Dateline: Sheffield, 1982 - Greblords, YOPpits & Dubious Knitwear

 It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

And by that, I mean that I am busy, busy, busy with getting the year's work squared away ahead of closing my studio at the start of December for my annual winter break. That's why my posts have been somewhat lacking of late, for which I apologise.

As you will have seen, after almost 5 years of waiting, I took delivery of not one but two copies of Dice Men by Sir Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson, a beautiful 'coffee table' book covering the first ten years of Games Workshop.

Now, those who were 'not there' will start spouting on about te corporate monster we all know and loathe today, but this was a time when the gods walked amongst mortals in the first five or six stores on a regular basis, a time when some of the true innovators in the painting of miniatures were just blokes behind the 'figure bars' in their local GW branch.

It's a really enjoyable and interesting read, supported by copious photographs, the majority of which have never beem seen.

Want to see Peter Berry of Baccus 6mm in his days as the manager of GW Sheffield, and bane of all teenage 'Limpets'? Then this is the book. 

 Want to see pictures which prove that the stories I spout of scantily clad ladies dressed as space vixens at store openings are true? Look no further.

Women working in GW stores a mythical pipe dream, you say? This book will destroy that too.

As has already been recorded in my book, I was actually the first paying customer of GW Sheffield, after managing to gain access before they opened, by accident, and insisting I was served, along with my sidekick of the time, Alan 'Stan' Staniforth.

This was that store, but the windows were not filled up with posters that day...

Peter B, was not the very first manager. I am reliably informed that the original manager of Games Workshop had only lasted a matter of months. 

The word on the street was he had spent most of his time in the office indulging in bacchanalian cream cake feasts, stopping only to issue the odd order. I imagine that he was a player of modern era games, in particular those depicting the overthrow of this or that South American dictatorship. 

Maybe, in his own imagination, he was ‘El Supremo’, the office his command bunker as he tried in vain to direct his scant forces and maintain his once mighty rule, as the United States Marines stormed ashore. Whatever the reason, he was shipped off, one supposes to some company re-education centre. 

I personally never met the man so I cannot add my own detailed observations, but my sources are usually spot on the money.

The 'Dream Team' management of the GW of my youth are shown here:

From left to right: Peter, Phil and Cy, with Lisa ('The Y.O.Ppit' behind Cy in her tasteful sheep patterned 80s knitwear, which I understand caused much mirth.

Here is a better pic of Lisa, along with the late, and much missed Pete 'Greblord' Armstrong and Jo at the Rocky Horror Show at the Crucible Theatre. 

 

At Christmas the girls of GW, would also dress as fairies, causing discomfort and light headedness to 'The Limpets' (teenage regular 'faces' of the store).

This was where my hobby really took off and it's something that I am thinking much about at present and how that revisiting will be colouring my future gaming purchases and plans. 

I'll write more soon, but for now I really need to get on with my day's work.

 In the meantime, you really do need to get a copy of this coffee table book:

 

TTFN