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.



Thursday 15 December 2022

Old School? Moi?

Shurely Shum Mishtake? Despite the best efforts of the brothers and sisters of Royal Mail, my Christmas present to myself has arrived safely from Caliver Books in Nottingham. It took a mere 12 days thanks to them! My patience, which unlike myself is famously thin, was tested to breaking point. 

I have bought the Wargamers'Annual every year since the first was published. At first there were two a year, but latterly only one published around the Christmas period. As a boy an annual or two was a fixture from Santa so I feel it's an appropriate tradition to continue as an old codger! At first glance the annuals can seem a trifle Old School but closer examination often reveals a more cutting edge in the articles. This year's for instance has a Star Wars piece by my friend Kevin oop north in Aberdeenshire. Each year Charles Grant, who collates the annual, appeals for pieces to include in the next and I resolve to submit something, only of course to forget until it's too late! This year's excuse was that I was busy painting 15mm Team Yankee Soviet Airborne troops and writing about their integration into our forces here in GHQ. That will not see the light of day until well into next year, given lead times for publication, so here's a taster in the meantime.

Obviously in our present circumstances games are on the back burner, though if Phil is safely home from the continent after the weekend we hope to stage the final game of the year here in GHQ. We shall see in due course I suppose. In the meantime my figure painting total for December stands at one figure! A Roman beggar from the civilian set I bought at Warlord last month. If any of you find my mojo hiding behind the sofa perhaps you might nudge it back in my direction?


18 comments:

  1. Good to see you keeping up traditions. I shall help find your mojo on Tuesday🙂

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  2. The Wargamers' Annual are indeed a nice gift every year. I also have them all (except 2023, not yet). BTW, There was only a summer special in 2014, 2015 and 2016, not in any other year since 2010.See my index on https://snv-ttm.blogspot.com/p/wargames-magazine-database.html

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    1. Thanks Phil, nice to know folk read the blog. I have them all and frequently dip back in for ideas and inspiration.

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  3. I miss my yearly annuals David, especially the Topper. I used to get this annual but started to crib at the price which is unusual for me. You're only as old as the figures you're painting David, so 'modern' tanks must mean you're a youngster. Anyway, Happy Christmas.

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    1. I like your reasoning Robbie! Happy Christmas to you also!

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  4. Thanks, I am off to find out some more about the annual, though I will not now order this side of Christmas, for obvious reasons.

    I do have something on the way to me from a ‘Friendly Game Store’, but I elected to have that send by courier to ensure a timely arrival and to prevent any ‘lost in post’ type stuff, due to the high volumes of parcels that are now sitting in depots.

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  5. I ordered in good time, being careful, but you are probably wise to wait now.

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  6. Nice….your mojo may be in a universe far far away ? It will return 👍

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  7. Only 12 days Dave? there must be a Christmas song hidden in there somewhere... my recent order of shield transfers from Victrix went on a nationwide tour covering Liverpool, Exeter and Atherstone before ending up in wolverhampton sorting office! From there it was transfered to Dudley, and then to myself... took just short of a month! Good luck for Tuesday 😉

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  8. God's judgement for buying plaaastic perhaps?😉

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  9. I also loved the Christmas annuals, happy days.

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  10. Like many, getting annuals was always part of Christmas holiday/celebrations…I was a fan of the Beano.
    I will certainly be picking this one up (even though I doubt that it will contain any adventures of General Jumbo 😁)

    All the best. Aly

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  11. My RHS magazine took 3 weeks to arrive chez moi due to the strikes, so not best pleased to say the least. I'm holding off ordering anything until after Xmas due to the huge back log of mail.

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    1. I have been wondering myself if folk are holding off ordering in the present postal situation.

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