Well, it's that time of year again, and I'm planning my annual wargaming event. This year, I am having a change of venue from Northleach to Cirencester.
THE COTSWOLD WARGAMING DAY 2024
Sunday 20th October
09.30 - 17.00
at
Big Battles Ltd
Unit 3
Cirencester Business Estate
Esland Place, off Love Lane
Cirencester GL7 1YG
 |
| Last year at the old venue. |
There was of course nothing wrong with the old venue - I have been very happy with it. Except that there was one issue - the number of 6' x 2' folding tables I needed. About 40 or so were in fact required, and half of these had to come from the other community facility in Northleach, the Cotswold Hall. Apart from having to transport 20 tables from one end of the town to the other in my car, I had to get permission to store these overnight at the Westwoods Centre (permission was always freely given), and then hope to set everything up the night before, once again with permission.
However, the real issue was, what would happen if those 20 tables were needed at the Cotswold Hall for an event on the same day? Well, what would happen is, is that I would be f*cked. A risk I was prepared to take (being on good terms with the supervisors of both venues), until I discovered the venue mentioned above in an industrial estate on the edge of Cirencester. Any miniature gamers in the Cirencester area not aware of these guys should check their website.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, the Big Battles venue looks just about perfect for the CWD - they have the room, the flexibility to accomodate a number of games with different size tables, under-table storage, plenty of parking on a Sunday and free tea and coffee (!). Plus, I don't have to transport, set up and tidy away anything at all. I'm thinking that maybe (just maybe) I might have time to present a game myself.
As usual, invitations have gone out to my mailing list. The event is also highlighted on my Facebook group:
If you haven't been before and fancy pitching up, please be my guest on the day. I'm planning to charge £10 a head for players, assuming an attendance similar to last year's. Casual visitors not playing might get away with free entry - I'll see how I feel on the day! Ideally, contact me for a proper invite and maybe you can get a game, or even put one on. Do this via the Facebook group, or leave an email address in the comments here - I'll delete it once we've made contact in an attempt to protect your privacy (not that any of us has any privacy online these days).
Hope to see you there!
FACEBOOK
I'm pleased to say my Facebook group has taken off nicely, with over 60 members as I write this. Naturally, a number of members of the old websites were sad to see those sites go (as was I), but a lot of them seem to have bitten the bullet, joined Facebook, and then joined the group. If you have any interest at all in my rules, or just an interest in wargaming the SYW, Napoleonic Wars, or WW2, I invite you to head over and apply to join.
Just today, a member was kind enough to upload an Excel spreadsheet that gamers can use to create Honours of War armies with the correct points values. Naturally, I thanked him for taking the trouble to do so. In reply he said:
"Just happy to know that I can give back something for the joy that wargaming (and thus, whoever gave time to write rules, or explained them) gave to me."
Now, that was a very nice thing to say. It certainly made me glad I'd started the group. In fact, I will say that I hope the group will become a source of eclectic comment and discussion not just on my rules, but wargaming in general, in so far as that may be possible. I look forward to encouraging and receiving comments, discussion, photos and various uploads. A number of scenarios have already been generously provided to grace the Files area of the group.
And so, on that upbeat note, I will leave you - 'til next time!
