Autumn 2001

Played a game of "Hammerin' Iron" by Peter Pig. Good fun, but the Cairo class US ironclads are very effective (4*M, 1*H on each broadside!) Confederate rams took too long to engage.

Bought some plastic "grass mat" (supposed to go on the bottom of an aquarium for the fish to hide in) from an aquatics shop. Get the sort with small leaves that stands about 2 1/2 inches high. Very cheap (£2-49 each pack and makes 25 trees). Looks good en masse.

Made a set of markers for Rapid Fire and some stats cards. I still need some damage markers. I'm wondering whether the game would work with converting ins to cms? AT range is up to 48 and even small arms are up to 30. If not, then a small table will need lots of terrain.

Played another game in the Aristia campaign. The Carinthians (Carolingian Franks) won again. The next battle will be the climax of the campaign as the Carinthian forces are challenged by the combined remnants of the Vinland (Viking) and Rikan (Welsh) armies.

Went to SELWG, had a good time. Travelled by train which was fun (to E. Croydon, walk to W. Croydon) Met Bob deAngelis! He'd flown over from Spain just for the show (mad fool!). Bought a couple of steep hills from TSS, 8 dismounted knights from Essex, and from Peter Pig, some wolves (for HOTT Reivers), 2 packs of pirate guns and a pack of Armed Mob (more pirates).

Put together a Tudor village for Karen to take to school.

Nov 2001: Went to Warfare at Reading. Finally found the Dodge trucks I've been looking for - made up & painted kits at £4 each. Bought some 25mm Medieval figures (for the extra elements in the 1460 game); a "village pack" from Irregular; 15mm Border Reivers from ERM/LKM and a copy of "Hell in Microcosm". The latter has proved to be very useful and much of it has been rewritten and incorporated into "Bastogne to Berlin". This seems to be a very workable game now, but is no longer really an original piece of work. Plagiarism rules OK!!