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Monday, 18 December 2023

Happy Mithrasmas*

 Yes, it's that time of year when we celebrate the birth of Mithras (25th December), where we celebrate a winter holiday by dressing in our finest clothes, exchange presents and slaughtering a bull (of course). Saturnalia, the Roman holiday had a similar take  on the festivities as have other winter Holidays.

 Enjoy the winter festivals in whatever manner you wish and have a good time.

* Other religious holidays are available.

In other news, I am getting medication for my illness, having a clinic check-up (tomorrow) and two one-day visits to Hospital, at the end of this month and the beginning of the next for traetment that lasts the whole day. I'm an old hand at the procedure, having had it done three times previously in the last ten years.

That's it fom me, but I will be posting again sometime in the new year.

Monday, 27 November 2023

Battleground Show, 2023, Stockton

The hussle and bustle of the bring and buy 10.15am(like this all day)
So, over the last two months I haven't been well enough to do much. if anything computer, hobbywise or otherwise. Arthritus has had me resting my hands as typing was far too painful, as was holding a paintbrush, drawing a line or cutting anything (I've tried all). Making a cup of tea was a hurdle that  had to pass and have doen so very successfully. As I was on the mend, I was struck down once more with the illness I had twelve years ago, covering my wholebody with blisters and sores making it painful to stand up or sit down, eat or drink, without vast amouns of painkillers and a substantial increase in medication to combat the problem. 
View from the balcony an hour later

So now to my current situation; I'm over the worst, so much so that I managed to get to a show ! (With the aid of my #1 son as driver and #1 grandson accompanying.
Great show, biggest in our neck of the woods and as the photographs show, it was busy from the time it opened until three hours later when we left.
I saw friends, I haven't seen in years and in at least one case, decades.
 
On to the photographs, all with the usual bligatory blurry ones:
 
 
One of the smaller ships from Durham Wargsames Groups' galleon game
Redcar Ironbeards, Schleswig-Holstein War 1848-49 in 10mm
Gear on Display from the Heugh Battery Museum Harlepool
Stafford and District' battle of Nachod 1866 (15mm iirc)
Nachod overview
Middlesborough Wargames' Clashh in the Cavern...
...and a siege outside the cavern. (28mm Fantasy)
The defenders... elves... fae... redcaps...dunno
'After Casablanca' awaiting players...
...by Lancaster Wargames society - looked very interesting.
WW 1 aerial combat by Prince Bishop Wrgames club...
...using their own rules (and very good they looked too)
Leeds Wargames Club game "Battletech"...
...which kept #1 grandson engaged all day.
Kings and Generals' 54mm Normandy game !
Wakefield and District's Cammanodo raid - small particpation game, but looked great !
Cozzmic cakes, Cake Wars... don't ask, I didn't !
Unknown... I lost the reference for this game
Big on Strategy's Turkey shoot 54mm AWI skirmish in the black forest floors of North America
DBN game of Eylau, looked great...
...beautiful figures and a long time since I've seen DBN
"Wargames in the Dungeon" attack in Whitstable Harbour fun participation game
Firelock Games' Oak and Iron
Rules and beautiful models
Hartlepool Wargames Society's "Blood Red Skies"
Display of Para equipment
Doug's Wargaming blog "2 Para at Goose Green"

On of the best games imho at the show, 14, figures, limited terrain; a night action in the Falklands, with seven paras versus an Argentiniian lmg team and wireless position, just fur guys, but well dug in.

For this recreation, the names of all the paras is known their positions and actions too -great reasearch and many photos .

Photo of the real terrain in daylight (obviously)


North Riding's large number of paper/card armies

Looks great from the front or rear, but disappear side on, like the excellent German flats of yesteryear.
Great looking Border Reiver game using 'Pikeman's Lament' rules.

Uk Fight Club (?) game "Take that Street"

It looked interesting, but the garish colours put me off and sunglasses weren't provided.

Grimsby Wargames Society's battle of Haricourt (WW1)

The German defenders of the attack above

The table was massive !

...and full of details wherever you looked.

Gorgeous units from Tantobie Warfare and Tactical Society's game "Miniawala 1846"

Westerhopes Battle of Naseby in 28mm

I love these guys' games - always something different

Mr Wiley's game "something to do with dice" - always enjoyable to see 

And that's the show games, traders were busy all day, here's my miserable haul:

For Nostalgia's sake, B troops still ain't coming back

Proper kit for my gladiators to drop

Three trucks I don't ned, but I made the lad selling them at the B&B happy.
No evidence remains of the pies, teas, pop, sandwiches remains, but I did get Brownie poiints from SWiMBO for the box of 6 cupcakes I returned home with. ! 
Apologies for all theos displays I've omitted, apologies for thiose games I've missed or got names wrong, but I'm old and decrepid so leave me alone, bloody youngsters....

As of February next year, twelve years since I started blogging and in similar cirucmstances to when i started blogging (recovering from a major illness), I'll be all  but giving up blogging. i's all a bit too much for me as I type here with sore fingers and struggling to see what i'm typing. 
So apart from the usual glib posts (HNY etc) I'll be signing off except for maybe a few infrequent posts of shows etc.

Thanks for taking the time to visit, my three and a halfhours of getting this together, I hope, was worth it.

Cheers all, Joe (Zabadak !)

Monday, 4 September 2023

Border Reiver Show 2023

 So saturday (2/9/23), saw me with wife and daughter in tow, attending my local show, Border Reiver.
Noramlly I'd see a dozen or so gamers I know at this event, though this time I only managed a mere three. One was a gamer I've known for about fifty years and only saw at wargame shows  but I hadn't seen for about ten or more years. Seeing him made the trip worth while.

Thephotograph on the right shows the bring and buy which ws busy all the time I was there.
Here's the photographs that I got of the rest of the show:
The cake stand as busy as any wargame stand
The Forlorn Hope's game club, great modular terrain
In case you couldn't spot the aircraft or figures!
No-one on hand to explain what this was all about.
Middlesborough's game of good versus evil ?
Evil (or possibly Good)
Good (or possibly Evil)
Pass - I can't recollect the seller
Dave Lanchester Books
Mini Bits ?
Phoenix games
Eagle Miniatures
Keelmen Miniatures -great figures I knew nothing about.
Colonel Bill's Huge stand (part)
Heaton games club - Warhammer 
One of their usual chaotic games
Pass  - possibly more of Col. Bill's ?
A Napoleonic game by Paddy Stevenson
15mm figures iirc
Very good paintjobs imho
Dave Thomas' Perry Plastics and much more
Westerhope's beautiful Seven Years War game
Figures are semi-solid home casts from Prince August moulds
View of the French from the Allies' side
The whole battlefield, loosely based on Fontenoy
(I know Fontenoy was not in the 7YW),
Another 7YW game again form Westerhope gamers but in 15mm
The Galloping Major's display case
Alpha Strike by  Leeds Wargame  Club
The whole shebang

Close up of the Mechs in the game

Andrew Wiley's Venice game (new to me)
Death on the Nile by Tyneside Gamers
A space game by ...
"Always Above" WW1 air game
Fokker Triplane versus two British Sopwith camels
Whitley Bay ancient game
Celts (I think)
And more Celt slingers
Don't know who these guys were
Empires at war
Dawn of Chivalry (a reenactment group probably)
Bow and Blade
Faux Geek

And that's the show, quite a few traders and games didn't show up for diverse reasons but all told it was a good show and a chance for me to get out of the house.
For loot, I nearly bought some KR foam trays but my daughter did buy a paint-brush (for face-painting).

And that's it for another month, thanks for taking the time to visit and of course your comments are welcomed and appreciated,