OK, so in the main post we ascertained that as far as having any kind of genre affiliation, all bets were off when it came to your humble narrator. But how did I embrace the addiction, nay, lifestyle once I had my feet under the table and my fingers in mant - perhaps too many - metaphorical pies? Well, I was very lucky, indeed blessed to 'come up' with one of the greatest wargaming pirate crews the UK has ever and will ever see.  Sheffield Wargames Society, I found out were notorious for ther prowess with both the toy soldier and the pint glass, not to mention been pretty sharp with dealings with the fairer sex, whilst on nights out during weekend-long 'beanos'.  Let me be very clear, in the latter case, I can hand on heart say that this only applied to the single members as the wives of the marriwed members would simply have terminated their husband's collections, as did in fact happen at one Triples when an unnamed member of the club had an argument with his spou...

 Although I'd got my first whiff of the hobby via the Heritage mini games based loosely on D&D and the D&D itself, it was literally a month or so before I was finding out about historical gaming, which, despite what my other posts may convey, is always going to be every bit as important to me. For me, the two, nay three, if we give sci-fi it's own niche in the evolutionary ladder go hand in tentacles. I sometimes get typecast by folks as being a fantasy gamer who dabbles in historical, or the reverse. But the the truth is that I am a trans-genre, an oddity of my time I suppose, when gamers were in individual camps, sometimes quite vehemently and venemously so. I remember the first time I took the late Tony 'Spike' Atkin to Sheffield Wargames Society and he obviously and visibly had a good time, so much so that he was heard to quip that 'Wargamers aren't the wankers I always thought they were - well not quite as big wankers'. He did have a point I sup...

    I was, as is my wont, browsing the world wide web of wargames yesterday, and I was surprised and I cannot express how overjoyed, to find that Warrior Miniatures are once again available.  Many of my generation began with Warrior Miniatures, particularly their 25mm Landsknechts which, if painted with care, looke pretty awesome.  OK, they are small by today's gargantuan and I think, outrageous standards, but they are still 70p per infantry and a paltry £1.40 for cavalry. If you are on a budget or want to try a new period, why waste money on £2 per figure castings which will devalue, the moment you buy them, meaning that if you get fed up or decide this latest thing isn't for you, you are not going to be so out of pocket. Also, consider Warrior if you have kids or grandkids that you want to get started in the hobby.  For those of you who love an old school figure, then Warrior are the genuine article.  I love Warrior - did I mention that? - and what's...

Over this year, I've been taking an interest in RPGs again, both the old classics and some newer stuff. As, in a former life, I was a civil servant, the concept behind 'The Laundry' tickles my fancy, being essentially the british government - from the women at the top, down to the men who fix the plumbing in the staff toilets. I've already covered this I know, but it does go to show that I don just look to the past, I do actually sometimes step tentatively into the present, with clenched fists, white knuckles and grinding teeth. Indeed, I have found that I like plastic models - as long as I don't have to build or paint them - because, six years of field tests have shown that my painter works much better on plastic than metal. He is not big on undercoating thoroughly and plain refuses to varnish. This means that shipments of metal miniatures can need a lot of remedial work. Thus, plastic is the medium on which I let him loose.  To be fair, he is not a professional pa...

    Well, I am on the last day of my month's holiday, and so, I must return tomorrow to the rat race, albeit kicking and screaming like the condemned man being dragged to Madame Gilloutine's tender ministrations. Some of you may wish to contemplate that visual, given the comments you go to great trouble to leave me via DM on social media. Indeed, feel free to caress yourselves as you do so. It's free and harms nobody. :) I've deliberately stayed away from my studio, meaning that it's now a year since I put paintbrush to the first of my Citadel Giants. I guess I really ought to make some effort. It's been a busy 'break' for me with assorted hospital and optician's appointments, resulting in blood tests, steroid injections and new glasses, but it's not all been work.  We managed to go to a few galleries and museums as is our wont and spent some quality time in some great restaurants, wherein I ate a trawler's worth of crustaceans and molluscs, ...

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