Salute 2016- in the Horses mouth .. almost

 So back from Salute after a very busy weekend. Oh, and a busy Monday catching up with the hundred or so emials and orders.- Not everyone goes to Salute it just seems that way ..
 Only a 2 man crew this year and we almost didn't make it thanks to the horses on the A1. Missed us by inches- seriously I could have strokes its bloody ears if I'd had the van window open. I could certainly see its teeth. Poor buggers- all 3 of them were scared witless- not that horses have many wits to start with.
 We avoided 'em by inches.
 The rest of that Friday was mostly  uneventful- Got to Ex-Cel unloaded and set up. Drove to our hotel checked in did the  SSSS thing as you do  then went for a pint and some dinner- first pub- where we have eaten previously- Kitchen closed. Second pub - where we have eaten previously- kitchen closed. Not only are we having no fun we are starving to death Jim and I . Finally found an Indian restaurant so staved of the pangs... eventually
Next morning Dawns so giving ourselves almost an hour to drive the 8 miles or so to Ex-Cel off we set... first half no worries then we find the Bloody idiots who  organise this sort of thing have closed the A-13 or at least the bit of it we need. so it takes 40 minutes to travel the next mile.
 THEN many of the approach roads to Ex-cel are dug up  with blokes in hard hats moving very slowly  so the time we set ourselves is ebbing away and finally we make it to the stand ith abouit 10 minutes to spare... PHEW!
Of the show I've little to say since I saw NONE of it far far too busy. My overall impression was that there seemed to be fewer games that past years but this may simply have been due to the fact that my route to the Gents  didn't pass many games. The only "trade" I spoke to were the delightful ladies on the Miniature Wargames stand whose appearance made a very refreshing counterpoint to the hot and sweaty masses .....
By the end of the day with all that physical activity lifting bins and  leaping from customer to customer Jim and I knew we had put a shift in . So, back to the hotel - more traffic mess- by 7 pm the dinner etc  and Drive home on Sunday.... Nice.
 There were apparently complaints form some traders about the Warlords organistion this year.
 I'd like to go on record that  as far as I was concerned it all ran like a swiss watch No bother ...

Games at Salute

Perusing the Salute guide in the current MW I've already mentioned the 190 traders- now to the games- there are 86 listed.
 Of those some 40 are loosely historical. with a good number of periods represented including 2 battles of Hastings ....  and games in various scales though 15mm is a bit under represented out side WW2 and modern.
 Again we have the minor phenomenon of many of the sci-fant games being run by companies rather than clubs.
 I think this speaks rather to the limited nature of sci-fant gaming than anything else as - from the list only the Warlords themselves seem to have got out of the samey-gamey mould with their  sci- fant games- not unusual for them at all. They do  put the effort in .
Perusing further we find a game basedon Wacky Races- the 1970s cartoon- well late 60s when I watched it. - How is that wargaming? Now don't misunderstand it has a place at Salute which has not been a WARGAMES show for a good few years but rather a gaming event with some wargames in it.
 Why does this bother me I hear you ask?
 Well it doesn't- except that I won't get to see any of the games as I'll be working.

Brushes finally moving- well a little anyway ...

It has been a thin time for getting figures painted recently-.Work has seen to that . Busy busy and YES gentle reader  after a day filling orders and casting and sundry other toy soldier related jobs you get sick of the little lead gits so often do not feel like picking up a paintbrush to finish off some of your own gear.
 However here are a few pics of some recently finished- and some re based- 40mm Wars of the Roses. Eagle eyed readers may note that  I recently added 6 new figures to this range. 2 Archers and 4 more Men- at Arms- the latter fully plated up so to speak so that the range now has around 30 different figures in it.

the beginnings of the Percy contingent..

I now have around 70 of the models finished with more to come- but around half still need re- basing on those natty wooden bases from Warbases- the ones he does not call "Flames of War" bases at all no indeed. I don't use 'em for that popular but patronising rule set anyhow so don't care.

More men under the Percy banner,

As usual I don't make armies- or even smaller forces to fit rule sets as this narrows and limits possibilities within a given period. Period being far far more important than the opinions of a rule writer- unless on those rare occasions when he knows his period. So I'm looking at Tony Clipsom's set "Foray"  here though the easy option of Lion Rampart- medieval free medievals  may get used for a quick simple and  possibly brain free starting point.

A couple of lost blokes  in FdwardIV 's  livery find their way into the Earl of Northumberland contingent. 

As for other happenings - well Salute beckons so I doubt I'll get much more painting done soon.. Ah well  if you can't take a joke ......