A Day Out...

...at Partizan with Phil and William. 

We three 'Sad Beggars' spent a fine day attending the Newark Irregulars' annual Partizan wargames extravaganza on Sunday. Despite delays and detours, due to break downs and seemingly everlasting roadworks, we arrived in record time, parked up on the runway and joined the short queue for entry to what now must surely be considered as THE show for any serious historical wargamer. As is now usual it was crowded with gaming goodness for the delight of what I understand was its record attendance. 

It was William's first time at Partizan, although he has been with us to several WMMS in the past. I was a little apprehensive about how he would cope with the crowds, as I had been last year with Reuben, but I need not have worried. He was off like a rat up a drainpipe to the Warlord Games stand for a Bolt Action fix!

Somewhat relieved I left him to it and tootled off to do my modest shopping: four packs of figures for my Darkest Africa diversion and three paint triads from Wargames Foundry - very disappointed in a big hobby player having no show deals though; six for five packs of tufts from Great Escape Games; preordered, at a discount, 3mm bases from Warbases. That was it. William on the other hand bought three large boxes for WWII Bolt Action, several paints and weathering powders. I think he is leaving grandad behind...

The games: well of course very many of the expected standout standard, even some of the participation games! (For me they are a pointless intrusion - their absence would create more space to appreciate the display games and provide an area of social seating for we over 21's!) By now of course there will be many video and pictorial appreciations of the show available on line, I will limit myself to those which matched my interest or caught my attention ~

McPhearson's Ridge, Gettysburg 1863 - an ACW spectacular from The Bodkins. A group of outstandingly talented chaps who can be absolutely relied on to put on a superb show!

The Iron Brigade ~ lead by Kevin Calder, a good friend all the way from Aberdeen, with a beautifully conceived Samurai game replete with castle and numerous splendid group scenes and vignettes. I really liked the Koi water feature!

A second ACW game, Second Kernstown 1864 by Bramley Barn Wargames Club, visually pleasing but for the gaming aids left on the table. A no-no for we veterans of display games.

The Boondock Sayntes' Lucknow game, a visual extravaganza of a display game. I especially liked the destroyed building effects in the last photo.

The League of Augsberg's splendid game showcasing both Warfare Miniatures and the new revised edition of Beneath the Lily Banners by Barry Hilton.

An AWI game, Chatterton's Hill, 1776, by Steve Jones I believe.

The Back of Beyond! From the League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers! I always love their tongue in cheek display games! So much to see and inspire!

A selection of quite superb building groups. The schloss and town were on the game by The Friends of a Military Gentlemen. I find these types of display something  I can aspire to, but sadly never reach. That's a major joy of Partizan though, it always leaves you with ideas for your own wargames table!

Another fine group of buildings, this time from the venerable Hovels range, on Simon Miller's game showcasing the coming Lust For Glory rules I believe.

Of course there were many, many more outstanding games; almost too many to take in and fully appreciate, at least for me. A case for less is more in my opinion. Others are free to disagree of course. One slight downside though, ventilation! Walking back into the hall after lunch I was struck sharply by the fug! Perhaps our collective noun really is a Stink of Wargamers?

It wouldn't be fitting to close without mentioning the other joy of Partizan, namely the chance to meet up and chew the hobby fat face to face with geographically distant friends. Too many to mention really, but meeting fellow Blogger SteveJ at last stands out for me. A shout out too for Dave O'brien, Matt Crump and the newly retired Aly Morrison. William's verdict on his first Partizan? When's the next one grandad? Torch passed on there I think.

'Ommer'ead '26

Last year Phil and I had decided we would give the Hammerhead show in '26 a miss and spend more time at WMMS. Plans, eh? Don'tyasjustluvem? With WMMS being laid to rest Hammerhead was back on our calendar. Plans were made for the day but then real life issues kicked in and Phil had to cancel. I was resigned to giving it a miss when Paul stepped in and offered a lift with his chum Tony! So promptly at 8.30am we three set of for Newark Showground! 

Under two hours later we joined the queue for admission, all quite speedy, and into the maelström that is any large, well attended wargames show. So three happy wargamers were amongst the crowds and off to shop! And to look over the games of course, remembering that all on show are Participation Games, you can join in! I must say most were crowded with enthusiastic gamers, in fact taking pictures proved problematic due to crowds of players and spectators. Here are a few samples for you to judge for yourselves ~

The Relief of Minas Tirith presented by the Boondock Sayntes. Some lovely modelling and painting on show.

Lust For Glory, latest rules set from To The Strongest

The Marlburian Period of course, with Monmouth in Flanders. I'd really like to go back to this period in GHQ but sadly doubt I will given issues of age, health and suchlike...

Rumble in the Jungle! WWII Skirmish gaming utilizing Peter's Paperboys terrain features and figures! Looked really attractive and of course a cost effective way to wargame. An important consideration in a time of a Cost of Living Crisis!

For Texas and Lego! The Alamo! Presented by Reveille using Lego figurines! My favourite game on show I have to say!

Hammerhead '26 was organised by Dave Ryan and his team at Caliver Books. As a visitor the show seemed well organised with a wide range of games and periods to savour and a host of traders eager to part visitors from their moolah! One perennial point about shows for me: an absence of casual social seating. As we all age this will become a bigger issue I think which organisers must address or loose customers. Beyond their control though is the issue of on site catering. At Newark Showground offerings are hardly appetising in my opinion. I saw one burger that looked like I could sole my shoes with it! Perhaps I'm too picky? My coffee was alright, though nothing to write home about.

Finally the obligatory Loot photo~

3mm MDF bases from Warbases, who else? A fully ladden ox drawn baggage set from Perry Miniatures via Dave Thomas for the Wars of the Roses project. Two Pro Arte Series 40 Sable Round brushes from ABC Brushes. Five blisters of various Natives from Wargames Foundry to expand the Heart of Darkness collection and provide some relief from Arthurians for all of us.

If I have sounded overly negative I'd like to assure you all that I had a grand day out. My thanks are due to Paul for organising the day for me and to Tony for kindly driving me from door to door! I felt so much more chipper than if I've driven myself. The games I thought were a distinct upgrade on last year's offerings. Besides those I managed to get a picture or two of there were many others of equal quality and all being played at one time or another by keen participants! I'm glad I went!

Some Really Sad News Received

 

I recently received what is to me the saddest hobby news since the sudden and unexpected passing of Duncan McFarland. It's not the loss of a fellow gamer I'm pleased to say, but it is nevertheless a loss I feel almost as deeply. I refer of course to the decision of Alumwell Wargames Society, of which I was once Secretary back in the mid '70s & 80s, to call time on their annual Show WMMS, of which Phil & I were the organisers in that same time frame.  This sad decision for what should have been its 50th anniversary has really been forced on them by decisions taken by local councillors and centre managers in respect of unreasonable hikes in hiring costs. This would have pushed up costs to traders and to attendees by a considerable amount which may have impacted either or both categories of the hobby in attending, which in turn might lead to losses on the event. So, yet another foundation of my hobby is cut away. I sure you will understand that I feel it almost like a bereavement,  but I'm also angered at the wider implications for all of us in this wonderful hobby.

Before the malign effects of the Plague/Coronavirus Phil and I might have attended anything up to 20 shows of all sizes over the course of the year. Over the years many have slipped from the calendar: think Triples, Derby Worlds, Midlands Militaire, Northern Militaire, and now WMMS. The most recent of these is perhaps also a victim of the Cost of Living crisis brought to us by incompetent politicians from the Orange Idiot Trump, through to our own bunch of incompetents past and present ~

While many I'm in no doubt would see all this loss as just another symptom of the greying of our hobby, I'm not so sure it is. At the recent TOP I saw many wargamers much younger than me eagerly perusing the games and parting with wads of moolah at the various trade stands. The daily adverts on the Web and in monthly hobby magazines shower us with new and innovative products, hobby Kickstarter projects have swollen exponentially over recent years, established companies bring out new ranges regularly. The hobby is in rude health it would seem. So, why are many established  shows seemingly in decline outside the biggest events like Salute, Partizans and Hammerhead, none of which come near rivalling the size and pull of Midland Games Expo? I've been discussing this recently with my son Matt  who I have to say put some uncomfortable points for me to reflect on. I'll just offer you a flavour of what he thought...

How many things can you do today that we're exactly the same now as in the 70's? The world has moved on and demands different things. 

They have become nostalgia experiences for old men. And the thing about old men is there are less every year...

The historically orientated events can be an embarrassment, the paucity of ambition that they show is astonishing ~

"A dimly lit sports hall and a few treasle tables?  Check. Great we have an event. No need to change anything..... Ever...... that will do." 

The pull is not the event it's a meeting with people who also go, and of they don't go then you don't. It's a social event with little or no provision made for socialising...they need to look at what it is they offer and change up where they need to. 

Choosing an appropriate venue is first on the list...anywhere but a sports hall. There are purpose built venues who specialise in events. Why a sports hall with no windows and a car park for 50 cars? 

Makes you think I'd hope as it has me. I'll takes the points in order shall I? 

The greying of the hobby is a long established point. Yet as I said I see many much younger folk at the events I have attended over the years. What I don't see are women and young families in any number, though thankfully both categories are found at events. At wider gaming events I speculate you'd see far more. I can't really argue that old men are time limited but I would argue there is more life in us yet as a group. We are also the group largely with the disposable income on which traders (and shows) depend.

The assessment of shows' lack of ambition does touch a nerve though. It's hard to argue that many sports halls are not fit for wargames shows' needs, think lighting and hard floors for a start. Car parking is another matter of concern as attendees frequently travel a fair distance to events. In respect of WMMS I wondered why when the club had to move venue it had not explored moving to Wolverhampton racecourse with its modern facilities and bountiful parking. It hasn't harmed Vapnartak or Colours it would seem. Maybe Matt has a point about lack of ambition? 

Of course I agree with Matt when it comes to the socialising aspect of shows coupled with the paucity of facilities for the same. Perhaps this stems from the original motive for founding many shows, namely to raise club funds? Once a club comes to rely on this source of income there's little obvious incentive to innovate. But without innovation an event might be one poor attendance from closing, Traders do need to cover costs at the very least after all. Are they voting with their feet?

What do Hammerhead, Salute, Partizan, The Other Partizan have in common? A large, purpose built facility; on site catering & parking - though at a price with Salute; they guarantee a large and varied market place for attendees to part with cash, which in turn brings in both the trade's big beasts but also punters in number.

There are undoubtedly other trends influencing the shelf life of any shows: the change in our habits brought about by lockdown; the rise of Internet shopping - think the demise of High Streets widely reported in the media; the cost of travel and accommodation; competing events in the wider world; the cost of living crisis; perhaps even BREXIT!

All in all perhaps the loss of shows is a sign of evolution in our hobby, rather like the rise of the bijou 'game in a box' - which I've derided in earlier blog posts. We may be too close to events to readily perceive trends, time will tell. Though even the largest events may not be immune to folk voting with their feet I'd suggest. There must be a place surely for some proper market research to explore both motivation of traders and punters when it comes to what they look for when choosing which events, if any, they will attend. Sadly I don't have the magic answers...

Too much of a good thing?

I went to The Other Partizan held at The Newark Showground yesterday. I have always enjoyed both annual iterations of what has surely become the premier wargames show for the historical wargaming hobby. As the old body has aged I've found problems in coping adequately with its demands, mainly being on my feet for a few hours with no where really to sit and chat with friends while we take five! I've spoken about this before, I know, and have raised it several times with Laurence and/or Tricks, but to no avail as yet. Yesterday's experience really pushed me over the edge. How, you may ask? Well, bluntly there are simply too many games to take it all in ~ you'll see where I'm going with this when it comes to pictures later. Firstly, and this is a purely personal position, there are too many Participation games. Cutting them by half would free up some space for seating. Secondly, and this will rile even more folk I'd think, there are too many Demonstration Games crowded in, leaving little space for moving between them and appreciating the marvellous examples on show. If culling is too painful then perhaps a size limit might work better? Thirdly, the 'Catering' needs some attention in choice on offer and more importantly seating in the Bistro area. As I said, purely personal opinions which you are all free to disagree with to your heart's content.  I still enjoyed my day out, but it could be so much more comfortable.

The games then: very high quality as you'd expect really but too many, too big, too crowded to properly appreciate. I gave up taking pictures for those reasons. Those I did take ~

Three pictures of a very large WWII game featuring four separate encounters from the Arnhem Campaign presented by The Old Pikeys.

Two shots of The Bodkins' 100 Years War game, one showing the effect of masses of figures, the other the small details creating the scene. Worthy trophy winners once again.

The Black Ship, a small but beautifully formed Samurai game staged by the Iron Brigade. The first showing the effective backboard to frame the game, the second the small details which create the feel of a period.

Two late C17th games featuring the North Star range for the period in the first, and The League of Augsberg's Warfare range in the second. I always enjoy seeing historical games showcasing periods outside the mainstream.

Lastly, a big medieval game by James Morris and chums showcasing his Midgard rules. I thought the ploughed fields made an interestingly different tabletop battlefield, and I also liked the tents and vignettes dotted about. But pretty much I gave up after these, simply not an enjoyable exercise in my view...

Now, turning to Retail Therapy, probably the main reason many of us visit shows if we are honest. Sue kindly gave me her blessing to buy some figures. Only quietly urging me not to spend too much as I left for Phil’s! Too much? We laughed; no such thing! Here's my Loot to bear that out ~

'Six packs for five' of Gamers' Grass Tufts from Great Escape Games. A box of Perry Miniatures plaaaaastic Wars of the Roses figures from Dave Thomas - sound chap!

Two sheets of flags from Freezy Water. Are you seeing a theme in these purchases yet?

A few packs of Perry Miniatures metals figures for the Wars of the Roses again, in case you think I've gone over wholly to the Dark Side. Again from Dave Thomas - good discount too, sound chap as I said! Also two packs of mantlets from Wargames Foundry, no discount sadly...

From Andy at The Last Valley three rather splendid Banjan trees to grace our games set in the sub-continent theatre. At £10 a pop they represent really good value for money.

Now though for context, in total time spent: nearly three hours to get there, thanks to  a diversion, three hours in the show, two and a half hours home. Did the pain outweigh the joy? I am getting too old for this Lark? I do really wonder if it is when I wake with aches and pains all over, but especially in the old legs, but then I recollect the sheer joy of total immersion in our wonderful hobby. I will be back, as Arnold might say...