UK Games Expo 2024

Another year and another UK Games Expo. What a bloody Expo!! this year it was manic but amazing. The halls were absolutely jam packed with exhibitors and traders - noticeably Games Workshop were not here this year, but their slot was amply filled much to my delight by Catalyst Games and the fantastic amount of Battletech merchandise.

Again I was working for Ares Games, a great company to work and demo games for and for the second year running we also had a few of my friends from the Wings of Glory Aerodrome group, who do a brilliant job at wargames shows demoing and hosting the Wings of War Aerial combat game. Huge shout out again to Roberto and Christoph from Ares. Those guys are wonderful and its thanks to them calling the same people back every year that makes our group excellent.

So last year I posted that the numbers were the highest recorded. Well this year the numbers were blown out of the water. Over 65000 people in total attended the Expo and Saturday was the most busy I have ever seen the show.

As stated before on my posts, I absolutely love being at this show, no one gives two hoots if your different or what your into, wargames/boardgames/RPGS/Cosplay - or the way you live your life and identify. Anything and Everything goes and people just have so much fun. Shame real life cant be like the Expo!!

We ran a number of games on the Ares Stand, a large scale version of the new 2 player WW2 Quartermaster General set - East Front, portraying Operation Barbarossa. Cangaceiros, where you are a Brazilian gang leader, Pyramidice, a wonderful dice and card game where you collect Egyptian gods and build pyramids with dice. The Rich and the Good, a new English edition of the German Hab & Gut, a Victorian commodities trading game as well as the Dungeon Crawler, Swords & Sorcery.

On the Sunday as usual we hosted the Battle of Birmingham - a massive WW1 Aerial dogfight with over 40 participants this year. Spot prizes were included for the planes shot down and the most times shot down as well as a larger prize for the highest scoring Aces of the day. No one walked away empty handed though as everyone involved received a beautiful participation certificate. 

This year I also managed to snag a ticket to see John Robertson on the Friday night. I met John and had a good natter last year but missed his Dark Room show. If you haven't seen it, do, its absolutely hilarious (Check out Youtube)

Below are the photos from the show and again I didn't get to see a lot of it with working but its mainly about the people and Im blessed to know so many good friends and colleagues in this weird and wonderful hobby.

The Crowds

Friends

Around the Show

The Dark Room with John Robertson

No Rolls Barred 

Battle of Birmingham WW1 Dogfight

Ares Crew and my Haul

Thank you UK Games Expo and heres to 2025!!

 

Aviomuseum Burgas - Bulgaria

After spending a few days for a lads do in Bulgaria, we arrived at Burgas Airport ready to fly back to the UK. With plenty of time before our flight I popped over the road as ideally there is a small Aviation Museum right nest to the Airport.

Opened in 2017, consisting of nine exhibits, which were part of the airspace Bulgarian Civil Aviation "Balkan" including a TU-154 and AN-12. The purpose of Aviomusuem is to preserve the history of the establishment and development of Bulgarian Civil Aviation.

Originally I thought it was completed fenced and at the time we arrived it was closed, however right next to the small closed entrance building the small hedges had a massive gap, soooooo a quick wander around was available.

Anatov AN-12, LZ-BAB

Built in 1968 and registered into the Bulgarian Civil Air Force register, this aircraft visited some of the biggest European cities including Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, London and Dusseldorf. Used primarily for commercial activity with heavy cargo and mail. It was in operation until 1986. LZ-BAB is the only AN-12 left in Bulgaria.

L-29 nicknamed 'Delphin'

Used for training future jet pilots, put into service in 1963 and first arrived in Bulgaria in 1964. No 64 was used by the Gregori Benkovski higher military air school in the town of Dolna Mitropolia.

MIG-17-F 

Mig 17-F Fresco, a front line fighter, factory number 1690, the most widely deployed aircraft during the Vietnam war. It was in storage at Gregori Benovski higher military school before moving to the museum.

Tupalev TU-154, LZ-BTU

Entered in the Civil Air Force registry of Bulgaria in 1981. The main activity it performed was the transportation of passengers and the first flight it took was to Manchester. from June 1992 to Jun 1994 it flew under a Macedonian flag and landed for the last time in October 1996 at Burgas.

MIG-21

39 Mig-21 PFM (Fishbed-F) 1964 model. A one seater variant for daytime combat in all weather conditions, previously in storage at the third Graf Igantivo Air Base.

Anatov AN-24, LZ-ANL

Produced in 1976 and used for similar commercial activities as the AN-12, delivering cargo and mail.

Mil Mi-2 Hoplite

One of the first helicopters registered in Bulgaria. The Mi-2 was first registered in 1973 and carried out its last flight in 1998 from Krumovo Air base.

Anatov AN-2P, LZ-1089

Manufactured in 1970 and delivered to Bulgaria in 1971 this aircraft was used for Aero chemical operations and cargo transport. It has one ASh-62IR piston engine from the Polish factory PZL.

Its last flight was in 1989 after 19 years serving in the Bulgarian Agricultural Aviation industry.

Yuri Gagarin

Why there is a bust of the Soviet Hero Yuri Gagarin is unknown. No information board was near and as the place was closed, there was no one to ask. If anyone can shed light on this as my googlefu has produced no further answers.