My Verdict on Triples 2008

Hope you enjoyed my little blog show that I did on Saturday by blogging on it whilst I was still there. Before I give a slightly more detailed report maybe you should read what I thought of last years Triples on:
http://grantsgrimsbygames.blogspot.com/2007/03/triples-rundown.html
and the Grimsby Wargames Society Official Website at:
http://www.gywargames.co.uk/triples07.html

I did enjoy it however though I spent all show taking photos. I think I'm with Mal on his assessment of the show in that it was poor. Don't think it was even as good as last year's. Mostly the same usual traders with a few new ones. There were some good quality games mainly in the Octagon but not many were absolutely oustanding.
On the way there there was a diversion and somewhere after that we must have taken a wrong turn. Ended up going through Rotherham, taking the scenic route. It was also thick fog which appeared about 20 mins into our Journey and was with us all day. Low Visibility all the way. In the car were myself, Steve Graham, Andy Hamilton and Mal Taylor. We were saved by Mal's Sat Nav on the way into Sheffield. It must have taken us about 20 mins to find a decent car parking space.

Using the Sheffield Wargames Society's website I had already planned which games I was going to visit. Mal and Andy bought some scenics on the way to the cafe. I stopped by to look at a game and temporarily lost them all. I caught up with them in the cafe then we parted company again for me to do what I was going to do.

I was a little disappointed that the Burton and District Wargamers display game was not Flames of War as it had stated in the programme. I like Flames of War and was looking forward to a display game of it. Turned out to be a hundred years war game.
Paid the Blues Bears a visit after I missed them last year at Partizan (Paul didn't). Friendly guys. Took some pics. Really nice miniatures of planes. Would have stayed a bit longer for the next game which was going to be 2pm but was exploring the show so couldn't.

The game on the 4th Floor that really got my attention was the 13th warrior participation game. The figures and scenery were really good. Took a photo for the blog and had just taken out my main digital camera when a professional photographer turned up. Monster Tripod. Excellent but huge digital camera. I said hello and asked who he was. He was about to take some photos for Miniature Wargames. It turned out that this photographer was none other than Richard Ellis, of Richard Ellis Photography. I recognised the name immediately. I mentioned to him about him taking photos of Andy Hamilton's stuff a while ago but he wasn't sure. Introduced myself, mentioned I was from Grimsby. Shortly after that along with several others who were asked to form a gathering at the wargames table, as if we were playing, I became part of the shot. So if you spot someone in glasses and baseball cap at the photo of the 13th warrior game in the next Miniature Wargames, it's me!

There were quite a few games in the Octagon. I liked the look of the large Napoleonic game in there but never got round to looking at it properly. To be honest I was mainly interested in the World War 2 display games. There were 2:
28mm East Africa 1941 by the Ilkley lads then using the Piquet rules;
20mm Western Front 1944 by the Derby Wargames Society which was actually Operation Goodwood July 1944, a Rapid Fire! game using one of Mark Piper's scenarios.
Took photos of both but my favourite had to be the Rapid Fire! game by the Derby lot. Figures were great. Very good terrain and the buildings were also great. The buildings were actually by Rapid Fire Publications therefore had been made by none other than Colin Rumford himself.

Because I had been busy blogging and taking photos all day I left things rather late to go buy some magazines etc We were planning to go just after 4pm. I asked very quickly if I could get some things so I went to Monarch Books just off the Octagon to get the latest issue of Battlegames as well as Issue 2 of it; Picked up the latest Miniature Wargames and chatted to Iain Dickie again mainly regarding specific details for contributing to the magazine - at least 1700 words but no more than 5000 in Microsoft Word Format if emailing;
Went to Grubby Tanks under the Octagon to get a list of Britannia Kits off him whilst impulsively deciding to buy Richard Marsh's "Battle of the Bulge" for Rapid Fire!.

Mal got us all back to Grimsby in around 45 mins. Thanks to Mal for that. I really enjoyed it but as a show it wasn't even as good as last years though there were still some very good games at it. Not sure if I will go to Triples next year. Might try out some other shows instead.