In Memoriam: Ian Smith

 

 

Ian taking yet another trophy at Partizan. I hope the Irregulars won't mind me using this pic in the circumstances.

 

It was a strange day yesterday for myself and a few others of my per group as we heard with genuine shock, of the passing of wargaming legend, Ian Smith.

We first met Ian in the mid 80s when we were all members of Sheffield Wargames Society, and Ian was one of a collection of wargamers including Mick Rothenburg also of SWS as 'The Chequebook Wargamers'. 

This well paid and well connected posse, showed the hobby what you could do with money, dedication and creativity at a time when the only really fancy games were put on by the likes of Selly Oak & District, South London Warlords or the Player's Guild.

The first real signals came, when Ian & Mick put together a 15mm 7YW display game, which as well as being a feast for the eyes in terms of figures, had a 3 dimensional backdrop of a Bavarian castle and vilage high atop a cliff. Impressive for the 80s, but what gave it their special touch was the use of Liliput Lane and David Winter ornamental buildings - not cheap back then. This was chequebook wargaming and we teenagers aspired to that. It was as heady as the fabulous games hosted by Peter Gilder, but here it was in a far more public arena.

Ian also introduced us to the wonder which was static grass, having paid what was at the time an unfathomable fortune on a scenic scatter whilst on holiday somewhere in europe. Ian was a masterful painter and we could, even then, give him a run for his money, but he totally turned up the heat with the simple addition of some wool fibers and a drybrush. Simple, understated and game changing

When I won the first of over 20 trophies in painting competitions, it was Ian who both let me know I had arrived, and at the same time kept me grounded with a typical quip: "I guess you'll want to be known as the best horse painter in the north, then?"

Classic Ian

We had a little fun at Ian's expense at another show, where he won in the 'best unit' category, with a sublimely painted 17th century Irish Catholic Confederacy unit, where the command group was posed on a large stone wayside cross. We quipped that the unit would suffer reduced movement in a game due to having to carry that bloody big cross everywhere. He told us to piss off!

Remember this was before every gamer in the country started to try and do similarly with increasingly large features and less figures. Ian did it with the right number of models and the feature, and arranged them tastefully.

Ian's 28mm ACW collection was legendary, and I think was an inspiration for my buddy, Roger. In recent years of course, Ian could be seen at shows putting on exquisite 40mm ACW and Napoleonic games across the country and when not exhibiting, you'd often find him louchely hanging around behind the trade stand of Mr Thomas, where you might get greeting or a quip, depending on Ian's mood on the day.

I am sure that others could tell their own stories of Ian, and probably knew him more intimately, but this is mine and I suspect that of several of my friends.

Rest In Peace Ian, you set the standards, sir...