It's January, a time when I used to begin another 'campaign season' in the hobby by planning what I would like to buy at Triples in March. Alas, Triples no longer exists, but I do still plan a January to October 'campaign season' every year, for what it's worth, and I often begin with reflecting on how it was when I had £3 per week spending money and a head full of white mey=tal dreams and printed paper aspirations. I had some excellent times in the early 80s, along with some awful times, but the latter took place in the  real world , so I wasn't really that bothered, because when life got shitty, I simply grabbed my denim jacket, hairbrush and whatever money I could scrape together, and went on a rampage in the world imaginary. Now, when I refer to Games Workshop in an 80s context, if you don't know what it looked like or that Warhammer was but a glint in a Nottingham accountant's beady eye back then, then go out an get a hold of 'The Dice Men...

Well, as I type it's the 4th of January 2026 and I am recovering from buying 9 kitchen knives with a £450 price tag. We've all done it I know, nipped into a bistro attached to a cutlery manufacturer and design museum (how niche is that combo?) for a quick coffee and a cake, and walked out with some kitchen weaponry, you've always dreamed of owning? Well, that was the situation on Friday. In my defence, I have already bought and paid for all my gaming stuff - well, 98% of it - for 2026, and paid the painter in full for enough work to apparently keep him fully occupied for 2 years by his own estimation. I say he'll crack it in 18 months, but it does mean that your correspondent has to seriously consider adding anything not already painted, to the collection. Now, I don't know exactly what my painter already has, but  off the cuff ,it's 450 Dark Elves, 5 Dark Elf War Eagles, 220 Chronicle 'Small' Orcs, 10 Ackland Orc Wyvern Riders, 50 Angels and Gargoyles, ...

 Well, I have six days of my month-long break left, and it's been over three weeks since I posted on the blog, primarily because I just couldn't be bothered due to Christmas gigs and plays, such as Kate Rusby's legendary Christmas show, and an excellent production of A Christmas Carol at the Crucible Theatre with a full calendar of restaurant bookings which continues today. Several of those bookings were cancelled and alternative bookings made because, having paid deposits and submitted menu choices, they were changed at the last minute. Look, if you are going to insist I order my meal 3 months ahead of time, and take money from me, then I expect you as a restaurant owner to keep to your part of the bargain. Fail to do that and whilst you will get my deposit, you will lose the rest of my money, my goodwill and as an added bonus I will name you and take my business elsewhere. This year's losers have been The Devonshire Arms at Baslow, for the reasons above, and the Caven...

 Well, it was off to Recon in Pudsey yesterday for the annual Christmas wind down day at a show we both enjoy. However, the show seemed to have less footfall, which seems to have come about since the even was taken over, and indeed the general feel of the show was subdued. Here are a few thoughts from a show veteran who was involved with Sheffield Triples in it's Imperial Period and who ran the bring and buy at that show for over 20 years as an independent service provider.   1. The mix of traders is piss poor with way too many MDF and 3D printing businesses.  2. Resellers are a fact of life these days, but when will a show organiser (particularly if they themselves are resellers) show some backbone and not just let in everyon who is selling the same corporate shite?  3. Holding a painting competition is a pointless waste of time when it's a single table on a landing, with two entries.  4. Anyone who remembers Recon in the 80s and 90s will remember how well laid...

 Well, I am finally beginning my first holiday in a year, and by the gods, I need it. a whole month of doing what I please when I please and replenishing the batteries. My Summer month off was cancelled when on the 3rd day of our break, the Memsahib suffered a heart attack. So, simply pottering around, dining out and going to various concerts, recitals and theatrical productions with the woman who's my been best friend and fiercest critic for over 36 years is something I am going to savour.  Tomorrow sees the annual pleasure trip that is Recon in that notorious West Riding fleshpot, Pudsey, at the Civic Hall, a lovely venue which has held a Recon show (or two) every year since the 80s, and it's always been a show I've loved. It was a much 'meatier' show, back in the day, but it's free to get in and has a bring and buy, so it ticks all the boxes.  Moreover, they hall is always festively trimmed which gets the old festive juices flowing and has me feeling reason...

 The latest master castings for the first of a truly massive Old School inspired range have been spotted over at the Satanic Panic Miniatures Facebook page. The first releases are some classic Champions of Misrule and a Warrior regiment, the first of their long awaited Regiments of Repute line.    All the minis have cast on head variants with appropriate additional sculpting for a 'proper' fir. The shields are loose, so you can have an army which has every miniature a unique model with the minimum of fuss.