Some Musings...

 I am very much interested in how we imbue or indeed draw upon energies.

This goes for wargaming items too. Psychometry, is something I have had a passing interest in for decades, based on what I found to be some compelling instances down the years.

How many people have 'lucky' or 'unlucky dice'? I know of one respected wargamer, who, in the 80s lost in a major competition and then affixed the general figure to the front of his Volvo as he drove home and then exiled him to the garden shed to reflect upon his failure. You will note it weas the fault of a supposedly inanimate lead figure and not the lack of prowess of the human manipulator.

Could that first die roll we make for 'troop or leadership quality' imprint upon that tiny tin dictator or regiment an actual 'personality'.

One of my personal beliefs is that a figure is not 'alive' until the face is done, in particular the eyes. They are after all the windows to the soul. Probably bunkum, although I once painted a figure with crossed eyes when I was 14 and the unit to which he belonged spent many games wheeling axcross the tabletop apparently at random, presumably because he was lead scout... It's a though.

I read a lot of books on the history of the hobby. Starting properly as I did in 1981, I am a Grognard, but I am a little shorter in the moustache than those who introduced me to the hobby. So, whilst I lived and experienced what was arguably (be quiet those of you who were not there, it's the fault of your parents) the golden era of gaming, where both wargaming and roleplaying were seemingly cash cows at every level, from the corporation down to the amateur who just wanted to share ideas and maybe make enough to buy a couple of units for this or that army, or the latest AD&D module in a time when things were genuinely new and not just being churned out on YouTube and being claimed as 'newly discovered' by some kid who has all the fire but no real fuel to burn.

As I was not born until 1968, I missed out on the first Gencon and even the very earliest UK shows, so even I have blanks in my knowledge, although I've spent a LOT of my life, even way back ath start getting to know other gamers, older than I, and talkinbg to them about the hobby. It fascinates me more than a traditional history book these days and probaly stems from my love of the small stuff of history, the social histories rather than the battles and trevails of nation building.

 I really enjoy finding a set of rules from the early days, ideally loved and annotated by one or more owners, and I can almost smell the pipe smoke of the club room, hear the play of the game and get a feel for that person. Or I imagine I can, at least.

I have letters from famous pioneers, books from the collections of luminaries and figures painted or scratchbuilt by people how pretty much invented the methods and styles we all draw upon today (apart from those pathetic wraiths who slop speed paints and dips on everything in the belief it requires skill or looks particularly attractive - It doesn't. That is my opinion, you may have yours and I respect that, but really, I don't care so don't waste your time.

I am currently investigating the early days of the scene in the U.S and the works in the U.K of Tony Bath, who is a much overlooked (by the majority) and I think, key influence on the hobby.

I am fascinated with the idea of playing with the rules in the original format, rather than the reprints which, whilst a lovely item for the bookshelf, don't feel 'of the period' and I think that's important when you consider trying to get a feel of what was in the heart and mind of the originator of a rule set.

Perhaps it may seem like a load of bollocks to some, but that's fine. This is about how I feel about things, this is how I am approaching my hobby, because to be honest, variety is the spice of life and what harm am I doing with my mumbo jumbo? (apart from the odd sacrifice of a geek virgin, but are there any others?) - As an aside, geeks make superb lovers, because they spend so much time thinking about what sex would be like , in the first place.

So, anyway, mush of my effort is being put into finding authentic rules, figures and ephemera and trying to establish the same or at least similar condition in which they were originally used/experienced.

Like I said, it's a purely personal exploration of the hobby, that hurts nothing apart from my bank balance.

I do know for instance,  that when I play 7 Years War games, I derive a lot more pleasure from armies of 15mm Gallia & Mike's Models figures, painted to a neat clean standard than I do when I play with superb 28mm models. I've tested the theory and the connection I have to the 15mm, chunky little buggers is infinitely more than I do to thoise Johnny-Come-Lately Foundry and Front Rank models. 

That feel of a return to 'better times' is important. Gaming for me is about escapism, friendships and good (sometimes not so good) times.

1968 is a 'thing' for me at present.

It was a year I'd never really taken much notice of at the time. I had turned 18, finished with a girlfriend, seen a friendship evaporate when she took up with the closest friend I had, fought massively with my parents over my own right to identity, resulting in being thrown out by my parents and escorted from my home by the police, supposedly to teach me a familial lesson, but instead resulting in my decision to never trust my parents  again - so right at the time, but so wrong in the long run.

I was all over the country on reenactment weekends, wargames shows and competitions in 1986, was discovering new musical tastes and sartorial trends, against the backdrop of 28mm Jacobite Rebellions, getting absolutely slaughtered in assorted dens of iniquity. It was a hectic and confused yewar, that's for certain.

At present I am revisiting, removing some mental blocks and trying to rediscover that time. I'm not sure where it will lead or what it may do to me, but it's an itch which needs scratching, so the rules, magazines and models of the time are firmly in my sights as a result.

Let's see where it takes me