In December Robbie Roddis on his The Indepenent Wargames Group blog gave his thoughts and views on the future of Wargames Shows and what makes a good one. So whilst driving back from Vapnartak at York and mulling over what I thought of the day his post came back to mind.
The York show is, I guess the opening of the Wargames season for us Northerners and as such has always been a well attended show. I’ve always attended to meet up with people have a look around and pick up a few bits and pieces. This year, to me at least, it all felt a bit flat. I really enjoyed catching up with people and I did pick up a few bits I’d preordered but my over riding feeling was it didn’t give me any buzz. Before posting a few photos let me explain why.
I do not intend to upset any one and I have been involved in organising shows and events before so I understand the effort and work that goes into it but my first thoughts were that the organisers have got complacent! Both the website and Facebook page had little in way of updates until around two weeks before the show when the list of traders went up followed a few days later by a list of games.
The trader list was just that a list of names, no description of what they sold, no hyperlinks just the bare minimum.I’ve been around a while and know a lot of traders but new names do appear it would be useful to have an idea of what they sold!.
We arrived at ten past ten and doors opened at 10 the queue was large but it took us just over 40 minutes to get in. Previous years the organisers had staff outside prior to opening selling tickets to the queue in order to facilitate entry. Not this year. Some of the traders I spoke to couldn’t understand why it took so long to get people in.
Each year there feels to be fewer and fewer games and this year seemed to be no exception, there wee some nice looking games but not enough and not of the quality I guess you’d expect at a show of this size and status.
There were no re enactment groups this year now it’s not my scene but love them or hate them they create a diversion and kids like to look and hold helmets etc.
As always up until 12.30ish the place was busy and quite crowded in parts really quite uncomfortable, a positive side was that the table top sale was back and they had moved it to an area on its own. Far better.
So by 1 I’d had enough and headed home. It really has become, to me at least just a trade event and the organisers I feel have just relied on its history and have put little effort into getting games etc there. I won’t be going next year which is a pity as I do like the catch up with people.
I’ve put photos of some of the games below, sorry if they’re not labelled it wasn’t always easy to find space to get the pics.
As to my purchases no pictures but I bought some Mediterranean walls from Last Valley, bases from Warbases, Rapid fire rules from Colin Rumford and some magnetic bases from Trevor and Paula.
( As a foot note to the above in response to a comment I made on a YouTube review and from another source I have been told there has been a major fall out within the York club with the result that many of the Historical Wargamers leaving! Also it was suggested that the only reason the show took place is because the Club has a contract with the racecourse for the show to take place for a number of years, that would seem to explain and account for my thoughts I guess. )