Derby World Team Championships 2002

Allan (2nd from left) and Phil (right) of Lancashire Games

On the Sunday of this years World championships at Derby your favourite editor and mine John Sharples asked if I would do a review of this years show as he had been let down by someone else, and with his hands full of other literary works I thought I could enter the breach and let you know my opinion.

Serious business in the competition hall

The show this year had moved to a new venue at the University, and in the literature it said free parking and lots of it. Well on reaching the venue on the Friday night to unload, we traders have a long weekend of working at these shows, the car parks where large and more than adequate for the show, so parking up, of we went to find our spot to unload. After finding Bob Connor of Tabletop Games, the show organiser, and being pointed to our slot we began the laborious task of carrying the bits and pieces from the van to the trade stand. 

Society of Ancients were busy all weekend

The first impression of the venue was the open aspect; the hall had three levels with a balcony around from which point you could see all the trade slots and the demo games. In contrast to the Assembly rooms the halls open aspect was bright and airy with plenty of space to move around, the competition was placed in a separate hall close by where those interested in the competition could go and watch whilst the non competitive gamers where free to shop and watch the demo's.

Stonewall's prize winning White Mountain (30 Years War) game

After unloading and chatting to a few other traders unloading it was time to leave, so of to the hotel with Dave Thomas of Foundry, for a quiet night before the busy Saturday, as it happened it didn't really work out that way and we had an eventful night at a couple of local pubs.

Games big and small were on show!

On the Saturday after a hearty breakfast we arrived at the venue the journey from our hotel near the Railway station to the show was only a short 10-minute journey. Again the impression we received the previous night where reinforced the hall bustled with traders tooing and froing setting up there stands, after putting the final touched to the stand it was time for a quick look around. The first stop is always the demo games, and there where some interesting games, several large games taking centre stage in the foyer or the bottom level as you entered these included a superb 25mm 7yrs French and British in North America with a siege, a relieving column and an ambush all in the same game. 

Graham Campbell's superb Seven Years War display, terrain by TM Terrain (what a superb water effect!)

On the top level more games and these included a fine 25mm Napoleonic, but the game that grabbed my attention over the weekend was the 25mm WW2 skirmish this fine array, a participation game in which lots of interesting action arose from the French resistance sneaking around down to the German dog and it's potential to bite friend or foe, I never found out what happened? On this initial pre-opening foray I also discovered the bring and buy stand, being set up in a small hall on the top level, an ideal spot it seemed but alas it wasn't and it was moved to another spot on the Sunday.

Guards Club popular D Day game

As the day progressed much talking to the various customers and friends who attended was carried on but eventually the thought of food arose, the top level I was informed had a cafeteria. So of I went with all the trepidation of the catering at war game shows I had seen in the past, but to my surprise the choice of food was good and at very reasonable prices, a comment I was to hear over and over again as the weekend progressed from numerous peoples. After the food another quick walk around to chat to fellow traders and see how they where feeling about the show and everyone thought the new venue to be a huge improvement in every way compared with the old venue, pleased with my chats I returned to the stand to work away the remainder of the day talking and selling.

Dave Marshall and Mark Thornley's skills on display again

After the show it was a short walk to a local hostelry where a meal was eaten and a few ales sunk, then back to the hotel to get changed for a night out, the details of which to protect the innocent will remain a secret. The only comment is to say the 3.30am return to the hotel by one and all was the result of an excellent night in the friendly town of Derby.

Derby Wargames Club excellent Crimean action

The following morning the condemned ate a hearty breakfast and of to the show we went, the Sunday turned into a quieter day trading which allowed a bit more walking and talking to fellow traders and a foray into the competition hall to see the eager gamers bent over the tables trying to will there armies onto one more desperate charge before, like sand caught in a flood from left to right the army routs, and the universal it was close and it was the die's fault ringing in my ears. The day ended as the weekend began carrying the now lighter stock boxes and racks back to the van and loading up for the journey home. 

No time for smiles here

How can I sum up the show the positive points are the new venue? It has given the show a shot in the arm to regenerate it, free parking and lots of it and not far from the city centre have made it easier to get to. The games where diverse and interesting, the negative point for me was not enough non-competition /participation games, but there can never be enough. The food and drink was readily available and at very competitive prices, and there was a bar somewhere and again people commented on it's the reasonable prices. All in all a good show to go and see, if you have dropped it in previous years it is time to go and give the show another look, you will be pleased, and for those of you of the drinking fraternity they promise not to run out of beer next year and at the reasonable/student prices people told me about they better stock up !

Allan Lumley

The competition hall

(I am really grateful to Allan for taking the time to write this report, I was up to My eyes with work when the promised reporter cried off, leaving me in a panic until Allan volunteered to take on the task. And I have found it refreshing to read the view of someone who is not only a lifelong wargamer but also is able to present the perspective of a trader who regularly supports the hobby by travelling up and down the country, and across the Channel, to attend shows

My own impression of the show matches Allan's, the move is definitely beneficial  the main atrium is spacious and well lit, so different from the Assembly Rooms. The staff were very helpful to those setting up games and stalls and loading and unloading was a breeze.

Some traders complained that their takings were down and that the show was not well supported, but others said that their taking were well up on previous years. The show did seem quiet at times as large numbers of those attending were playing in competition games for much of the time. One suggestion for the organisers would be looking at laying on a bus service from the train station to the show, as they do for Partizan, but on the whole far better than previous years)

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