I really like this show - especially as it is on twice a year and is not quite so overpowering as some of the more mainstream events on the calender. In fact, it actually started out as a toy soldier/plastic soldier show but with a couple of wargames added in for good measure. Now it is a much bigger affair but still with an 'old school' feel - like wargames events used to be in days gone by!
I arrived at around 10:30 and whilst parking immediately managed to reverse into a low green metal barrier and smash the rear light cluster on the drivers side of my car! Mercifully this did not set the tone for the rest of the time I was at the show.There was a very good selection of plastic figure suppliers as well as a fantastic selection of kits - Armourfast had a stand with all of their kits on display and very nice they looked as well - including the new SDKFZ 251 which looked really good. A number of traders has a selection of secondhand books and so I was able to acquire hardback copies of Brent Nosworthy's 'The Bloody Crucible of Courage' - a study of warfare in the American Civil War and David Ascoli's ' A Day of Battle - Mars La Tour 1870' - a really great account of this pivotal action during the Franco - Prussian War. I also had a great opportunity to look at many of the latest plastic 28mm figures around - including some very nice Greek Hoplites and Vikings. The great thing about this type of show are the numerous 'rummage' boxes that many dealers have - these are a great way to find a replacement for that missing odd piece that most gamers usually manage to have in their collections.
The games on display were pretty good and included a 54mm Stalingrad type skirmish, a Crusades era game using Command and Colours: Ancients, a 6mm Assault on Hougomont and a couple of Sci Fi/Fantasy games. There was even a bring and buy but I did not see anything I fancied enough to part with any cash.
By far and away though the best part of the day was catching up with Bob Cordery and chatting about our latest projects and battles in days gone by - including the famous Madasahatta campaign. We had arranged to meet up in order for me to take delivery of some more Minifigs ships to bolster up my existing small collection and a Colonial Wars paperback. Imagine then, my surprise and delight when Bob presented me with all the remaining vessels he had from that range as well a great box of painted and flocked heroscape terrain! This was the material Bob had prepared until his latest modellingtechnique was adopted and so was now surplus to requirements. Needless to say I was delighted to acquire this - it will bring a lot of my own projects closer to completion as it will be one less job to factor - meaning I can concentrate on the figures and the other terrain needed.
Many, many thanks then to Bob for his generosity with this unexpected donation and he can rest assured that extremely good use will be made of it all!
All in all then, car aside, it was a great day and very inspirational.
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