Monday 14 April 2014

SALUTE 2014 - The Aftermath

April each year is special to me as it includes a number of notable events. First of all its my Birthday month and the anniversary of my Blog. It also includes my Mum and Dads Wedding Anniversary, this long suffering couple have managed to put up with each other for over 40 odd years!!!

Most of all April is SALUTE MONTH!!! This year saw my annual pilgrimmage to the church of wargaing at the usual time. Getting up around 6am and groggily navigating my way through the pathetic roadworks on the M25 down to the Excel. I always arrive about 8am and get completely scalped the same as everyone else with the extortionate parking charges and then entered the concourse.

The dutiful yellow clad SELWGers directed me to a massive empty hall! well bugger me wheres the queue? I was it, I was first in line!!! obvioulsy not having a bring and buy this year has deterred the massess from arriving so early that they need to scrable like startled gazelles to get their huge boxes of hardly ever used antique tat on the bring and buy (this should be taken in humour as I have done it myself numerous times over the past 15-20 years)

So a nice long wait then (as even being first in the queue with an advance ticket didnt get me throught the door until 10am!!!)

The wait was made easier with a very nice natter to Anthony from the Peterborough Wargames Club just up the road from me and I can see a goodwill visit on the cards. Also Paul, the designer of Valhalla (a Viking Skirmish game) plonked down and board and dice and asked if anyone fancied a go. Anthony and I dutifully agreed and a fun filled half hour was diced away with me coming away with my first win of Salute - Hoorah!.

The Show this year for me seemed a bit different, I cant quite put my finger on it, maybe its was the quality of some of the games (I found them a bit lacking) although I must say all the demo games I had were cracking and the enthusiasm of the people running them cant be faulted. I also for some unkown insane reason was having trouble spending!!! I had a shopping list but unfortunately some of the traders I expected to be there, wern't and some had ludicriously priced items. example: 1 trader had a B-Wing for the X-Wing Miniatures game priced up at £30! I know these are out of stock at the moment and Fantasy Flight are reissuing them but this in my opinion was disgusting|!


Clints yummy fudge
Anyway near then end of the day with nothing new or exciting jumping out at me to claim my cash I reverted back to my default games for new shinys (although I have now got home and ordered a ton of stuff and the Rulebook for Donnybrook - blame Ray, the swine!)

So onto the multitude of pics including the now obligatory Bloggers meet at 1pm. Great to catch up with Ray, Fran, Tamsin, Postie, Clint and Mr Lee and now also some new great friends, Clint even gave out some very yummy fudge.

Another enjoyable exhausting Salute and here's to 2015.

SAGA Crusaders vs Saracens
 
7ombie TV from Crooked Dice

Blakes 7 from Crooked Dice

7th Voyage Sinbad game from Crooked Dice

Temple Door detail

Oshiro Samurai Terrain


Warmachine

In her Majesties Name

Wolsung Victoriana Steampunk

WW2

Victorian Martian Wars
Victorian Mars Wars

4Grounds excellent Samurai Buildings and Terrain

4Grounds new Pirate Town

A Very British Civil War

Infinity


SELWG Lord of the Rings Game
SELWG Lord of the Rings

Pirates

Hawk Wargames MASSIVE UCM Space Ship


Dropzone Commander

Flames of War

Flames of War
Flames of War

D-Day massive table


WW2



Freebooters Fate

Greekish Naval
 
 
Last but not least, the lovable huggable bloggers!


10 comments:

  1. Thanks for the mention and the back link. Nice to see the show from another's eyes. I agree with most of your comments. Yes and Blame Ray he's got shares in Donnybrook, encouraged me to get it as well. Very good to meet you and with luck meet again next year.

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    1. Cheers Clint, looking forward to 2015 already.

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  2. Nice one Carl great pic at the end and I'm very pleased that both you and Clint have bought Donnybrook....he he!

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    1. Yeh, thats another year my kids go without shoes thanks to you. A pox on you and your frilly lace !!!

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  3. Nice one Carl, especially love the picture!

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    1. Cheers Fran, you look decidedly non grumpy on it :-)

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  4. Nice photos Carl and it was good to see you again.

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    1. Thanks Tamsin. Great to see you and heres to the nexy one. Hope you had a good show.

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    2. Great pics Carl,
      It was good to see everyone there again

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    3. Cheers Dave. Hope to see everyone again next year.

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