Time To Reach For The Gloss Varnish & Gush After A Grand Day Out At Hammerhead

 Hi all,

Well, Hammerhead was a great day out for all the right reasons. My daughter and S-I-L wemt down with our 3 grandsons who were introduced to friends and luminaries in the hobby, acquitting themselves very well indeed. They spent a lot of money for two 8 and one 10 year olds...

We spent the morning 'herding cats' as they zipped around with £75 between them with instructions to spend it. Shaun Mclaughlin of The Bunker was having a good chuckle at my haggard appearance and poor Jerry Miller kept seeing me in passing until we handed the boys back to their mum & dad and I could actually conclude my business with him - Sorry, Jerry. 

Kayte and I really enjoyed the day and spending some quality time speaking to friends was a joy. 

Having an hour of general chat with Ken Reilly was a real pleasure, and I had to admit that the Funcken books on our table were Kayte's and not mine - For my shame.

Robbie Baker was his usual friendly and effusive self, and he confifed his age to me in our brief catch-up. I won't repeat it, but let me say, he must have a painting in the attic at home. Robbie is a national treasure to the hobby and it's time someone got that man properly interviewed becuase trust me folks, he's a legend!

I also managed to have a natter with Chris Hall and the usual un-PC banter with Mick Rothenburg, whilst Gary McHugh's gorgeous young sheepdog was sizing up my sheepskin jacket and trainer laces. So, all in all a full and socially satisfying day out.

I confess that on the tabletop sale, about 4 minutes after arriving, we did also grab a bargain in the shape of almost 1000 pieces of vintage Hinchcliffe & Minifgs ECW, all neatly block painted and exuding serious old school allure.

The price? 

£250 and a hernia getting them to the car. In fact just getting them from the stall and six feet away almost did for me, much to the amusement of David Harrison, who caught up with me as I struggled to shift two large boxes of lead.

They are going to be given a high gloss varnish and Kayte will re-base them, but that's all they need.

I had thoroughly lost me ECW 'vibe' but I think that rediscovering it via 70s lead, is refreshing and fun. These are not for displaying and bragging over, but for playing fun games with, which, is exactly what this hobby is all about after all.

As you can see, there's a lot:

The show was pleasantly full, with only the George Stevenson Hall used this year. Trade looked brisk and the whole atmosphere was a really positive one. This felt like an old school show. The usual bunch of self-congratulating bloggers were hogging the painting competition, but hey, it keeps them away from real wargamers doesn't it. Perhaps an electric cattle fence could finish the job next year?

I only made two off the cuff purchases in the form of a new copy of Burrows & Badgers and a pair of AK tweezers. And I was truly happy.

For me (and Kayte for that matter) the social aspects were what made our day, and we were much later leaving than planned, our 5 Scotties giving us the stink eye when we got home.

A top day out, after a week of hard work and the news that Fish (former Marillion front man) is playing no dates anywhere in Yorkshire for his final tour. IMHO, it's a pretty low thing to do, but there's nothing we can do about it. It means we can spend our money on other things.

TTFN