Wargaming Ephemera,

I am a collector. 

There, I've admitted it. I am constantly on the lookout for anything that concerns wargaming from the very beginning. Posters, old magazines, images, basically anything that records the progress of a hobby that I've devoted virtually all my life to. I now see it as my legacy to wargaming. I'm certain my armies will be given away or sold and will fail to tell my story and the many hours Ive spent enjoying the hobby. But books, failed wargaming magazines, old newspaper articles, etc will tell a story for the odd [very odd] person who wants to research the very start of wargaming. To read about the people who began from scratch [literally] and created the vibrant hobby we now have.

 So when I saw this programme for sale, I had to possess it. The programme was the first outing for Marcus Hinton's, BATTLE COMMEMORATION UNIT, a grand-sounding name for him and a few friends.

 But what friends: Brigadier Peter Young, David Chandler and Professor Christopher Duffy.  

Imagine being able to contact them, go for a pint with them and, best of all, push toy soldiers around a wargames table. I actually wasn't aware that a refight of the Battle of Leipzig had taken place in 1973 at the National Army Museum. I've tried researching the event that took place on 19th October 1973, but I couldn't find any images of the event, which was disappointing. I cannot imagine there are no photographs of the weekend, especially given the people involved.

The programme makes no mention of who actually created the wargame, but I hope it was Peter Gilder but given he is not mentioned Im doubting that was the case. Leipzig was the one wargame I never created in my 6mm days. I did have ALL the armies ie every brigade, etc but somehow I never staged the damned thing even though I had made all the terrain boards. Somehow I just didn't have the will to organise what would have been a very big wargaming event. So I sold all the armies and gave away all the boards. 

As a programme, it is actually very good, with lots of uniform detail and, of course, a decent brief description of the battle. But then look at the participants. 

So the programme will be carefully stored away and hopefully will become a small testament to wargaming and the pioneers. I dread to think what my wife will say when she has to shift through ALL the wargaming stuff Ive accrued. I would identify it as my legacy; my wife will only see tat.

But each to their own.