Sunday past saw the fifth year of our local games show Legion and although small it’s both perfectly formed and growing every year. Originally it was just three or four tables squeezed into a tiny room. This year saw the second year at the old Pfizers social club down on the Sandwich Road, with around a dozen games and about half a dozen traders. Sadly it lacked Fenris Games because Ian isn’t very well so collectively we all proclaim “Get Well Soon!”. I did take quite a few more photos than those here, but have only posted the least blurry.
My local game show organised by the folk at Red Knight (ex-snipers nest) has really grown in just four years, so I thought I’d share the flyer with you here in the hope of attracting you to it. Our maainland European chums might consider a visit too, as it’s just a few miles up the coast from Dover.
Here’s a small treat for all you folk who won’t be at Salute 2011, it’s my humble offering which will be on the table of the VBCW game being run by Red Rich. It’s a conversion of a Blue Moon Manufacturing resin vehicle into a BUF propaganda wagon. The biggest problem was the base vehicle, which had it been cast by Fenris would have been declared a miscast. It was full of bubbles, bent and skewed, missing a piece and had I not picked it up for a bargain from Red Knight games with this project in mind I’d have been furious at the quality, or lack of it.
The van section is just 1mm plasticard topped with a white metal replacement part for a Dinky toy from Ebay, and was just the shape I was after. The drivers side bears a large poster which I put together, and which you can help yourself to.
The rear just has a door, a couple of windows, and two posters but what’s that on the passenger side?
Why it’s the mobile BUF book shop, very popular as even the passenger is reading a book. Both he and the driver have been made with those brilliant plastic Warlord/Bolt Action Brits but with Gripping Beast heads so they have the caps which my BUF wear. There’s also a collection of informative posters, including a couple by gents of GWP.
Here a delightful young lady offers all the latest BUF literature, which is all made from actual front covers of BUF booklets cunningly shrunken down to the right size. Although not clear in the photo most have readable titles and on the newspapers you can make out the headlines.
One of the reasons the van is so boxy and large is so it can fit a small mpeg player inside. This is connected to a speaker which allows the speeches of Moseley to be played during a game, along with the occasional marching song, Now if that doesn’t convert the British to fascism nothing ever will.
Of course a picture paints a thousand words, and video paints at least seventeen more, so here’s a video of the Propaganda Wagon in action, excuse the wobbly camera as I only have three arms.
I haven’t played with horse mounted figures for decades so when we saw some Great War Miniatures WWI British Cavalry up for grabs at a very reasonable price at Red Knight Wargames it was very tempting. Once I’d suggested to the boy Slug how this might make an excellent cavalry squad for the BUF in our VBCW games his eyes lit up and lacking the readies his grovelling began.
He’s done a reasonable job, but it took me more effort to get him to get the damned things painted, than it did for him to get me to pay for them. The result is a trifle underworked but lovely figures none the less.
Of course being cavalry there’s a lot more work to them than the usual infantry and these were the Slug’s first ever.
I imagine he might bring himself to be happy with them once they’re on the table and scaring the bejesus out of the enemy.
It was off to the Marlowe Academy today for the annual gaming show for the benefit of the Royal British Legion which took place for the first time in this modern and spacious building. Plenty of free parking, free cups of tea and coffee and a mere two quid to gain entry. It was healthily attended and had a wide variety of games including WW1 and WW2 in various scales, modern and some fantasy too plus a handful of traders. Red Knight Wargames have put this show on for a good few years now, and slowly but surely it gets better and better so well done them!
Now you might have noticed how gamers are often regarded by non-gamers as a form of geeky lunatic, a stereotype often extended to mad extremes such as those playing WW2 Germans being de facto Nazis and other ironic delights from the historically challenged. The oddest thing about this show was how it took place in a public building with other activities taking place, but when the clock came to 11.00 the only folk standing in silence for two minutes were those at the gaming event.
The photos I took are literally thrown together below, reflecting how a good time was had by all. If any of them are your club, etc, feel free to grab them and use them on your sites, etc, without any copyright concerns or any of that nonsense.
We all adore a wargaming show, we all commemorate Remembrance Day so the possibility of combining the two is a winning idea so here’s a heads up for such an experience as Red Knight Wargames (aka Snipers Nest) put on their third of these small but perfectly formed shows in support of one of the UK’s most vital charities. This year there will be about half a dozen demo or participation games, a few trade stands, a raffle, refreshments and piles of free parking immediately outside the venue. All this for a mere £2 entrance which goes to the British Legion.
This year it’s being held at the Marlowe Academy, on Marlowe Way, Ramsgate CT12 6FA on Sunday 14th November from 10.00am-4.00pm. Should you need more info then get in touch with those nice folk at Red Knight, namely Michael or Sheree, on either 01843 598640, or their mobile 07745 284925, or drop them an email via redknightwargames@yahoo.co.uk or even wander along to their premises at the Marlowe Innovation Centre in the bright orange building opposite the Academy.
Finding your way there could prove difficult though, as the Google map picture above doesn’t show Marlowe Way, the Innovation Centre nor the new route of Haine Road (A256) which you can see in yellow on the right. It does show the Marlowe Academy, which is the spaceship-looking structure on the right.The patch of muddy land to the left of that is where the Innovation Centre is, you can’t miss it – it’s bright orange. On the bottom left of the above map there is now a roundabout.
Via Google Maps streetview you can actually see this roundabout, and it’s the second exit (straight across) you want, if you’re coming this way, follow the New Haine Road to the next roundabout and take the second exit (the right) to get to Marlowe Way. Alternatively, or if you’re coming the other way, look here for a simplistic map of the whole damn thing.
Good luck, hope to see you there.
UPDATE: Just found out that’s in total there’ll be 8 games at this show, each one from a different local club.
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