The highlight for me of the Battleground Show was meeting one of my wargaming heroes. As I've got older I've had the chance of meeting and on occasion working with (ok holding their pens) some wargaming folks who have made a mark on the hobby. The Fire and Fury guys, Dave Manly (Mr Naval Wargaming), Roger Gerrish and Andy Chambers (he prefers Evil Overfiend) to name drop a few.
However I ran into this nice chap at Stockton and he was wearing a badge saying "Andy Callan".
"Are you the real Andy Callan" says I - "you know, Loose Files and American Scramble Andy Callan?"
and it was.
And I was very happy to meet him because I think he saved my wargaming life. Back in the late 1980s, (September 1987 to be precise), Wargames Illustrated issue 1 was published, including a set of fast play American War of Independence rules called "Loose Files & American Scramble". At the time I was just out of University and living "Dahn Sarth" selling computers and software to Yuppies (look it up if you're younger than 50) and picked it up. I lost my job a little later and decided to come home "Up North" for a couple of weeks to catch up with friends and family (pre mobile phone & internet days) and then head back down to find another job. Sadly my Mum's cooking and home life was far too attractive and decided to look for a job here, in the middle of one of the worse unemployment black spots in the nation during a depression (Doh!). I was broke, on my arse and without two quid to rub together. I really couldn't afford to spend my few ££ on toys and my gaming life was looking threatened. Then I remembered the WI and that set of rules. I managed to get a lift through with my mate Steve Irvin to Irregular Miniatures, who at the time were operating out of a series of ramshackle sheds in darkest Yorkshire. Armed with a tenner I had hoarded from my "Dole" and assisted by Ian Kay's generous throwing in of some freebies I managed to get enough 6mm AWI figures to field two small forces for both sides. I diligently painted them up, and they became my staple game army for the following months. Without them, I think I may have drifted out of wargaming. True story that. Thanks Andy!
Interesting fact "Loose Files and American Scramble" is the only piece to be repeated in Wargames Illustrated, once in issue 1, and again in a later edition. They're an interesting, fast and dirty AWI set of rules with the added advantage of being fun. They look good in 6mm and thinking about it, if Warlord ever do AWI in "Epic" scale they would look even better. Hmmm
Anyway I bought a copy of his new rules "Never Mind The Billhooks" which I hop to get on the table in the new year.
Cheers!
