Valhalla and some new projects

On Sunday I ventured down the A3 to Aldershot for Valhalla, a local show put on annually by the Farnborough Wargames Society.  I haven't been to this show for years... partly because it always falls on Fathers Day and family things tend to be a priority but also because the last couple of times I visited (10+ years ago) it was very small and not much caught my interest.

This year was slightly different:  my son is still away at uni till the end of the week which meant I could go guilt-free, and I had a couple of bits and pieces that I hoped to buy.  The show had relocated from the last time I visited and it  is now held at a community centre next to a school and leisure centre.  Although I found the address easily enough the actual building was a bit harder to track down until I spotted the sign sellotaped to the door...

...perhaps a more prominent sign would be a good idea!

This is a very typical local club show with several traders and a few demo/participation games on show.  Given the small size of the show there was a relatively well stocked bring and buy and the end of the hall hosted a DBA competition.

There were 14 or so traders with a pretty decent range of goodies...lots of Warlord products on a couple of stalls which was what I had been hoping for.

The Society of Ancients were there demoing a boardgame...Pandemic, Fall of Rome (I think...I got distracted talking to someone from the Guildford club).I managed a few snaps of games.  I missed the game of Sharp Practice as they were tucked in a corner.

Bolt Action WW2

Something fantasy...

Indian Mutiny game using The Men Who Would be Kings rules

Battle of Lexington (I think) using Rebels and Patriots rules

My shopping was confined to a couple of boxes from the Warlord Games stand.  Although we're never really finished with projects, I have recently managed to paint up everything I had for Cruel Seas and Blood Red Skies and have been pottering, trying to complete odds and ends that have been hanging around. The temptation to start a new project has been growing and so, I finally gave in. And if starting 1 new project is good then starting 2 must be twice as good!

So my new plans are to build armies for the American War of Independence (probably for Rebels and Patriots or Sharp Practice) and armies for Chain of Command in the Far East.  My normal inclination is go to 15mm or even 6mm but for some reason both of these feel like they ought to be in 28mm...no idea why!  So my haul from the day was some paints and a box of AWI British and a box of Japanese...

More on these once I get my finger out and get started...