Post Partizan Pensioner

I celebrated my 65th Birthday yesterday by, amongst other things, making the trip over to Nottinghamshire with Phil for the Partizan show and a visit to Wargames Foundry! Thanks to a combination of chaps, my birthday was well publicised and I received many greetings, several cards and a very special present from the O'Briens of East Berwick! Quite a memorable day! We didn't stay as long at either the show or Foundry as we usually might, I was needed elsewhere for other birthday related duties, but I still enjoyed the day, as I always do. I even spent some money on new toys and books. I won't trouble you by listing endless game photos, which show nothing really of the splendid work of so many chaps, lost as detail is in the Stygian gloom which is Kelham Hall! Thankfully the show is moving out for 2016 it seems, to the Showground I expect, though I've not seen it officially announced as of yet. I applaud the move myself: shows must evolve or die, as Triples seems to be doing from what I've read elsewhere. But, on with the main point of the post, to show my new toys ~

The Nottinghamshire Hoard

Mostly stuff for the ongoing Wars of the French Revolution project, but some other things as well mixed in the swag bag! I ought to thank Duncan of Trent Miniatures for humouring my requests so manfully and finding the odd 'missing' gem from Matt's work for him, and for giving me such a generous discount too. So, from Trent Miniatures ~

Highland Infantry

Austrian Mounted Officer, with head swap, and Generals for the
French

Austrian firing line, for skirmisher markers

From Wargames Foundry, where again I got a generous discount from Marcus ~

Early Grenz infantry

And from the same source for a 'secret project' for 2016 ~

Norman crossbow men

From Warbases, a firm I cant recommend highly enough, I got a few MDF vignette bases, some figures for my horse drawn omnibus, and some chickens!

Fares please!

Why did the chicken...

I also got some more brushes and some Basetex from Coritani, again a firm who I can't praise enough for service and just all round niceness too! From Caliver I collected a preorder of General De Brigade, Saga and Lion Rampant for some summer reading and possible future games and projects. I also got the beginnings of a band for the Wars of the French Revolution British infantry from Trent Miniatures but I need some head swaps before I can show them off fully!
One of the joys of attending shows for me, and for others I expect, is the chance to meet old friends and make new ones. I was able to catch up again with Dave O'Brien and Colin Jack from SSWC, to chat with Phil Olley and briefly with Charles Grant as he put me right on the SYW games on show! I also met Colin of Carry on Up The Dale fame and we exchanged views on gaming, blogging and the NHS! I chatted with Shaun of Bunker fame, Dave of TMTerrain, Colin Rumford of Rapid Fire! and finally Dan of WI fame, though mainly about the respective failures of our football teams!
To end the post, the free figure for entrants and for new subscribers to WI ~

A decent haul, great games on offer, wonderful and interesting chaps to chat with and beer! Not many better ways to spend a hobby related day at my age...