David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Sunday 6 March 2022

I have been to...

 

Yesterday Phil and I visited the Newark County Showground to attend Hammerhead. As a show it's relatively new to me, having only attended a couple before, most notably the last one before Boristhebarsteward's Lockdown at the onset of the great plague! It was very noisy and crowded the whole time we were there, more normality that I'd expected to be truthful, but at the same time I found myself feeling more at ease than I had at The Other Partizan last year.

Firstly then the Games: all are billed as Participation events, so many tables were crowded with players enjoying a game and not conducive of a good picture with so many intervening arms and suchlike. Having run a couple of such games at Partizan back in the day I'm full of admiration for folk who take on such a thankless task but I have to confess also to some typical English reserve, accentuated by deafness, meaning that I'd sooner walk over hot coals than play a game now with folk I don't know! Two games I did enjoy a good nose at though we're the Boondock Saints Indian game and the VBCW crowds' Bridgehead game. There were some other colourful looking efforts - of course I gave the Gnomes and Space Fairies a wide berth!

Secondly then the Traders: a very full presence of all the usual suspects, stalwart chaps and chapesses one and all, plus numerous of the smaller but no less important folk. I'd wager that if you had a list you'd have been very unlucky not to have got all on it. Speaking of Lists: well, I did have one, honest! It consisted of a pre-order from Warbases and some Gamers' Grass Tufts from Great Escape Games. Last of the big spenders me!

Thirdly then the Loot: besides the afore mentioned MDF and Tufts I did buy something else - four ProArte 40 size O sable brushes for £5 from ABC Brushes; from Pendraken a pack of 15mm cows and 20mm pigs, the 15mm ones being ludicrously far too small; from The Last Valley 7' of stream. In addition I paid for three 15mm rural German buildings from Martin at Warbases which will be posted on to me. (He'd kindly bought the preproduction assembled buildings for me to check out.) So, no figures added to the Lead Pimple this time out!

Lastly, but perhaps the most important aspect of the event for me after the last two years, the chance to meet with friends in the hobby and catch up with their news. In no order then: Colin and Bill from the Gothenburg Gamers, running a Prehistoric game too; Robbie from the Independent Wargames Group blog, always a joy to chew the fat with; Paul an old chum reconnected with and added to our GHQ Irregulars; Dave T, never too busy to chat despite being permanently busy peddling Perry Miniatures; Dan from WI with his usual insights into the joys of magazine ownership and production; Jon, who despite going to remind himself why he doesn't go to shows, was seen clutching a purchase! But, I missed seeing Colin Ashton, again! Phil chatted with him, but our paths never crossed, a sign of how crowded it was perhaps?

So dear reader,  A Grand Day Out and no mistake! I'm already looking forward now to Partizan in May. It will be a welcome distraction from all this royal jubilee nonsense!

14 comments:

  1. Nice piece and glad you enjoyed the show. I too am looking forward to May and Partizan, a 100% commitment there.

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    1. I enjoyed my day it's true, and some aspects of the show. I should have mentioned no discount for OAPs, definitely a minus from my perspective.

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    2. I noticed that at Vapnartak as well, I wonder if there are too many of us in that ball park these days to offer discount?

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    3. Looking around you'd think that's probably true George.

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  2. It was nice to the see two of you. The show had some plus marks. Free and abundant parking. They shifted the early queue quickly. A very nice sausage sarnie (thanks Walt!). Games were ok and they seemed to hold the punters. Numbers were noticeable at 15:00 rather the usaul tumbleweed scenario. Reasonable selection of traders. Didn't think it was particularly well laid out and despite the rent a table thingy (which I like) they'd manage to still turn it into a classic B&B scrum. Too many wargamers still don't appear to bathe! Would I go again? Possibly, if I hadn't got anything better to do like mow the lawns or clean the gutters.

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    1. It was good to see you, though you looked pained as I said. Hope to entertain you in GHQ soonish when your new routine is sorted.

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  3. It was my first visit to hammerhead, and the first visit to any show since the last WMMS, pre plague, so I enjoyed it immensely (and spent far too much) Great to meet up and chat for a while, but sadly, didn't get the chance to speak to Phil, he must have been too busily engrossed in spending his vast wealth, and therefore difficult to find!
    I easily have enough stock to work on and paint now to last me well into next winter....if we survive for that long😒

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  4. Sounds like a good day out, but a poor effort on the purchasing….you are quite restrained !

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    1. Poor? No effort at all in truth. If I'd not bought the streams on a whim it would have been even less of a dent in the War Chest.

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  5. I thought the show was fantastic and there was a genuine buzz that I think came from punters sensing normality at last on the show scene.

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    1. Not a patch on Partizan Norm. Unlike you I want to see mega games featuring wonderful terrain and impressively huge well painted armies. Not withstanding though I enjoyed my day out!

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  6. A grand day out and no mistook.

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    1. Thoroughly enjoyed myself chatting to chums and doing my bit of shopping. Games not so much, not spectacular enough! Roll on Partizan, a proper wargames show.

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