A start

I realised the other day, when posting these images on the Lead Adventure forum, that to my shock I have now been partaking in the wargaming hobby on and off for 15 years.

It all started, as the best things do, with a day off from school. The Fellowship of the Ring had come to UK cinemas a few months before, and like many nearly-teenage boys I enjoyed it. I lay ill in bed, and Mum brought me a Lord of the Rings-themed magazine she’d noticed while shopping which might keep me entertained for a few hours.

Back when White Dwarf had all of its Warhammer and 40k at the front of the magazine, and the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game had a full section at the back printed upside-down so you could flip your copy and essentially feel like you were reading a new mag.

That set all this in motion – I roped in a couple of nearby cousins and we were off. We started together on Lord of the Rings before parting ways geographically and thematically – they went down the 40k route (to this day Andy still beavers away at his Black Templars, and I believe he’s spent even more than I have on the hobby! I feel no guilt) and I continued with LotR and Warhammer Fantasy Battles (army: the High Elves released in the same initial White Dwarf – evidently I’m a sucker for marketing).

With no opponents to play against, I slid in and out of painting, marking each re-immersion into the hobby world with another load of purchases.

And so it proves again, though I am trying to limit the purchases a bit more – being married brings certain limits (as well as great joy, of course). Looking back on the last decade and a half I have depressingly few finished miniatures to show for it. We have recently moved into a new flat, one that allows for the set up of a hobby table in one of the smaller rooms, so hopefully a little more structure mixed in with the enthusiasm will produce more results, and I’m hoping that structure might be strengthened with some good old hobby accountability. I have lurked long enough on forums and blogs – I am now going to make an effort to engage.

Wish me luck (and a better attention span), and watch this space.