Donnington Wargames Show, It's all about Me.

Well I survived day one of the show, somewhat humbled by finding out this morning that Tamsin was too ill to make the show. Get well soon gal. Today will be a bit of a grind as I could not get comfortable till well past midnight and have been awake since 5 and up since 6! Well I should be ready for the lift then. Will I make sense? Probably not so Barry should not notice the difference.

 

Saturday I was given a lift by Lee (AGAIN) who arrived at 9 as planned and as it's only twenty miles from my house we arrived nice and early so took cover in the cafe. £6 lighter and two coffees and a bacon bap later Lee staggered out of the cafe to sit down. At least I had paid for his entrance fee but damage had been done under the water line that did not become apparent for a few hours, maybe Lee's cargo was rice? (points awarded for the first person to connect the reference to the book). This s where we met Andy M from Another Slight Diversion. We had a couple of trades to do so I wasted no time getting rid of some paper stuff in exchange for this.

These are 6mm Timecast buildings Andy had professionally painted and based. When I have daylight and an opportunity I will take pics of the ones that remain in my possession to give you a better look at them. They really are great and based to a very high standard. It has given me pause for thought on how I will base up my other buildings. Here is another shot.

Half of these will be mine, the other half going into the collection of another friend. Really the pictures just fail to do them justice.

 

The other part of the deal was the prior mentioned TBM terrain tile of the Spanish Hill Village. Andy also had packed away with the buildings the figures I will be painting in exchange for the buildings. This method of funding my hobby may well become a standard as I paint figures for other junkies and get paid in wargamer dope. In fact if anyone in authority actually saw the looks of some of our faces as well pass over money for goods they may well ban it! Anyway this is what I got from Andy.

and another view.

So a few buildings to paint. Add these to the three Spanish TBM buildings I already had, the other ten I bought yesterday I think you would agree I have a production line to set up. Er well then add the four ECW buildings I bought yesterday to the two large ones I got from TBM and you could say I went a bit OTT on buildings. At least they are all 6mm and for three different periods (two will have some crossover).

If only I had stopped there, but after picking up the cash for the half of the Russian buildings I was nicely reloaded and set off in search of more swag. I had a few packages already pre-ordered such as some very very nice Adler French. Not much, more a dip of the toe in the water to see what they are like to paint and how they look mixed in with the Baccus. Well I really liked what I saw so will I am sure be spending more with them next year. I failed to get the 28mm giraffe as Irregular had sold the two they had bought already (this is for Child number one). I also got the 28mm sheep that will be the subject of a little conversion work, more on that at another time.

 

I picked up a few bits from Essex, finishing off the Persian Cavalry, though in reality I would have to buy about 8 more packs to fully finish them off. I also picked up a pair of heavy bolt throwers that will pull double duty for several armies.

 

Warbases will be doing 10 custom bases for me that was priced lower than expected and will be a great upgrade on what I had put together myself as a mock up. That almost got me to critical mass but Lee spotted a Baccus starter set for ECW that I had passed up at Derby last year and ever since I have been kicking myself. It was there again this year and so Lee suggested splitting the boxed set. In now retails at £95, we got it for £25 between us. £12.50 well spent, and when we got back to mine it was split up with me taking the rules whilst Lee got all the bases. Other than that it was straight down the middle.

 

Talking of Lee, by his point he was listing hard to port and it was looking like he would not manage to spend his shilling on some dark green static grass. Now traders have gone bus when Lee has failed to turn up at a show and I know for a fact that tension in the trading hall was broken once rumours of Lee's presence was confirmed this year. Well it was looking very very very dodgy for the show when after five hours all Lee had to show for such a long time in temptation land he had to that point spent £50 for a mate, along with the two coffees and that bacon bap, but in fairness to Lee by this point he had added a second bap to his wallets release (I got the coffees this time). All that could be heard from him was "I will be bringing my own tomorrow", over and over like some strange mantra. Yes he had bought the ECW stuff but that's a saving of £70 between us right? I mean we were in pocket. Well finally he decided to buy 4 guns from Adler, oh and limbers, you have to have limbers. Before he had finished he had bought the whole of the Young and Old Guard and that nice Lady from Adler was on the phone to Thompson booking that cruise she had always been promised by he Hubby. Balance restored and like a dervish Lee managed to ensure the future of a few traders in the matter of 90 minutes. I am not so sure it's a good idea for him to go back later today, after all he sent me an e-mail at 11.30 last night requesting a rule change that will allow us to "do arty proper". I just know he has been at that Adler catalogue all evening!

 

So as this is all about me, I will only give a very basic run down on the con. Like Andy over at the Diversion I am not 100% sold on the venue, for me it needs more sit down space for checking out the swag or just plain resting, and something that is comfortable! Overall it was a good day, well I had a very good day. I did not get to look at all I wanted to, so today will get that done. I will be back next year, yes it is noisy but I did not mind that at all. The floor being concrete has taken it's toll on me, hence the late to bed early to rise but that's what you get playing in big sheds. A better run down on the show tomorrow, oh and I guess some pics.