Partizan, another show to remember.

Well John and I made the longish trip South to sample the delights of Partizan Wargames Show. I totally miscalculated the time it would take and we arrived far too early, ie 09.00. Still the morning was dry and as Van Morrison sang, 'the crack was good.'
 Unusually for John he was excited about buying some 28mm figures for our new small? project which now that it is out there is Warlord's SPQR.
 We both took advantage of the Warlord's offer in their latest boxed army release and to be honest I have been very impressed by the new 'resin' type models. As for the rules, well most appears very good and what isnt John will change a little.
 Anyway back to Parizan. This year I thought the queue was a lot smaller and only stretched about thirty or so yards but the organisers have now got the start off to a fine art, well apart from not letting punters in before the 10.00 official opening time.
 I still shake my head as they erected the large information boards offering people badges that tell others not to include them in any photographs? Clearly its a big worry for the organisers and those people who dont want to be seen in a wargames show. It must be terrible being tagged with these dastardly warmongers as I was called recently?
 As for the actual show. For me its probably the best in the UK simply for location, ease of movement inside the hall and actual trade and games which is really what wargamers are concerned with.

I had a fairly extensive shopping list for a change courtesy of SPQR and Caliver Books had a discount should punters buy three of the additional unit sets.It would have been rude to refuse.

For this project although I will have some Ceasarean troop types I have opted to build up an Ancient British war band, its the chariots and Boudecia or Boo di eica as she is known nowadays

Stu at Colonel Bills have a lovely series of semi naked female Britons that I had to have, these will end up as female druids etc. Anyway after the obligatory bacon sandwich and buying spree it was time to admire the games at the show.

Its fair to say that there wasnt a bad one and clearly the participation chaps had really gone for it. I suppose its easier to build a small amount of quality terrain but clearly if you want to attract some punters to play one needs some eye candy terrain. So well done to everyone who took the trouble to put a game on at the show.

As is probably obvious by now my favourite was a lovely War of Austrian Succession game in 28mm with some beautifully painted units and command bases.

There was a posse down from the Durham Wargames Group with a beautifully painted Pyrhus game. I even got Jim to crack a lovely smile surrounded by his associates from the club?

 The man himself painted by Dave Jarvis, sadly my camera doesnt really do the figure justice.

Simon Miller staged two games, one that really attracted my attention. The battle that saw the defeat of the Iceni which was a grand affair with hundreds of Britons piling into the Romans.

 The second Simon Miller game was a lovely 54mm English Civil War game, I was itching to play with the figures.

Barry Hilton staged a first class Northern Wars battle up to the exemplary standard we have come to expect from him.

                                                I loved this Russian peasant unit

 Most periods were catered for at the show and who doesnt want to see a well crafted 28mm Napoleonic wargame.

 The Spanish Napoleonic grenadier was one of my all time favourite uniforms and these were beautifully executed.

An Irish rebellion wargame using Trent Miniatures with lots of rebel pikemen and revolutionary French, again a well crafted wargame. 

I thought this terrain that had been made for a D Day landing participation game was top quality, who wouldnt want to have a command in this game.

  Another top quality participation game, this time a Pacific landing scenario, the 'sand' was actually sawdust but it worked perfectly.

Partizan wouldn't be Partizan without a beautiful rendition of the American War of Independence

                           I took this image because I want a cabbage patch like this one.

Ken Worley taking a break from selling books to stage a Kreigspeil game and being rude as he did so. Nothing changes.

Great examples of the participation games terrain that attracted hopefully new wargamers to the hobby.

So another Partizan is over and no doubt everything that could be said about the show has already been said. It is a very good show with the right mix of trade and games. Yes the actual hall is a giant shed but its perfect for wargaming, well apart from the heat but there is little one can do about the roof. So if there is one show wargamers need to attend its Partizan, a great advertisement for our hobby.