Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast

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

Episode 3 - Dr Chris Brown - S.P.I.T and Arnhem 21

Today my guest is Dr Chris Brown, author, historian and of course Wargamer. Chris is an expert in Scottish Medieval History and the Arnhem Campaign of WW2 and has many books in print on both subjects.

We covered many topics and it was fascinating to hear a Historians perspective on our hobby. Not afraid to speak his mind his review of the film Braveheart during the Podcast is worth the entry fee alone !

Chris runs two Facebook pages one, S.P.I.T (Stupid Projects in 28mm) covering the Big Games he plays. He has the perfect home set up with a table in his living room and his wife, Pat is an avid wargamer too, now that is a perfect set up.

Dr Brown will (Covid permitting) be running a big game event in Arnhem itself over the anniversary weekend and we cover all the details of that event.

Chris has also very kindly donated one of his books which I will be giving away, details at the end of the Podcast.

Remember Go Big or Go Home

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

Episode 2 - Legendary Wargames

In this Episode I talk to long time friend Richard Harris, Richard is a long time gamer who will be familiar with many on the Wargames show circuit taking Big Games around the UK show circuit over the years.

Richard now runs Legendary Wargames with fellow gamer Andy Lawson. They specialise in big (and I mean big) Wargame Holidays, with a specifically built Lodge containing an initiative table set up and thousands of 28mm figures.

We discuss Richards entry into the hobby in a mere 4 minutes before discussing Big Games in general, tackling the Yarkshire Gamer Quiz before discussing Legendary Wargames.

Legendary Wargames can be found on the link below

https://legendarywargames.com/