Welcome to my blog, the story of my continuing journey into the World of Zombie Wargames.

Monday 26 October 2015

"Stand To" (Games and Trains)

Trains, with the venue in the background.
I attended yet another wargame show, "Stand To", setting a record for me of two in one year and three overall in about five year, prior to which wargaming had been placed on a back-burner for at least another five years.
I had convinced my ever-patient wife to drive myself, my son and grandson to the event and after an early Sunday morning start we arrived at the venue by a bit of a magical mystery route (I was "navigating") we eventually arrived.
View from near the efront of the building and  the cafe
The venue was the large "Locomotion" the National Railway Museum Shildon, a large 'shed' of a hall containing trains and games,
Strangely,  whilst the presence of the trains was obvious, the presence of any organisers wasn't!
That's not to say the event wasn't organised, there were very helpful people on car park duty  and as entrance was free, no one stopped you at the door. The organisers "Wear Valley Gamers" seemingly had little to do whilst the show was underway and most likely their work was mostly before the show opened to Joe-public and the clear-up afterwards. Whether due to a lack of manpower or whatever I did think that there should have been some form of display put on by WWG, even if it was just a static display.
Main Street Bonita (sp?)
There were three games present at the show, nearest the entrance was a western game put on by a sole chap from Consett (apologies for forgetting your name)
I'd seen this set-up at the Border Reiver show and was still impressed by it. A simple enough set up, but with lots of eye candy to gratify my card-terrain needs.
The buildings were mostly made from the models from "Finger and Toe" (I think there was at least one scratch-build) and I think the rules used were "Dead Man's Hand".
View of main street


Whilst the lighting in the hall was amongst the best I've encountered at a wargame show, I still had to 'photoshop' my photographs to lighten their dull appearance. It may have been just my lack of skill at photography that was at fault of course or that my auto-flash camera function wasn't playing nice, but I'd bet on the former.
The western genre of game  has always appealed to me from my early days with the original 3-step "Western gunfight rules" and I would have liked to taken part in this participation game, but with limited time and a two year old toddler in tow, it wasn't going to be.
Pleasing enough game.
The second game I headed towards was a game put on by Redcar Iron Beards War gaming club.
 It was some form of fantasy  game and whilst I don't wish to be disrespectful of the genre, this GW style fantasy gaming doesn't really appeal to me.
The people running the game were very friendly and chatty although I did tell them I felt let down that not one of them had a beard despite their club's name, which they took in good spirit (especially the lady)!
General view of the huge table
The third  and last game on my tour of the games on offer was a vast 28mm Renaissance  game put on by "The Independent Wargmames Group" who have been putting on games at shows from way back when. You can see Robbie's take on "Stand To" (and far better piccies of his figures) HERE
The Blurry Cavalry of one side...
Pleasing enough the game was being played throughout the time I was there with Robbie having little time to participate as he seemed to be constantly chatting to all and sundry who came to take a peek. 
...versus the Blurry cavalry of the other side.









My photographs do very little justice to quality of brush-work on the figures, (from a wide range of manufacturers), but this period has to be one of the most colourful  to wargame in and was a clash between the Venetians  and Turks in one of the Venetian colonies.



"Where's the loot?" I hear you ask. Well, despite free entry and the numerous traders (can recall at least a dozen or more), I left with no more than two packs of square MDF bases (for a print'n'play boardgame)  and a packet of four Collie dogs form the very friendly Colonel Bill's establishment of fine repute and I reckon you live without seeing more unpainted lead,

The trains were a nice diversion from the traders and games (my highlight being a restored "Wagon Lit s" second-class carriage of the Orient Express type).
The venue was great, the footfall from both wargamers and public was at best moderate and the show could do with a lot more of both. The traders were as ever very friendly, including those staffing the museum shop (with a very large range of train models, buildings accessories etc. and once more all could have probably done with a more punters spending cash.
Finally, the cafe was of typical museum expense and quality (probably a bit understaffed too).

"Where's the loot?" I hear you ask. Well, despite free entry and the numerous traders (can recall at least a dozen or more), I left with no more than two packs of square MDF bases (for a print'n'play boardgame)  and a packet of four Collie dogs form the very friendly Colonel Bill's establishment of fine repute and I reckon you live without seeing more unpainted lead,


It was a great day out and I chatted to many old friends, unfortunately though I didn't have the time to say cheerio, for after two hours  or so and my pocket money all spent, the wife and toddler were bored and I was informed we were departing  - something about slides and swings outside.
 I'm hoping that this small, friendly, show (now entering it's third year ?) does continue and grows in support next year.

That's it for this week, next week I'll be posting about my trial in tribulations of my new building project that started about  two and a half years ago!

Progress on my other project has been a bit quite of late but you can read what I've been up to HERE







22 comments:

  1. I think three cheers for the Driver. Even if you buy little at a show it can still feed your wargames soul seeing some good games and chatting to like minded nerds!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right Clint, I'll pass on your sentiments Clint. My wargames soul was indeed filled with renewed enthusiasm, even if I'm finding it harder to act upon it.

      Delete
  2. Well, the venue sounds very promising - but only 3 games? At least you got to see some trains, talk to people and come away with 28mm collie dogs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep the venue was one of the better ones I've been to, but the location is a lot more in the sticks than most of the groups I know of, but it's still growing hopefully..

      Delete
  3. Sounded and looked like a good little show!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi AL, thanks for the comment, I'n sure some of the bigger shows started off like this one.

      Delete
  4. Another day out Joe, are you feeling alright?
    It looked like a nice day out. I love the fact your passing the torch to the next generations too dude!
    That card terrain looks rather good! Any freebies?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An even better day out than usual as it didn't involve the hospital and it's always a pleasure spendingtimewith my sons and grandson, something I rarelyget the chance to do and if by chance the grandson becomes interested in wargames then it was time more wellspent than normal.
      The card terrain was very good indeed, though I did notice that not all had internaldetialing. (No freebies)

      Delete
  5. Nice little show I quite like the smaller ones less tiring and you have to make less decisions on what to purchase !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I too like the smaller shows, the Durham show was typiclly the right size of show for me - usually about a half a dozen good games and maybe a dozen traders - though recently the lack of game shas been off-putting. In the past I used to have a very short list of what I want to buy at shows plus a little extra for impulse shiny buys, but now if what I want runs into double figures I have to have a rethink.

      Delete
  6. What a fabulous place for a show and a couple of great looking games - I especially like the Western game.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a great venue, pity about the lack of games but those games played were all good, each for different reasons.

      Delete
  7. The lack of organisers issue. Yes, this was noted by a few of us there on the day, and it does turn out that the gentleman running the event was, in-fact, there ... Though as a trader on the Victorian Toy Soldier Co. stall (next to the gent's toilet). As to who or what the Wear Valley Gamers are, I don't know.

    This year's show suffered from a severe lack of advertising, and it was felt heavily by the traders from what I've heard. The lack of games was due to, again, lack of advertising and organising. But hopefully next year (should the show still go ahead) will be different, as there's been interested already shown by a possible five further games - Myself included, putting on an ACW river demo game.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the update and info Roy, I didn't really have any issues with the organisers' apparent absence but was surprised that they wweren't more in evidence.
      I do hope the show doesn't fold it couldbe such a great show.

      Delete
    2. Ah, just read back what I wrote previously and it all sounds very officious. Doh! Sorry about that. Not at all how I meant it to sound.
      Yes, I very much enjoyed myself and will certainly continue to support this show should it continue to run.

      Delete
    3. I didn't take it as offcious Roy, I know only too well that it's impossible to write with the same inlections as we'd sound if we said the same things.

      The lack of publicty ofr the event was more apparent to me as I actively looked for some mention of it on the few the boards/forums I visit.and foundit sadly lacking.
      I only found ut about it at Border Reiver.

      Delete
  8. The beardless beard gang didn't even paint all their army men. Heresy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks BF, yup you're right, th beardless ones did have unpainted figures on their table, much tomy chargrin as what they did have painted would have been adeqyate enough for a small demo game.

      Delete
    2. If I may, I actually know their reasoning behind this. (as one of the gamers explained it on a forum last year after a trader took a pop at the unpainted troops used in a blog post)

      They're trying to show non-gaming visitors, or new gamers, that 'this' is what an average game at a club, or at home, would look like. Just in case seeing the huge tables of figures, or the top-drawer collections on display, created a daunting prospect for the new individual, the Redcar games always try and ground the show back in the reality of what most games will actually be like.

      I can see their point and why they do it. I even agree that seeing some games create a false sense of what must be achieved with your own collections. However, whether their approach is suitable to a show is a matter for each person to decide for themselves.

      Delete
    3. Thanks for that Toy, makes perfect sense to me, though a little more publicity of the reasons would have been appreciated. It does make me think that a "before and after painting" display game would be an excelleny idea too.

      Delete
    4. Now your idea has given me some food for thought. Cheers.

      Delete
    5. That's great Roy, I'll be looking out for anything you come up with,

      Delete