Never Get Off The Boat...

 For the last 45 years, I have been happily wandering through the proverbial wargaming jungle, like' Chef' in the seminal 'Apocalypse Now' looking for the metaphorical mangoes, dreaming of making a mango cream.

True, I have become something of an accomplished saucier, with my immersion in this fascinating world, even though it is dilute and tepid by comparison, these days. Sorry, but I call it as I see it. If you don;t agree, that's just fine.

I was stretched out on the sofa last night watching Top of The Pops episodes from 1981 and thinking just how good the music still sounded (with a few exceptions) and then it his me, that this was a year before Games Workshop opened it's Sheffield store, and the year I found my first baggies of Citadel and Ral Partha models in Hopkinson's Toys (see my previous posts about the toy shops of Sheffield). It was also the year I truly started to wake up to music and what a time it was.

I was also quite pleased, having hit 57 a couple of weeks ago, (whilst my wife was in a cardiac ward . What a birthday fortnight that was - not one I want to repeat, thank you) that my recollections were sharp and accurate.

And then it hit me... I ran slap bang into the metaphorical tiger in the jungle, and I almost fell from the sofa as I realised it was 44 years.

 'TIGEEEEEER, MOTHERFUCKIN' TIGEEEEEER!'

The Tiger of Time had crept up on me as I picked those ripe and luscious mangoes, and I realised that it's time to run back to the boat, get on the .50s and waste that stripey motherfucker! I had, I confess, a panic attack of quality and distinction.

I'm older than many of the 'old men' of the hobby when I came up through the hobby back in the day. I am a Grognard myself.

I'm now sharply focussed on getting things done, and games played. 

I have commissioned the 12 infantry regiments of the New Model Army along with 21 regiments of horse to get my ECW collection pretty much completed, thae painter is paid in full and retained.  I think that 36 foot regiments of foot and the same of horse will be sufficient, but I may add 4 more of each over 2026. 

My fantasy project is down to the last 900 models and is fully funded. I did add a 32 figure unit of the Regiments Of Renown, Lothern City Guard on Monday night, to round out my Aly Morrisson Elves.

And now, the focus is on getting more gaming in. Hell, I am even considering a return to club gaming.

Almost losing my wife has shaken us both. 

I'll be going to less shows for a while, as Kayte is still recovering and she is the designated driver as many of you will know, after I was in a road accident as passenger - in 1981 oddly enough - which made me way too nervous to risk getting behind the wheel of a death dealing monster. I do the navigating and musical selections though :)

I confess, that I am struggling with a sense of mortality at the moment. I don't have a desire to buy loads of different periods or chasing every new fad. It's pointless, unless it can definitely be painted. I'm very happy with the ECW and Fantasy, and will I confess buy some 15mm Sci Fi (old school of course) and I think they can offer a lot of gaming opportunity, with skirmish and large battles as well as campaigns, so I have more than enough to go at, even if I last another 30 years.

Speaking of fantasy, I just received another batch of Goblins, Night Goblins and Elves from my painter on Friday and got them based and varnished over the weekend:

 Well, I can see the boat through the trees, so I better jump aboard as Lance seems to be out of his head and the .50s are turning towards the tree line.

Remember 'Never get off the boat!'

TTFN