tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783237910753882546.post1364581037214013144..comments2024-03-27T04:58:13.776-07:00Comments on ANORAKSIA NERDOSA: OBITUARY: Peter 'Greblord' ArmstrongMark Hideshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14667188180881125505noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5783237910753882546.post-73802661819896643242018-09-28T02:44:52.444-07:002018-09-28T02:44:52.444-07:00I was just talking to my work colleagues about my ...I was just talking to my work colleagues about my first real job I had, so I typed "Pete Armstrong Games Workshop" into the Web and found this site. Sad news, a damn shame.<br /><br />I was 16 or 17 back in 1988 or so when I got a Saturday job working with Pete at Games Workshop, 1 Dalling Road, Hammersmith, London.<br />This was my initiation into the world of work. <br />There were of course the usual shop duties of hanging the blister-packs of Citadel Miniatures up onto the hangers, the boxed games - like Space Hulk & Bloodbowl onto the shelves, and serving the bikers, nerds, heavy-metallers, goths, and kids (I also fitted into most of these categories at the time). But Pete was the manager.<br />We spent a lot of time sitting at the gaming table in the middle of the shop floor painting an orc, Space Marine, snotling, Eldar, Space Dwarf, or Space Orc Dreadnought etc, drinking cans of fizzy drinks, eating chocolate bars, crisps, and chips that we'd send the regular customer kids round the corner to get for us. Pete taught me drybrushing & the shading painting techniques. I loved sitting there, painting, having a laugh, with heavy metal compilation, Gentle Giant (one of Pete's fave bands if I remember correctly), or Derek & Clive cassette tapes playing on the shop stereo.<br /><br />Occasionally we'd shut the shop for lunch, go over to the Hampshire Hog, have a pint or two, and then, back at the shop, the fun would go up a few levels. "Olympics" - we'd stack game boxes up to make a hurdle in the isle between the shelves, and take turns to jump it. It wasn't long before the "athlete" and the game boxes went flying. Sometimes customers joined in, hehe.<br /><br />Then there were the fart tapes. The preparation work would usually be done at closing time, the day or week before. Take a C90 cassette tape, and record dead air with intermittent farts (mostly blowing raspberries into your hand, sometimes real). Come the day of execution, we'd play the tape. Customers browsing round the shop would hear the faint hiss of dead air coming from the speakers, then suddenly a big wet bum-trumpet, or maybe a near-inaudible but 20 second-long gusty hummer. We always had a great laugh making those tapes, but it was even better playing them. Difficult to keep a straight face when talking to a customer, knowing that at any second a dirty noise could come bellowing out of the speakers, haha.<br /><br />On one occasion Pete spent a good amount of time painting over the logo of a Jiff spray cleaner bottle so it said "Jizz". If I remember correctly I made a can of Coke into "Cock".<br /><br />It was great to work with Pete at Games Workshop for that year or two back in the late 1980s, he was really good at painting, and always up for a laugh or some kind of mischief. I remember once, Brian May (Queen guitarist) came in with his son who was into painting fantasy figures. I was at the till, & took my white basketball boot (Thrash metaller essential footwear) off, handed it to Brian & got him to autograph it. <br />Anyway, unfortunately I lost contact with Pete not long after I was transferred to the Oxford Street Plaza branch, and - I can't remember exactly now but I think - Pete may have been also relocated or even sacked.<br /><br />Rest in peace, Sir GreblordAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04737956505245064725noreply@blogger.com