Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast

Episode 13 - A Grand Old Catch Up

Not wanting to lumber a single guest with Episode 13 I decided it was time to introduce a new, occasional format for the show, The Catch Up.

One thing I noticed with other Podcasts I listen to is that, a guest comes on and announces a game or a new range of figures or an event and that's it you never hear from them again !

I thought it would be interesting to "catch up" with old guests and see how something they spoke about on their Episode went. Such a chat probably wouldn't need a full episode so I came up with the idea of having multiple guests on the same show, each chatting for 20 minutes to half an hour on a certain topic.

That led me to consider adding other guests who haven't been on the show before to do a shorter format interview. So that's how this idea was born and it was all going so well until my fourth guest for this show had to pull out at the last minute. A bit of a panic, not his fault, a genuine reason but I managed to fill the time with some else new. 

So all in all a different episode, I hope you enjoy it.

I speak with Chris Breeze from Episode 1 about the World War Roses event and his involvement in playtesting the new Wars of the Roses Rules, Test of Resolve.

Test of Resolve – Wargame Rules

Next up is Andrew Dickinson from my Wargames Club in Leeds and we talk about the new club venue, the history behind that and the forthcoming show FIASCO at the Royal Armouries in Leeds

Leeds Wargames Club - Organisers of FIASCO

Then its Gareth Lanes turn in the chair, another veteran of Episode One who tells us all about the huge uplifts in his ongoing projects.

Finally I brought forward The Wargames Problem Page to fill the vacated interview slot. Here me and Nora Batty discuss a number of gaming topics, some controversial, some less so.

We are back to the normal format next episode (10th September) for a Peter Gilder special, when I speak to Robbie Roddis about his time in wargaming (including blaming him for getting into The Italian Wars) and his website dedicated to Mr Gilder.

Until then, Sithee

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

Episode 12 - David Marshal - TM Terrain

This episode sees us return to Gods Own County after a trip round the world in the last episodes.

Todays guest is David Marshall who runs the company TM Terrain. He is an outstanding terrain maker and very kindly gave up his time to chat about how he got interested in the terrain aspect of our hobby as well as talking about his techniques and methods.

We had a cheeky idea to visit Games Workshop, buy the smallest thing in the store and then when asked what we were into, we would reply with the most obscure army we could think of, surely a game all the family could play.

David is most famous for working with the Perrys to produce the awe inspiring Agincourt Display which is now in the Royal Armouries here in Leeds and we of course chat about how that amazing piece of work came about.

I've failed again to come in under two hours, David had more than one question for me at the end of the show and we ended up talking Big Games for a bit longer, whats wrong with that !

Thanks again for listening, I hope you enjoy.

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

Episode 11 - Stephen Wold - @OldWargamer

Episode 11 sees me refueling the Yarkshire Airlines Pigeon and going Hey Up and Away to Adelaide Australia to talk with Steve Wold.

Better known by many as Old Wargamer from the Twitters, Stephen was one of the first wargaming trailblazers on that social media format and his following today is over 6,000.

We cover many topics during the two hours we chatted, from the Wargames Scene in Australia to the Yarkshire Gamer Quiz.

We even find time to talk about Contrast Paints, yes those things, as well as the joy that is wargaming twitter.

A great fun chat, I hope you enjoy it on your journey to work, during your painting session or as my friend Stephen Barker uses it it, during his morning run (coming soon a Yarkshire Gamer fitness video !).

I will see you all in the second week of August for the next episode.

Until then, Sithee..

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer 

Episode 10 - John Lander - That's not a big game, this is a BIG GAME !

Episode 10 sees me one again, crossing time zones and continents as we tick off Kentucky USA from our World Tour of Wargaming.

I had to name this episode as a homage to the Knife quote in the first Crocodile Dundee film, if you think you are a big gamer or you think I am mad saying a 6ft table is a small table then the games John does might just change your perspective.

We chat and cover many topics as usual, including some you might not be expecting, US Heathcare and the boring nature of the names of UK Wargames clubs are just two thinks you had no idea you wanted to hear about.

Its another long one but John and I enjoyed our chat and its always a shame to cut things out.

John put on a 72ft long game based on the WW2 Market Garden Operation (yes that's 72 feet) in 54mm so he knows his larger games.

Check out John Battlebrush Lander on Facebook for details of his Painting Commission service.

https://www.facebook.com/thebattle.brush.1

Thanks again for listening, give the podcast a follow on Podbean and I'll see you in two weeks for the next one.

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

Episode 9 - Peter Morbey - Elite Miniatures

Episode 9 is my first face to face interview with a guest, everything being previously done on Zoom.

Peter Morbey has been running Elite Miniatures since 1985, the company is still going strong constantly producing new figures and expanding the existing ranges of miniatures.

I was very kindly invited across to Elite HQ (still in Yarkshire) and using my new Zoom H1n Voice Recorder had had a chat and a brew with Pete about all things Big Game.

If you haven't seen Elites ranges before make sure you pop down to their website and have a browse, the new Collectors Series stuff is absolutely superb.

http://www.eliteminiatures.co.uk/

Thanks again for listening and if you haven't already give the Podcast a follow.

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

Episode 8 - Simon Hall - Mortem et Gloriam

Episode 8 sees me going a long way south of Sheffield, in fact we've gone as far as Cape Town in South Africa.

Simon Hall is a self confessed Big Gamer who also has had a very successful time writing rules, initially as one of the team on Fields of Glory before more recently publishing his own set of Ancient / Medieval rules Mortem at Gloriam.

Over the course of the show we cover many topics, Simon admits to owning over 60,000 figures and claims not to me mostly a collector on the Venn Diagram of Wargaming. We discuss Wargames skills in business (something I touched on in the last episode with Nick Skinner).

The Big Game section covers some great huge games from my guests past, a WW2 Normandy landing on a 30ft square Judo Mat and a huge WW2 Eastern Front game where the Russian and German Commanders were locked in a room with only a phone for communication !

For a lad from "that place over the hill" (Simon was born in Burnley) he does pretty well on the quiz and despite his protestations that the final mark should be out of 19, he got 75% from 20.

For the Big Topic I talk to Simon about his Mortem et Gloriam rule set, although they appear Competition Based as many Ancient style rules do, I chat with Simon about how they were developed for Big Games and go through a couple of the most interesting mechanisms in the set. If I sound like a fan boy its because I like the rules. Dont worry as a Yarkshireman if I didn't I'd tell thee !

Mortem et Gloriam is avaliable from the site below and other major gaming retailers,

https://www.theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk/shop/rulesets/mortem-et-gloriam-rules/

The next episode should see me go on the Road for a trip to the Big Game Figure Manufacturing Legend that is Elite Miniatures.

Sithee

Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

Episode 7 - Nick Skinner - If the Lord Spares Us

After having a host of newcomers on the Podcast, it was time for a member of the gaming Glitterati and who better than todays guest.

The John Lennon to Rich Clarkes Paul McCartney, the slayer of Black Puddings and Judger of Breakfasts, the one and only Nick Skinner.

In between talking about Cricket and Avocados we did manage to occasionally discuss wargaming.

Nick does a great effort at the 4 minute challenge, we chat about his entry into rule writing and his thoughts on the big game.

After a dip into the wacky world of the Yarkshire Gamer Quiz we discuss the ruleset for WW1 in the East (Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and Palestine) in which we both have a family interest.

We end up chatting about Big Game rule writing before Nick corners me on my one Skirmish game, The Sweeney.

A bit longer than usual but I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

If the Lord Spares Us can be bought direct from TooFatLardies on the link below,

https://toofatlardies.co.uk/product/if-the-lord-spares-us/

Thanks for listening, if you haven't already give the Podcast a follow so you don't miss and episode, see you in 2 weeks for another Episode.

 

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

Episode 6 - Von Ketteringham - My Wargames Shed

Welcome to the first episode of the second season, not a lot has changed to be honest, its the same mix of Wargames chat and fun with the emphasis on the Big Game.

Todays guest is Fraser the You Tube star of the channel Von Ketteringham, his channel is one of the foremost in the gaming hobby and is a mix of tutorials, army showcases and general hobby chat.

I love Frasers no nonsense approach to his channel, no fireworks and fancy music just a great guy sharing his love for his hobby with his many followers.

VK does a lot of his gaming at his local club in Reigate and they have the room to fit in some big games at their hall. However in recent months he has built a dedicated outdoor building for his hobby.

As usual the show breaks down into the sections you will be familiar with, Fraser has a cracking go at the Yarkshire Gamer Quiz despite his only link to Yorkshire being a weekend out in Leeds with a great kebab !

You can find his channel on the Utubes via the link below

https://www.youtube.com/user/vonketteringham/featured

Episode 7 is due for release in 2 weeks time, hope you enjoy this one, give me a sub if you do and then you will never miss another one.

 

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

Episode 5 - Mark Freeth - Wargames Holiday Centre

In this Episode I talk to the owner of The Wargames Holiday Centre, Mark Freeth.

Originally started in Gods Own County by Legend of the hobby Peter Gilder, the WHC stayed in Yorkshire for many years until it moved somewhere south of Sheffield. 

I catch up with Mark on the history of the centre and how it has thrived in its new home near Basingstoke. With in excess of 40,000 mainly 28mm figures the games are a joy to behold and the Centre gives everyone the opportunity to play in a BIG GAME.

A great fun interview with a modern gaming great who is keeping that old school BIG GAME flame alive.

Interested in whats going on at the WHC, why not try out their website.

https://www.wargameshc.co.uk/ 

Hope you enjoy this one, I did. Show your appreciation by giving the Podcast a follow on Podbean.

Regards Ken

Episode 4 - Colin Ashton - Lockdown Big Games

In this episode I talk with another Big Game proponent, Colin Ashton. Before the interview begins I talk about my plans for the future of the Podcast.

Colin runs the Carryings on up the Dale website and owns a number of huge collections of figures in 28mm. 

In what is now a regular format, I talk to Colin about his background in wargaming before discussing The Big Game and his experience with them.

Its then onto the Yarkshire Gamer quiz, our guest has links to that lot over the hill so he was always going to fall short of a full house !

Its then onto the topic as we discuss how Colin has kept gaming, in his home gaming room via the internet during lockdown. He talks about how these games have been run and more impressively how he has kept them Big. We discuss how remote gaming is likely to stay with us in some fashion once freedom returns.

The winner of Dr Chris Browns Arnhem Book from the previous episode is B5PUP so if that's you get in touch via the messages below.

Colins Website can be accessed via the link below, pop along its well worth a look.

https://www.carryingsonupthedale.com/

I'll Sithee in a couple of weeks for Episode 5.

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer