Passing in Review

In the 'Wargames Blogosphere' it has become the custom for many bloggers to post a review of, or reflection on, the past year's activity. I have been one such, although if I'm brutally honest with my loyal reader I've always wondered why anyone should show much interest in what one geriatric in waiting and his younger friends get up to. Nowt so queer as folk, as I believe they say oop north. So, here we go then...

As you will no doubt recall, after all I bang on about it enough, fewer games have been possible here in GHQ during the year due to the personal circumstances of all of we 'GHQ Irregulars'. Even so, consulting the War Diary I see that we managed 50 games in total over the year, a decent score by many folks standards I know, so I mustn't grumble! Of these I won 20 and lost 19, 2 had no result and  9 ended as draws, so I maintained my pretty average persona as a wargamer for another year!

Painting of figures this year has been exclusively in the 28mm size/scale form and the vast majority of them have been for my ongoing Wars of the French Revolution project. Probably the second most featured figures on the paint desk here in GHQ would be for my VBCW in Wolverhampton project, for which I also acquired new Lledo vehicles with specific local provenance, sadly save for Banks's Brewery! The year's total just exceeds 670 figures at the last tally, a very decent total I think if I'm honest. If I could keep that kind of progress going in 2017 I'd be more than pleased.

I have no plans in 2017 for a new period, probably for the first time this decade at least. My modest 'Lead Pimple' comprises now only two Really Useful Boxes' of 28mm figures all cleaned up, primed white and whitetacked to MDF bases ready to be processed in the coming months. We hope to be having some work done in the house in the coming months, so that takes financial priority over hobby spending. Notwithstanding that admission, I shall probably add to the sundry periods we play in GHQ over the year, you will surely know what we are all mostly like in our hobby!

I've completed a piece for Wargames Illustrated on gaming the Indian Mutiny. I hope I'll get feedback in the new year with a date fixed for taking photographs here in GHQ to accompany the piece. I'd like to write other pieces if I can, hopefully on our VBCW settings for example, but that depends totally on editorial preferences and decisions. I am a mere paid scrivener!

The future of our hobby looks bright as we limp towards 2016, at least it does from what I see going on in the wider world of wargaming. The plethora of periods, scales/sizes, figures, rules, terrain and buildings show now signs of diminishing, nor of the  flow of creativity behind them abating. Such a bright tomorrow encourages even an old timer like me to at least look at the new products, even if at present I feel none calling to me as they have in years gone by. Its an age thing, combined with winter I'm sure. So, age and infirmity not withstanding, the Order of the Day must be Winston's rallying cry, "KBO!"

So, there you have it for 2016, make of it what you will. I am sure that 2017 will take care of itself in due course. Happy New Year!