York 2016, A Rocky Mountain Rendezvous

                        Today was the first wargames show of 2016 for me, at York. For some reason it reminded me of a Rocky Mountain Rendezvous. [See explanation below of the term *]
Its probably a fanciful description of a wargames show, but I view York as a time to meet up with wargamers I havent seen since last year and generally catch up with what is going on, and what is planned by other gamers..
 This year, as part of my intention to clear some of my unwanted/ unfinished, not begun,wargames projects I took a bit of stuff down to their tabletop sale. As a consequence, I arrived early, ie an hour and a half before the place opened. I wanted to book a table for the first session, as I knew I had arranged to meet up with various people during the day, and I wanted to browse the halls.
 I was very kindly allowed to enter the show early, ie 09.15, and book the first slot in the table top sale. I would recommend the experience to any person wanting to sell on some stuff. One should however be realistic in their pricings, and also be prepared to bargain and haggle on the prices.
 The award for the mugging of the day [of me] goes to that cheapskate John [I am a poor pensioner ] Coutts, of Westerhope Wargames Group who weaseled some very nicely cast resin fortifications out of me, for the price of a bacon sandwich.
 I felt ashamed for him. He clearly knows no shame.
 Some wargaming items were clearly more popular than others. Anything involving Lord of the Rings? sold well. Well painted ECW was very popular, Well Painted Flames of War struggled?
 Is this signs of a trend.
 Anyway, I managed to sell a lot of stuff, although I couldnt shift any WRG lists or rules. Not even that cheapskate John Coutts was prepared to have them. Apparantly he doent use any commercial ruleset!
 After a quick cup of tea, it was off to meet up with some fellow members of the AMG group, and to chat about the coming weekender in Warwick. This is shaping up to be an interesting weekend, with Colin and I hopefully hosting two WAS games in 30mm, also members are putting on a 40mm SYW game, a large 28mm Sudan game, and a WSS game in 28mm.
 How good is that, a weekend of good crack, toy soldiers and beer.
 So having talked to fellow AMG members, it was off to meet up with Steve Lloyd a well known Sheffield wargaming entrepreneur who had kindly arranged to act as a go between in the sale of my very large 6mm Malburian armies.
 With an agreement in place, it was off back to the show to meet up with the illustrious Tony Runkee who had completed two regiments of French SYW cavalry for me.
 I bumped into enroute, probably the most generous wargamer I know, in Jason Williams, who travelling up from the South gave me the last of his 'spare' WHC renaissance painted figures.
 These were wonderful Acorn Miniatures Swiss, from the late Gilder collection, that he had surplus to requirements. Jason is what wargaming is all about, enthusiasts keen to talk about the hobby, and basically share items they dont need.
 If that wasnt enough Jason handed me an unwanted? £25.00 Warlord gift voucher as he doesnt use their range. I was for once totally nonplussed. I will think about what I should do with this kind gift.
 I then managed to bump into Pete Smith of Pete's Flags, who I hadnt seen for awhile. Pete is one of the most talented people I know, and has just completed a Franco Prussian flag commission, which I know will be of a very exacting standard. He has promised to return to the WAS, to create some more class standards.
Finally, I met up with the great painter, Tony Runkee.
 I had given Tony a large group of Elite castings, for him to work his magic on. When I had originally bought the figures, I had been disappointed with their sculpting, but Tony managed to give them a really first rate finish, although he had not been impressed with their style.
 So having rushed about al day, I finally managed to get a look around the show.
It was pretty clear that the show was popular, and that there had been a very decent turnout by the wargaming community.
 Games wise, I thought the number of demonstartion games on show had been cut, although the number of competition games on the third floor looked to have increased again on last year.

 I can only apologise for not taking many photographs at the show. It was remiss of me, especially as there were some very nice games. Of particular note was a Kings of War game [ sorry no image] and a South London Warlords game. I was impressed by a well terrained SYW encounter, and a good version of the Alamo. Both were well presented games.

 Whilst checking out the trade, I came across a cabal of top wargames painters chewing the fat.
 Its not often you get the painting talent together like this, so for posterity I surreptitiously took a couple of images [ a bit like a paparazzi ] of Ian [ the best painter in six counties, according to him anyway. David, [Painter to the stars] Jarvis.  Shaun [ collector and painter of very fine figures, and probably owner of one of the best collections around ] Lowery, and two neer' do wells, Tony Runkee, and Shaunt [ Ask Ian who painted his 40mm figures] Bryant.

    So did York live up to expectations? Well it was certainly eventful, and although I couldn't savor the first rendezvous of the year due to commitments, I thought the event was cracking.
 So well done York Wargames Group, the show goes from strength to strength.
* Rocky Mountain Rendezvous (in trapper jargon) was an annual gathering (1825–1840) at various locations held by a fur trading company at which trappers and mountain men sold their furs and hides and replenished their supplies. The large fur companies put together teamster driven mule trains which packed in whiskey and supplies into a pre-announced location each spring-summer and set up a trading fair—the rendezvous—and at the season's end, packed furs out, normally the British Companies to Fort Vancouver in the Pacific Northwest, and to one of the northern Missouri River ports such as St. Joseph, Missouri, if an American overland fur trading company.

Rendezvous were known to be lively, joyous places, where all were allowed- free trappers, Indians, native trapper wives and children, travelers and later on, even tourists who would venture from even as far as Europe to observe the festivities. It was described as a place full of  "Mirth, songs, dancing, shouting, trading, running, jumping, singing, racing, target-shooting, yarns, frolic, with all sorts of extravagances that white men or Indians could invent."