Armchair generals and toy soldier collectors opened the doors of their hobby to the public on Saturday 4^th February at the Ladywood Arts and Leisure Centre on Monument Road. Locals were invited to come along and play games with the members of the October Wargames Association of which I am chairman this year. The were able to fly ww1 biplanes – or at least die-cast models of them and try and shoot down the Red Baron. Or they could shoot it out with a bandit hiding out in a Spanish hacienda. Nearby others flew rockets through space or sailed the high seas with little plastic models of pirate galleons. These were just some of the games that went on.

There were also traders selling toy soldiers , model kits and even radio controlled Daleks! In addition there were two wargames competitions where enthusiasts played pretend battles for a championship.

Sometimes members of the hobby find that wargaming is given a bad press or that parents and some church organisations worry that it encourages violence and glorifies war. The organisers and participants of this event hoped to show that their hobby is educational, encourages an interest in understanding history better including the follies of war but above all is just good fun and a good social activity not just for boys and their toys but women and girls too! My 9 year old daughter Helen and mother-in-Law Jean both attended and enjoyed the day.

The public and hobby gamers that attended appeared to have enjoyed the day and the organisers felt that the success would probably lead to another similar event in the February of 2007 in the Ladywood/ Fiveways area.           

The October Wargames Association is a local club – meeting every Tuesday between 6pm and 11pm in the City Tavern on Tennant Street at Fiveways and it has existed in one location or another for over 20 years. Those interested in joining the club or just curious about the hobby are welcome to attend.      

Above: The main Hall with games going on.

Above:  Dungeon Game

Below : World War 1 Fighter Aces Over the Fields of France

Above: Bryan and his Rockets!

Below: Some of the DDM players:

 Below: Richard Denning (me!) standing with Mike Pearson at the Club table