Memory Lane - An Interlude

 This is a little temporal interlude, so to speak, which is fitted in before other events I'll no doubt relate, such as 'The .44 Magnum as laxative' or 'Toolboxes in self defence'. Perhaps even 'What have you got in that ammo box sunshine?'

I was wandering around Fackham Hall this morning, when my eye fell upon two samll boxes on what is otherwise a book shelf.

They were a sealed and opened copy of the 1981 Metagaming microgame 'Trailblazer'.

In 1983 I purchased my original copy in a 50p bargain bin even which Games Workshop sometimes ran.

I took it with me to Thornbridge Hall in the Peak District, on a week long residential with school in the summer of '84 where we generally spent the week, sketching the scenery or in the evening, simplyfucking about - well, most of the rabble did - unless like a small group of us, you locked yourself in your room (3 of us to a 6-person room - LUXURY) roleplaying and boardgaming.

Thornbrisdge Hall is now privately owned, but back then it was a place I went a lot with school, and even had one of my most memorable romantic assignations there. It does stll open to the public, but not residentiall, and there are lots of stories I and others could tell about the history, folklore and frolics surrounding it.

But, for a week, three of us spent the evenings and much of the night playing Trailblazer, founding massive interstelear trading corporations and generally screwing each other over with a careful calculation of relative costs and a D6 roll.

So, at the start of this year, as I reminisced fondly of the friendships and good times of yore, I purchased a sealed copy.

When it arrived, I realised that as it was literally perfectly sealed and contained genuine 80s air, so I left is unopened for a day when I literally want to breathe in the 80s atmosphere, and instead paid a higher price for an opened copy which I aim to play again this summer:

 

 

I fully expect the return to this classic game to be every bit as good as when I played it 41 years ago with Stanny and Stav.

If you have a soul, do look for a copy and give it a play. It's a great little game.

TTFN

PS: Incidentally, that week provided income sufficient for me to buy a Mike's Models army box. But that as they say, is another story...