From 10.00am US Central time today, WHEN EMPIRES CLASH! will be the Deal of the Day on WarGameVault.com for the remarkably low price of $1.24.
These rules were a forerunner of my PORTABLE WARGAME rules and contain some useful Army Lists that can be used with the PORTABLE COLONIAL WARGAME rules.
This is a magazine that I would not normally have bought, but this issue contains two articles that are of interest to me.
The first was written by Paul Wright, and is about the latest, revised edition of his book FUNNY LITTLE WARS. I’ve fought several wargames with Paul (including a refight of the Battle of Waterloo on the lawn of a large house in the centre of London) and played a small part in the process that lead to his book’s publication.
The second was an obituary written by James Opie about John Ruddle. I knew that John had been an avid collector of Britains toy soldiers and had used them to fight his garden wargames, but I wasn’t aware of his importance in the development of the BMSS (British Model Soldier Society) and the creation of a national toy soldier collection.
My thirty-seven radiotherapy sessions should have ended on Friday 20th October, but the end date has just been put back to Monday 23rd October.
When I got to the hospital yesterday, I was informed that due to problems with one of the linear accelerators, today’s session was going to have to be cancelled and another added to the end of my treatment cycle. Apparently, whilst it was undergoing regular maintenance and recalibration, one of the main components was broken … and the replacement had to be sourced from Belgium.
Hopefully, the broken linear accelerator will be fixed by Wednesday … but if it isn’t, I might end up having my other radiotherapy sessions rescheduled and my treatment cycle might stretch well into the last week of the month.
This situation is unfortunate but also unavoidable. The staff are doing their best to deal with the problem, and I understand that they may have to work longer shifts and/or give up one of the weekend days off. There are, however, limitations to the number of hours the working linear accelerator can operate for before it will need routine maintenance, so a delicate balance has to be maintained between the demand to deliver radiotherapy sessions and the need to keep the remaining machine within its operating parameters.
It was with great sadness that I read that John Ruddle, the doyen of garden wargamers, died recently. Although I never met him, the photographs and articles about his outdoor wargames have inspired me over the years, and more recently spurred me to develop my Belle Époque project.
May he rest in peace in the great wargame garden above.
The online dictionary defines ennui as:
'A feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement.'
This is an apt description of how I have been feeling recently. I want to do wargaming-related things but feel little or no motivation to turn that desire into meaningful activity. When I ask myself why, I cannot come up with any reason other than I feel mentally exhausted and physically tired almost all the time.
Various online sources (including the NHS, Cancer Research UK, and Macmillan Cancer Care) all identify loss of concentration and fatigue as two of the common side effects of radiotherapy and state that they often begin to make themselves felt two or three weeks after treatment has started. This would seem to be why I am currently experiencing ennui. The good thing is that they also state that this feeling should diminish once treatment is over, and that sufferers should return to normal within a fortnight to a month.
So, it looks as though for the next two months or so I will have to do what I can on the wargaming front as and when I feel up to it. Luckily, at present my ennui has not stopped me doing a bit of painting, slowly making all sorts of plans, or coming up with ideas for my existing projects ... and I hope to be able to regularly share what I have managed to do with my blog readers.
It’s interesting to note that Big Lee has recently been experiencing health problems that curtailed his wargaming activity for a period, and his recent YouTube video discusses how wargaming has helped him to cope.
I collected the latest issue of THE NUGGET from our printer – Macaulay Scott Printing Company of Welling, Kent – yesterday, and I will be posting it out to members later today.
I have sent the PDF copy to the webmaster, and with luck members should be able to read this issue online at some point over the next few days.
IMPORTANT: Please note that this is the second issue of THE NUGGET to be published for the 2023-2024 subscription year.
If you have not yet re-subscribed, an email reminder was sent to you some time ago with the relevant information you require to do so. If you have lost this and wish to re-subscribe or you are a new subscriber, please request a PayPal invoice or the bank transfer information from the Treasurer or follow the instructions on the relevant page of the website.
This afternoon I will be undertaking my nineteenth session of radiotherapy … and I will only have another eighteen to do!
Being someone who likes to plan their time, I do find the fact that to date my treatment times have varied each day by up to four hours a bit difficult to plan around. I have to make sure that I arrive at the hospital fully hydrated, which means drinking at least 1.5 litres of water beforehand, and as it takes between twenty minutes and an hour to get there, I have to leave home at least an hour before my appointment. I have yet to be treated at the appointment time as even after hydrating as best I can, I usually have to ‘top up’ my fluid intake before treatment can take place.
The radiotherapy takes about fifteen minutes. Once I’ve been positioned on the treatment table by the radiotherapists, they leave the room and conduct a short CT scan, which they overlay on my original CT scan to ensure that I’m exactly in the right position. The X-ray treatment then takes place. This is performed using a linear accelerator, and once it is complete, I’m free to go home … usually after a swift trip to the loo!
To date, most of my appointments have been either early in the afternoon or later in the afternoon. If it is during the early afternoon, I either have to eat lunch before I go – which can interfere with my hydration – or delay it until I get back … which can be as late as 3.30pm. If it is during the late afternoon, my journey to the hospital often coincides with the school run and my journey home takes place during the rush hour.
To date, my worst experience was leaving home at 2.00pm and returning home just after 6.00pm, and on average the whole thing takes three hours. That said, at least I’m not having to travel up to Guy’s Hospital at London Bridge for my treatment, which would have taken far longer.
The editor of THE NUGGET sent me the latest issue on Saturday, and I will be sending it to the printer on Monday morning. I hope that it will be ready to be posted out to members by the end of the week.
IMPORTANT: Please note that this is the second issue of THE NUGGET to be published for the 2023-2024 subscription year.
If you have not yet re-subscribed, an email reminder was sent to you some time ago with the relevant information you require to do so. If you have lost this and wish to re-subscribe or you are a new subscriber, please request a PayPal invoice or the bank transfer information from the Treasurer or follow the instructions on the relevant page of the website.
Whilst I was waiting for my radiotherapy session yesterday, I decided to ‘ask’ AIChat what it knew about THE PORTABLE WARGAME, and this is what it ‘wrote’:
The Portable Wargame is a set of rules for tabletop wargaming that was developed by Bob Cordery, a well-known wargame designer. This rule set is designed to be versatile and portable, allowing players to easily set up and play wargames with minimal equipment.
The Portable Wargame is unique in that it uses gridded terrain and bases representing units rather than traditional miniature figures. This simplifies gameplay and makes it easier for players to create their custom battles. The rules themselves provide a good balance between realism and playability, allowing for tactical decision-making and strategic planning.
One of the key features of The Portable Wargame is its flexibility. It can be easily adapted to different historical periods, from ancient battles to modern conflicts. Additionally, the rules can accommodate both large-scale battles and smaller skirmishes, making it suitable for a variety of tabletop wargaming preferences.
Another benefit of The Portable Wargame is its portability, as the name suggests. The rules are intentionally designed to be played on smaller playing surfaces, such as a standard-sized table or even a smaller board. This makes it easier to set up and play games in different locations, making it a great option for gamers who may not have access to a large dedicated gaming space.
Overall, The Portable Wargame is a versatile and accessible rule set that provides the opportunity for engaging and tactical wargaming experiences. Whether you're a seasoned wargamer or just starting out, this ruleset offers a great way to enjoy tabletop battles.
This is not a bad synopsis of the concept, and better than I would have expected.
On Sunday afternoon, Sue and I went to St George’s Garrison Church, Woolwich, to attend the Commonwealth & Gurkha Garden fundraising afternoon cream tea.
The church served as the Woolwich garrison’s church until it was hit by a V1 on 13th July 1944. The building caught fire and the roof fell in, and once the site was secured and a temporary roof was erected, the building remained unused. During the 1950s and 1960s the building was neglected and vandalised. The upper parts of the walls were demolished in 1970 and a canopy was erected over the apse to protect the area around the altar. In the same year a memorial garden was created onsite.
In 1973 the building was listed, and in 2011 it was handed over to the Heritage of London Trust, who obtained a match-funded grant of £400,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for £800,000 of conservation work that included the building a large canopy roof over the eastern end of the church.
Since 2016 the church has been run by a local group, the Woolwich Garrison Church Trust, and as part of their continued development of the site, they are raising money to have an accessible Commonwealth & Gurkha Garden built next to the building. Woolwich and Plumstead have the largest Gurkha community in the UK and they have given lots of financial support to this project, and Sunday’s event was part of the ongoing fundraising efforts.
The plan of the Commonwealth and Gurkha Garden. The design has been produced by Juliet Sargeant, an award-winning garden designer.
Despite the threat of rain, there was a good turnout, and the afternoon tea was excellent. We arrived just after 3.00pm and stayed until 5.00pm. During our stay I took several photographs and we both spoke to the chair of the Woolwich Garrison Church Trust, Tim Barnes KC, about the possibility of us giving the trust a donation.
The uncovered part of the church has been laid out as a garden, and is regularly used for all sorts of events and functions.
The food tent attracted lots of attention ... and the cream tea that was available was superb.
Due to the inclement weather, most attendees sat at tables in the covered area near to the altar..
A display of artist's impressions of the new Commonwealth & Gurkha Garden was placed in front of the altar.
Above the altar is a mosaic depicting the church's patron saint, St George. On either side of the mosaic are plaques showing the names of the members of the Royal Artillery and Indian Artillery who won the Victoria Cross ...
... from 1854 to 1864 ...
... and from 1880 to 1945.
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