Wargames Holiday Centre c.1980

The first summer after I left school and had a summer job I managed to wangle a trip to the Wargames Holiday Centre which then was based at Thornton le Dale in North Yorkshire. I think I was there for one of the 3 day holidays. I was picked up by Peter Gilder at York Railway Station and then partook of three days of gaming. I had for some inexplicable reason taken a load of black and white photos that I found some years ago and posted here: https://blog.belisarius.org.uk/2009/11/blast-from-past-part-2.html.

I know we were playtesting WRG 4th(?) Edition Ancients so played a couple of Ancient games and the final day was a large Napoleonic game. I was convinced the other pictures I had taken (again, inexplicably as slides!) were of this last game. However, this week, while sorting through the attic in preparation for a house move I found the slides. And they are of the same (or possibly a different!) Late Roman/Sassanid game.

As said in the old blog post, it was a great weekend with a great host. I came away with a pile of Russian Napoleonics that were sculpted by and cast just for Peter. I wish I still had them and that I’d taken some pics of that Napoleonic game! Maybe there is still another box of slides to be uncovered?

Anyway, hope they are of interest.

A

9 thoughts on “Wargames Holiday Centre c.1980”

  1. You lucky devil!

    That’s proper name dropping that is.

    It’s nice to see an ancients game played on rolling scenery, rather than dead flat tables with a few ‘strategically’ placed hills.

    Good post.

    Iain

  2. Andy would you mind if I used some of the images and added them to my history/tribute to Peter Gilder blog? I wasnt aware that Gilder had staged games other than his Napoleonic ones at the centre. It would be nice to add them.

  3. Close observation of those pictures reveals a couple of classic 1970s ‘porn’ mos. I’m surprised you were allowed out to play.

    Cracking stuff, and wouldn’t be 4th edition I don’t think. Which edition allowed Sasanians to have chariots?

  4. Oh you lucky, lucky, lucky person ! Peter Guilder – so inspirational – I dreamed of attending the Holiday Wargames Centre but never did. Thanks so much for sharing.

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