WTF!
Good Evening,
It's been a very busy May, but sadly, very little to do with wargaming. In April, shortly after I discovered Charlie Wesencraft had entered Valhalla, I got a call from the John Coutts of Westerhope fame, who was canny close to Charlie.
John was concerned that wargamers would not be aware that Charlie had passed away and asked me if I would 'do' a brief obituary for the wargames media. ie one of the magazines so other wargamers would be aware.
Well, I finally found time this week and rang up Wargames Illustrated to ask them if it was okay. I spoke to a couple of lovely, polite fellas who agreed they could find a place for a brief obituary of Charlie although it didnt really fit in their usual magazine format.
That was great, except through no fault of their own, they weren't aware of who Charlie actually was!
It got me thinking after I had given them a brief resume of who Charlie was and what he had done for the hobby. I realised that the current crop of wargamers really have no interest in when, how and why wargaming came about because, like most things nowadays, it's not important to them. All they want is to play a game, paint a few figures and then go home, bosh.
Military history is only ancillary to their wargaming. Wargaming history and the wonderful characters who created the hobby really are of no importance to them.
Just get some figures on the table, bugger the history, oh look those guys are Panzer Grenadiers so must be super powerful.
I suddenly felt very, very old, which, of course, I am.
I've no doubt there will be the odd and I mean odd younger wargamer who actually wants to know about these people, but for the majority, it doesn't even enter their heads. I think I understand why, at least I feel I understand, but it doesn't make it any better, well, for me it doesn't.
So with that depressing realisation, I wish you well.
