When my younger son was five years old (he's now 36), I turned our box room into a wargames room. Any "boxes," I reasoned, could live under the wargames table. The table was all of four feet by three! And, one side was against the wall. Figure storage was not a problem. I had been up to Tradition in London and bought three "regiments" of 24 figures each. They cost 6d each figure in old money and I wondered at my temerity in spending all that money on my hobby. "In for a penny, in for a pound!" Or eighteen shillings I think it was at Hatchyards bookshop, where I lighted on "Charge! " by Brigadier Young and Lt. Col. Lawson. Ecstasy! Some weeks later I patronized "Miniature Figurines" by post to buy 3 more regiments - same number of figures to the regiment - and a field gun (6 lber) and crew. The "Horse" came somewhat later, also Minifigs, 15 to the regiment. The horses were spirited animals - rather large in the backside, but they looked the part. No bugler was offered at that time - indeed it was interesting to discover which of the advertized figures Minifigs actually made! The riders were good straight backed troopers but they all held their sabres up at a rather strange angle. One trooper underwent major surgery with his sword arm being cut off, his sword bent up and clad in plastic wood to create a bugle. The arm was stuck back on (it was stuck on at different times! This was before the advent of Super Glue.) and painted up he looked pretty good. In a model shop I discovered some sheets of cut-out houses made in Holland. There was a town gate with archway and clock tower. I still look at that rather drunken spire with affection, even though I have graduated to scratch building in corrugated card and plywood. Storage was solved when my mother-in-law gave us a tall kind of chest-of-drawers, only, if you pulled the third or fourth drawer from the top, the drawer fronts became a writing desk with pigeon holes behind. This still left several drawers for putting the troops away safely. The Dutch card buildings sat about on top. This sort of furniture rejoices in the name of "a Wellington." That seems appropriate. A couple of years on and I began to take "Slingshot," the journal of the Society of Ancients, and I invested in Greeks and Persians. The Greeks were all Minifigs hoplites, peltasts, slingers, and half the Persians were too. Then I discovered "Garrison Figures." I purchased two groups of Persian cavalry, heavy and light. Brilliant! Trevor Dixon then began to make 25mm Japanese. I was interested in Japanese armor having studied it to incorporate the shapes into sculpture. And in my pottery, I studied Bernard Leach's great friend Shoji Hamada, who threw timeless pots, and I tried to emulate them. So I began to review Dixon Japanese figures for "Slingshot," using notes and drawings I'd made in various museums that had Japanese armor and artifacts. I actually had a katana of my own, given me by a veteran of the WW2 Burma Campaign. "It belonged to a Major" he said, "and he didn't need it anymore." I don't have it now. It raised a very satisfactory sum for a school that needed a lot more than swords. Those first reviews were the start of the slippery slope. I now scarcely have time to play wargames because when I receive figures from manufacturers, I feel honor bound to begin the task of looking them up in my now considerable library of reference books - half of them bought second hand thank goodness. This takes time. Then there's the modelling, animation and casting to consider. I've cast my own Prince August and Joel Haas molded figures for almost as long as I've been gaming. Then writing a considered review and drawing some of the figures or equipment sent. Finally I photocopy the review and send it off, also a copy goes to the manufacturer and I keep a file copy. So, actually playing gets squeezed out almost! However, I fight to play an occasional game and The War Goes On! Back to MWAN #99 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1999 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com