Recent acquisitions

Over the years I have collected all sorts of game-related items, some of which I have managed to use in my wargaming (e.g. small patience cards, leather dice shakers). My wife knows this, and as a surprise present for Christmas she bought me a wooden dice cup and five dice from Marks & Spencer.

I was so impressed with this 'treen' (the title used for objects made from wood [see note below]) that I went and bought three more ... and hope to use them in my future wargames.

Whilst we were on our recent cruise we paid a visit to the branch of El Corte Ingles (a chain of Spanish department stores) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In the gift department my wife spotted something that she thought that I would like and brought it to my attention ... a classic lottery/bingo set made by Juguetes Cayro SL. She was absolutely right ... and I am now the proud owner of a lottery ball, ...

... a set of bingo card markers, a set of wooden balls numbered 1 to 90, a folding wooden board on which to place the numbered balls when they are drawn, ...

... and a set of bingo cards.

I am not sure what I will do with the bingo cards, but the rest of the equipment has potential, especially in the realm of random unit activation in wargames.

(Note: I always thought that 'treen' was the name of the green inhabitants of Mars, as featured in the adventures of Dan Dare in THE EAGLE comic. I stand corrected. They were 'Treens'; 'treen' is something made of wood.)