"Eyes......Front!"

As 2023 slips slowly away it's time once again to reflect on the year's passing and look forward to the new year ahead. For myself I'm never sure whether anyone is really much interested in my annual blatherings, but here goes anyway...

Let's kick off then by looking at games played here in GHQ with Phil, Paul and William and also over at Phil's OHQ. I took part in 42 games over the course of the year, winning 24, loosing 15 and seeing 3 end inconclusively in draws. Not the largest number of games played by we GHQ Irregulars but it certainly feels like my best performance in terms of wins for a good while. As ever though here in GHQ we played a wide range of games from the Punic Wars through to the 1980's what-if in the Cold War Gone Hot, via the Dark Ages, Italian Wars, ECW, SYW, F&IW, FRW, the Peninsular War, the War of 1812-15, Colonial Wars in India and South Africa, the Great War and WWII, not forgetting Pulp games of course. A few pictures of said games as an aide memoire ~

Games need figures, terrain and such of course so a good deal of hobby time was devoted to painting and modelling. Over the year I seem to have complete 664 figures, all in 28mm scale I recall this year. I've not quite reached my modest target of 2 figures a day as an average, but it's a decent effort on my part I feel given the disruption caused by hand and eye issues alongside the diversions of holidays and days out with family and friends. Of late most painting efforts have been focused on the Crimean War project using Great Wars Miniatures as you'll have noticed, though supplemented by the unexpected homecoming of the Prodigal Foundry Collection painted back in the early 1990's and rebased to fit in with my current preferred style ~

Turning now to shows and hobby related visits the score is very modest when compared to my younger days. I have visited shows at Penkridge Table Top Sale, WMMS, Hammerhead, Partizan, Claymore, Colours and The Other Partizan. A few pictures then of some of the standout games I've had the pleasure of encountering on my travels. You will correctly conclude that I'm much taken by buildings on game tables ~

For the first time in many a year I didn't make a single visit to Wargames Foundry as I recall. I've made more use of Mail Order and pre-orders collected at shows than in previous years though I have also been buying from fewer ranges and manufacturers/suppliers too. I suspect sadly that this may be the thin end of the wedge as the years slip by ...

While none of us knows what our future holds, but looking forward hopefully to the myriad of hobby activities which may come to pass, what could be more appropriate than the 2024 Tales From GHQ calendar to keep a track of it all?

I suppose that leaves us with the last element of this sort of blog post, a consideration of plans for 2024. I don't know whether it's an age related thingie but I don't have clearly defined ideas, not even much beyond vague aspirations. I'd very much like to complete the Crimean War project without buying too many more figures - I've currently got an order out for a few British infantry to round out Aly's gift and another Roosian infantry battalion. I've also been thinking of a small Peninsular War Spanish force. Figures from Offensive Miniatures and from Front Rank/Gripping Beast look favourites. Then there's the Lead Pimple of course - three Dixon ACW regiments still lurking in there, some FRW Austrian Uhlans and a SYW British Fusilier regiment come to mind first. Time will tell on each of them I'd expect...

So, speaking of time both past and future a final picture thanks to long time Gloucestershire chum John of his collection of the complete set to date of the Tales From GHQ calendar, which I send to my friends in our wonderful hobby so they can record their many triumphs for posterity!

I'd like to end now by wishing all my friends, followers, readers and anonymous visitors a Happy, Peaceful and Prosperous New Year. I hope to see you all here in GHQ either in person or via this blog or my Farcebook page next year!