Tonbridge, 28th February

Cavalier
As the Northern shows season kicks off with Vapnartak in York, the southern winter groans on until Cavalier at the Angel Centre in Tonbridge. A must for the Society these days, and generally the first outing for the Sabin/Cruttenden/Waller participation games.

('Lost Battles' Sellasia game in progress)

Although usually that means 25mm, because of the requirements of the battle they had decided to stage, Sellasia, this year it was spectacular 15mm. Phil Sabin's terrain was very impressive - all the more when you realise he has made components for this modular system to enable all the Lost Battles scenarios to be staged.
The tiles are made up from thick cork on a base of blue carpet tile (the rivers and streams at the base of the cuts, of course). Visually, the illusions work, and the battlefield and its challenges is convincing.

The figures were pretty good, too ... so not only did this prove a good introduction to Lost Battles for the participants, it proved a good 'eye candy' talking point next to the Society Membership stand ...

Elsewhere, the show boasts many of the familiar traders, and also Gareth Simon clearing out books and comics and demonstrating clockwork model locomotives (caring readers will notice that I avoided working with that old phraseology, 'from the sublime to the ridiculous' ... that's partly because I'd be a poor judge of which was which - but also because I need to keep something in reserve should I ever touch upon the Space Vixens from Mars ...)...

(award winning 'Charge of the light Brigade' participation game)

My own choice of what I saw elsewhere includes a nicely done episode from the blitzkrieg on Poland, some superb small scale terrain, and the men in coats from the lobby ...


Actually, the costumed enthusiasts were doing some French and Indian Wars stuff and had a table of artifacts to enhance a fairly fun-looking participation game .... A theme that was followed up (sort of) in the Bring & Buy/Participation Games Hall, where I found more laced warfare from the Americas ..

(another War for America)

Quite a lot of impressive stuff to look at - with quite a high ratio of games you could join in. In truth (hint, hint, to the Kentish men ...) not that many ancients games other than our own ...

Interesting.

Thanks, as usual, from the Society of Ancients to its loyal band of helpers, to the Cavalier hosts - and, not least, of course, all you visitors who came along and joined us for a game or a browse or a chat (it would have been a dull day without you!)..