Whilst sorting through the pile of clippings in my office I found several more photographs of John Ruddle’s garden wargames.
The man himself! John Ruddle sitting in the midst of his garden, surrounded by the terrain over which he fought his wargames.
A detail from the above photograph showing some of the numerous buildings that he constructed.
The main British naval base.
A full-scale naval battle in progress on John Ruddle's lawn/ocean.
Part of the British army on parade at one of the numerous barracks that dotted the garden battlefield. Notice its proximity to the railway, which enabled the troops to be rushed to the frontier in times of diplomatic tension.
A British coastal town. It has several defensive mobile artillery batteries as well as a small barracks for its defenders.
A typical inland town. Many of the model buildings were apparently based on real buildings.
Another British port. The building at the front with the double set of stairs leading up to its front door seems to have been based upon ...
... the Queen's House in Greenwich.
I was particularly interested to see so many of his warship models ‘sailing’ across his lawn/ocean. Truly inspiring, as were all his models.
Great pictures Bob, thanks for posting these. I particularly like the parade!
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteI had forgotten that I had these photos in my clippings file, otherwise I would have shared them earlier.
The parade is impressive, all the more so because it featured figures from his outdoor collection and not from the even larger indoor one that he owned.
All the best,
Bob
What a great idea! I shall remember this, it would be great for my children thanks for sharing this Bob
ReplyDeleteDemitri Ioannou,
DeleteI have taken part in several garden wargames (but not any with John Ruddle) and there is nothing to match them. Imagine fighting a battle like Waterloo or Austerlitz on a lawn the size of a tennis court using 54mm figures: I have, and the amount of space makes you realise how restrictive an 8’ x 6’ wargame table can be.
All the best,
Bob
Doing Uncle Toby proud, indeed!
ReplyDeleteEd M,
DeleteVery true!
All the best,
Bob
Dear Bob;
ReplyDeleteI have been following your blog for many years and you are someone who has influenced me to start my own. (I've called it Brown Spread and Yellow Fruit) Thank you for posting these photos. It's photos like this that caused the spark in me which resulted in me joining this hobby and finding years of enjoyment playing with toy soldiers, from 6mm up to 54mm. Thank you.
Eric
Eric Turner (Eric),
DeleteThank you for your very kind words. It is very humbling to read that my efforts have encouraged you to begin writing your own blog … and now that I visited it, I can see that it is going to be very successful.
Good luck for the future.
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
ReplyDeleteI've seen a few pictures of Mr Ruddle's fantastic world, and these are all new to me. That naval battle! Wow! I wish I could have been there. Inspiring stuff!
I've never played an outdoor game, though my dormant 'Jono's World' project keeps the notion alive. The nearest I've come is some games on the Christchurch Square giant chess board (a long time ago now; some good games, though!).
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteI would have loved to have seen John Ruddle’s garden wargames … especially his naval ones!
I’ve taken part in several lawn wargames and they are an unforgettable experience. My knees are now unable to cope with the getting up and down anymore but I’ve still taken part in recent games as an overall commander and photographer.
I hope that you are able to resurrect your ‘Jono’s World’ project sometime in the not too distant future.
All the best,
Bob
Brilliant photos of a sadly lost era.
ReplyDeleteThe Good Soldier Svjek,
DeleteIt actually wasn't that long ago (well, not to someone who is now 74 years-old!).
John Ruddle died late last year and an auction of his collection was held by C&T Auctions on 6th December 2023.
All the best,
Bob
I was fascinated by this collection when it was first mentioned years ago, I always envied his vision and imagination, brilliant.
ReplyDeleteIndependentwargamesgroup,
DeleteI agree. The concept of a permanent outdoor wargame really does have a unique appeal.
All the best,
Bob