For 6 years we have toiled away, and at last it looks as though First Empire is firmly established in the Napoleonic World. I have hinted that there were some changes coming and I hope to be able to institute those in issue 37 but certainly in issue 38. The changes that are planned are more use of colour and increased pagination. So brace yourself for a modest price increase!!

The First Empire Show.

I have been intending to announce this for about three issues. This year there will not be a First Empire Show. This year I'm having a break, despite its success I have always felt that the venue was not adequate and somewhat remote! The International Exhibition Centre at Telford is the current favourite for show 4, this is a nice ground floor venue with plenty of parking and hotel accommodation and a straight drive off the M54. Spring '98 looks like a likely date, so watch this space for more details.

First Empire Binders

Once again we have sold out of binder FEB03, but those still awaiting orders - panic not, new supplies are en route together with the new FEB04. Order now to avoid disappointment and delay! Another full binder!

Yes as mention above we have completed 6 years together, and again my thanks to all of the contributors who have made this mag so varied and interesting over the years.

Why FE?

I'm often asked why I started FE, well back in 1989 I had the initial idea but put it on the back burner until early 1990. What made me spring to life as it were, was that I went to WH Smith's to buy my favourite wargaming mag - but as I browsed through it, bearing in mind my passion for matters Napoleonic, I found that the decision as to whether or not to buy the magazine came down to the following fact. That particular issue only contained a photograph of some painted 25mm French Guard Infantry in the middle of a totally unrelated article and that there was nothing else of interest to me in that issue. I felt that £2.50 (or whatever the price was then), was a little excessive for one picture of some wargames figures and nothing to read.

The next morning, a Sunday for those interested, I found out some envelopes, composed a letter offering a subscription and sent a mail shot to the customers in the then rather small EagleSoftware database. Within a short time I had 100 subscribers which was enough to get the first FE into production. From there we have grown to over 1200 direct subscribers, have a link with the Napoleonic Association which has seen their membership increase fourfold and now have subscribers from Chile to Greenland, from Portugal to Poland and Thailand to New Zealand and all ports in between.

On reflection I think that what I find the most rewarding is the enthusiasm of contributors, whether Dispatches or articles and the way that FE's presence has shaped other magazines. Prior to FE all that was available were A5 photocopied booklets that were either very in-crowd or had pretensions way above their station. The one thing that I am quite chuffed about is that FE is as regular as a man on a high fibre diet!

The moral of this tale, however, is if you ever wake up one Sunday morning with £40 of stamps, a box of envelopes and a 'cunning plan', go back to sleep Baldrick!