What exactly is Old School? Discuss.

 Well I've finally based the last two Stuart Asquith regiments. I've called them that although I have added a few figures to each regiment and also repainted his figures to a certain extent, but technically they were still Stuart's troops. These are painted and flagged as a couple of the Earl of Newcastle's regiments.
  I have a particular interest in this army simply because the Earl recruited heavily in the counties of Northumberland and Durham.I would like to think they made up for a lack of equipment with true Northern grit.Sadly most of his soldiers were killed in the Marston Moor campaign and the Earl sailed for Holland as he had had enough.
 To be honest who could blame him. He had expended a lot of his personal fortune and lost a lot of tenants that he would have known in his fight for the King. I don't think he felt he was appreciated enough by Charles and his advisers who were safely ensconced in Oxford. Anyway they are completed and I am now starting on my lead mountain of ECW figures gathered from various sources both old and new.

These two troops are from Cromwell's regiment.They were originally from the box of figures I obtained at York which I have had to repaint and generally doctor. Gilder only sculpted a small range of figures so I have attempted to keep the back and breastplated cavalry for the roundheads and the more jaunty hatted chaps for the Royalists. I did say I was going Old School with these armies and one cant beat a bit of stereotyping to reinforce the point.Naturally most of the Parliamentarian horse will be classed as 'trotters' and cannot counter charge. Only Cromwell's command will be able to act more aggressively. As for Royalists well they will be classed as 'dashing' but naturally will be difficult to control once they are off their leash.Yes I know its not really that historical but my game, my rules.Anyway who can resist an uncontrollable cavalry charge.

 At the present time I am trawling through my collection of Battle magazines in order to find a decent scenario to use for my inaugural ECW game. In 1978! Stuart Asquith wrote a great series of scenarios based on actions from the civil war and I am hoping to find one that will be interesting enough to fight this week.
Im going to ramble now, so I will apologise before I start.....But it concerned my viewpoint regarding the return to what is Old School and no doubt a large dollop of nostalgia.

Anyway the series got me comparing the Battle magazine against the modern day magazines and how things have changed or progressed, dependent on one's viewpoint.I totally 'get' that the 1960's and 1970's were not a good time for wargamers. The manufacturers were few and the ranges were in the main pretty small and of poor quality.The few modelling shops where one could actually look at and buy wargames figures were very rare and invariably didnt contain what you were looking for.....
              'We dont have the French Voltigeurs but these British chaps look very similar?'

 But it was a time of growth in the hobby. New ideas were being tried, a lot of research was being done. Letters were being written thirsting for military knowledge. My library [remember them] was tested each week as I tipped up with my latest request for some old and obscure book. It was all very exciting. Well it was for me......... And now?

  Well if one has enough cash you can have everything that you desire and more and yet like so much of modern life it just seems a bit too easy and attainable and somehow very very empty. Its difficult to quantify but for me unless one has struggled to achieve something don't you appreciate it less?
  So you can now buy an off the shelf set of rules and invariably you will have to buy the necessary range of figures that are described in the said book. But dont worry it will only be about 50 figures a side and therefore it wont cost that much. [Well okay it will be expensive, BUT you will need them]

  Of course there will be add ons and then suddenly after about six months the 'NEW' improved set of rules etc will be on the horizon, and off you go again. 
I think Osprey are up to 25+ releases. [Now before anyone says anything I've nothing against Osprey], but that's just one company and each day I see another company touting for trade and contributions to release another set plus figure range.
 I always think of Supermarkets. [ I'm showing my age here] Basically I like apples. In supermarkets they appear perfect. Bright red, very large and very shiny and yet they taste of absolutely nothing, tasteless but perfect to look at.....A bit like the hobby nowadays.
 All fur coats and no knickers.
 [ Luckily Morrison's have introduced?? wonky vegetables and fruit. Things that aren't perfect but taste like they're supposed to. A sort of Old School outlook for food. ]

I think basically what I am saying in a very poor fashion is that for me Old School is an appreciation of neglected figure ranges, with wonky legs and dubious uniforms that encapsulate what the hobby was and is for me. Research, reading, painting and playing with toy soldiers whilst having a laugh at the ridiculousness of overgrown children agonising over some poor dice throw. So expect a further pile of dodgy lead over the coming weeks as I edge towards my goal of two Old School English Civil War armies led by a definitely old school pedant.