Forward March!

Well, it's that time in the yearly cycle once more when bloggers old and new attempt a review of their year on the hobby front and look forward to the coming campaign year. Here at Tales From GHQ things are no different, so without too much blathering on here are my reflections on the past campaigning year and my 'Vague Aspirations' in regard to the coming year.

Beginning as ever with games played my records show I played in a total of 50 games over the year, both here in GHQ and over at Phil's Olaf's HQ in 'Darkest Rawnsley'. I failed to shake off my less than mediocre record throughout the year, winning only 20 and loosing 27! For long spells it seemed that those capricious 'dice gods' really did have it in for me! While I hope for an improvement next year experience tells me that I may be whistling in the wind in that respect. As tabletop generals go I am distinctly average, but I do put on a nice show I think by way of compensation.

Turning to painting next, records in my desk diary show that this past year I have just managed to achieve my modest target of two figures painted a day! I've completed 740 figures over the year, all in glorious 28mm size! Of course I recognise that even after fifty years of practice I am still really only a journeyman painter but I'm gratified that so many folk enjoy my modest efforts and take the trouble to say so. At the year's conclusion I can reflect on the undoubted pleasure painting still brings me, as well as the concomitant contribution to maintaining my mental health mostly in a good place... mostly.

'Back in the day' as the saying has it Phil and I would have attended anything up to twenty odd wargames shows in a year up and down the country. I've even attended two Historicons and two Cold Wars in the USA in days gone by. Since the Plague's malign effects contributing to the demise of many shows and in respect of advancing age taking its toll that total has sadly diminished drastically. This year I visited just four: WMMS, Hammerhead, Partizan and The Other Partizan. My experience at the latter brought home forcibly to me that I'm no longer as young and fit as I'd like to think and that I must plan my time more carefully at future events with that in mind. Sadly time marches on for us all!

As to hobby purchases, well as is usual I'd have to confess that it's been too much of course! Most recently these have been of Matt's ranges for Footsore Miniatures in the shape of his Dark Ages Welsh and his super successful Vikings Kickstarter. In addition I've an Aventine Miniatures Pyrrhic army lurking in the Lead Pimple, as well as a small Warlord Epic range Punic War collection. As I shall {DV} turn 75 in May next year a part of me marvels at the optimism - or stupidity - that all those suggest, while another part wonders at the pointless addition of even more stuff in GHQ! As well as all those, lurking in the Lead Pimple are French Guard infantry and Roosian Cossacks for the Crimean War project, ACW infantry units, Wars of the French Revolution Austrians Uhlans, Saxons/Goths for my Late Roman project and so on...

One unexpected purchase was a set of rules, the new much hyped Midgard. I got my copy from Caliver Books, along with the Wargamers' Annual, as a present to myself. It was slightly cheaper from them and I baulked at £10 for some coloured in MDF tokens. My reasoning was that I'd only play with Phil and he has the full monty as the picture suggests! Cheapskate or what?

Turning finally then to my 'Vague Aspirations' for the coming year I must start with painting the bulk of those! Easy to say that, but much more daunting in the execution I fear. We shall have to see where that takes us, but firstly I need to paint the last of the Late Romans I bought at The Other Partizan and the two Saxon/Goth infantry units! Other than that, health and circumstances permitting, I'd like to visit more Wargames Shows if I can: they give me a hobby buzz like nothing else really, meeting up with friends, chewing the hobby fat and seeing myriads of inspirational games staged by much more talented, and younger, folk! The life blood of the hobby alongside games with my friends! Of course I'd like to win a few more of those than I have this year as well! But, most of all, I'd like to see William continue to expand his interest in our wonderful hobby!

In our family we don't give Christmas gifts for Sue and me beyond chocolate and such. But each year I get a small box from John Aston with a few books he's sourced over the year and thinks I might enjoy. The prize find this year was this ~

That's it, really, thankfully just another typical year here for me and my fellow GHQ Irregulars! I do hope that you got to the end of all this blather without snoozing off! So, it just remains for me to wish you all 

A Happy New Year!