Above: The game in full swing. The author (left-pointing) and his colleagues Jerry Richardson (centre- looking through boxes) and Andy Bartlett (right-cheering).
I was minding my own business at the club one afternoon when John Stallard, head honcho of Warlord Games, approached me with ‘that’ smile - the one that suggests that he is going to make me an offer I can’t refuse. Warlord Games’ Open Day was coming up, and John had a vacancy for a participation game. He knew that I had recently put on my Culloden game for our club, and wondered if I wouldn’t mind bringing it along. Long story short, on the day of the event I found myself driving up to Nottingham at stupid o’clock in the morning with some willing volunteers and a car boot full of miniatures.
The game was set up and running by the time the first punters rolled through the door, and we immediately had people asking to take part. We ran two games in the morning, and another two in the afternoon, all of which proved very popular and were enjoyed by players and umpires alike. In the pub that evening, over a well-earned pint, we chatted about the day and how the game had gone. One of the most common comments heard from folks at the show was that they didn’t think that they could ever put on a participation game, especially one of this size, either at their club or at a show.