by amaraal; NC-117; Jack/Stephen; Handling delicate things is Stephen's second nature.
My Captain, My Love by justincase; PG-13; Jack, Stephen; Captain Jack Aubrey had climbed into the top of his ship HMS Surprise, it was cold, dark, and wet; the dirtiest sort of night to watch for his particular friend’s signal from shore that his mission was completed. Yet Jack would be no where else but here unless he could be ashore with his friend.
From the Vickery Family Papers Letter 12 by sharpiefan: Show the Colours; G; Lady Saltash, John Vickery; Correspondence from the papers of the Vickery family, between Captain John Vickery of the 5/60th and members of his family.
From the Vickery Family Papers Letter 13 by sharpiefan: Show the Colours; G; Lady Saltash, John Vickery; Correspondence from the papers of the Vickery family, between Captain John Vickery of the 5/60th and members of his family.

Son et Lumière:
Screencaps: chrsvg posts Oliver Twist (200) Screencaps
Wallpaper: Advent Calendar Day 22: Wallpaper by miki_moo
Screencaps: chrsvg posts Catherine the Great (201) screencaps
Wallpaper: Advent Calendar Day 20: Jack/Stephen wallpaper by cienna
vanilla_elf: One for the family album... not
Music for the fic Ophelia's Debut by alcyone301
Art: Advent Calendar Day 17: Jack, Stephen and the Mistletoe by oftheisland; NSFW
Photos: Advent Calendar Day 14: A Menorcan Adventure by ylla
josbanks posts Patrick O'Brian Centenary BBC Radio 4 Bookclub Interview

Of historical interest:
hmsacasta_feed: Meet the Real Acasta
austenblog_feed: Happy birthday Jane Austen

Miscellany and meta:
sharpiefan posts Query for other AoS fans

Communities and challenges:
perfect_duet: esteven: Wishing Everyone Joy
hmsacasta_feed: A Christmas Letter Home 1806
mandc_read: Reverse of the Medal

Rec of the Week:
Famous Inboxes: Jane Austen characters found online. Famous inboxes with an Austen theme: Careful what you write, for his good opinion once lost…


Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor:
Hello there from a rather chilly grey England! Hope you've all had a good week; I know I have.

Fanfic:
Under My Hands, Part 1 by justincase; Aubreyad; NC-17; Jack/Stephen
Under My Hands, Part 2 by justincase; Aubreyad; NC-17; Jack/Stephen

Son et Lumière:
Picspam: sharpiefan posts On the Trail of the Royal Marines in Chatham: Research and photos
sharpiefan posts Marines of HMS Terpsichore

Of historical interest:

Miscellany and meta:
anything_aos: sharpiefan is asking for a wee bit of help

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read will be reading The Reverse of the Medal, Chapter One this weekend.
perfect_duet: sharpiefan informs us of A petition for a sequel to Master & Commander

Rec of the Week:
A piece of original fic today. Responsibilities by barefoot_bard; Original; PG-13; A Marine corporal looks out for a boy and his mother. Chatham, 1789.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor:

Fanfic:

Son et Lumière:
Photos: hmsacasta_feed: While in town 4

Of historical interest:
hmsacasta_feed: Meet Mr. Crabb
vanilla_elf: Nelson's Teapot
oldcuddy_feed: Illustrated talk: Collingwood's Ships - Design and Construction
oldcuddy_feed: Admiral Collingwood: Of Flowers and DNA

Miscellany and meta:
hmsacasta_feed: Our Schedule
hmsacasta_feed: Post Labels

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read are reading The Ionian Mission, Chapter Five this weekend
hmsacasta_feed: Open Call to Writers
perfect_duet: esteven wishes everyone A happy Easter - Happy Spring Season

Rec of the Week:
Sharpe's Training by sharpiefan; Sharpe; U; Sharpe, Sergeant Bowaters; The first time Sharpe had fired a musket, he hadn’t known what to expect. On DW; on the AO3

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: I'm not so good at the inspirational stuff, so let's cut to the important stuff! :D

Fanfic:
The Nizam of Hyderabad Chapter 8 by josbanks; Aubreyad; PG; Stephen, Jack, William Babbington, Harry Johnson; In Calcutta, Stephen’s travails result in a zero-sum re-encounter with Harry Johnson

Son et Lumière:
hmsacasta_feed: Evolution of the Acastas
hmsacasta_feed: Put and Take
Wallpaper: Happy Birthday, Amaraal by delorita
Fanart: Jack and Stephen by dreamboatdreamer70

Of historical interest:
hmsacasta_feed: The clothing of a bosun

Miscellany and meta:
From hmsacasta_feed: Jacob Book
From hmsacasta_feed: Destroying the Semaphore

Communities and challenges:
sharpiefan: Picture Prompts Fills post
smallfandombagn is open for artist sign-ups
mandc_read will be reading Chapter four of The Surgeon's Mate this weekend

Rec of the Week:
Dear Friend by Empress_S; Hornblower; G; Hornblower/Kennedy, Bush; Some time after the events of 'Loyalty', Lt Bush writes to an old friend

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.

Note from the Editor: HMS Acasta is running its Press Gang Week this week, so expect a lot of different items to do with aspects of the press gang.

Fanfic:
The Lucky Hand by binz and sidhebeingbrandHornblower; NC-17; Horatio Hornblower/Edward Pellew, implied Horatio Hornblower/William Bush, implied Edward Pellew/Susan Pellew,; During the Peace of Amiens, a chance meeting between Pellew and his favourite old lieutenant gets a little… intense.

Son et Lumière:
From hmsacasta_feed: Horrible Histories: Join the Royal Navy
From hmsacasta_feed: The Doctor and the Press-Gang
From hmsacasta_feed: A bug-a-Boo to Frighten John Bull
From hmsacasta_feed: Here's the Tender Coming
From hmsacasta_feed: Wanted: Spirited Young Men
From hmsacasta_feed: The Press Gang: Music Video

Of historical interest:
From hmsacasta_feed: The Press Gang: Naval Recruitment
From hmsacasta_feed: How Do I Avoid the Press-Gang?

Miscellany and meta:
From austenblog: Jane Austen's ring campaign now accepting online donations

Communities and challenges:
mandc_read will be reading Desolation Island, Chapter Six this weekend

Rec of the Week:
Blue Devils by Diane_C; M&C; G; Jack, Stephen, Killick; Stephen and Killick care for Jack, who is injured and blue after an action.

Got a link for the next issue? Please comment and let us know. Remember to please tell your AoS friends about us. The more, the merrier, after all! And if you would like to include a particular favourite of yours in Rec of the Week, please leave a comment with a link.