Tuesday 22 December 2020

Joining the BMSS and wot no wargaming?

 As there were a few spare coppers in the Ducal war chest I joined this  lot ( again , had been a member yonks ago) to give them some support.


I joined for many reasons, Roy Dilley’s book had been important to me growing up, I had collected 54mms before I wargamer, the pioneers of wargaming were members and because of my interest in old toy  soldiers. Wargaming grew from within the ranks of the BMSS but seems to have  no home there now. Am I the only one to be disappointed about this? Maybe I haven’t looked hard enough? Why this divorce between collectors and gamers? Makes me sad, thoughts please...


 


11 comments:

  1. Alan, I concur with your thoughts. When you go to a toy soldier show over here, you'd think there would be a lot more interest in games, but there isn't. Model shows and toy soldier shows look down their noses at us. No idea why.

    Eric

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    1. I find it very sad and plainly ridiculous. Many folk have an interest in both camps. Such an attitude does not help the passing on of the hobby.

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  2. It is strange, as many wargamers {tho' not me!} paint their figures to a standard that equals that of many much larger toy or model soldiers. The smaller size figures wargamers use seem not to be recognised as ones worthy of being collected, painted and displayed like their larger brethren.

    Perhaps it's because we 'play' with them, whereas they are either 'collectors' of valuable antiques, such as original Britain's figures, or are 'modellers' and both wish to distance themselves from accusations of being grown men playing with toy soldiers?

    Arthur

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    1. An excellent point re the skill of painters of wargaming figures. Moving dioramas that they are. Both sides miss out in this divide. I wonder if we can do something to heal it...

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  3. I have some copies of the BMSS bulletin from 1956 in which they started to publish the results of a survey of members interests. In the main they collected 54mm metal figures, mostly Britains hollowcasts or the small number of solid metal connoisseur collectors models available. Several mentioned wargaming but this was again with Britains 54mm, that's mostly what was available then, a notable exception was Tony Bath who imported tin flats from Germany at some expense, because he wanted ancients and that was all that was available for that period.

    I think things started to change in the 1960's when Airfix introduced us all to cheap small scale figures for wargaming and then independent manufacturers started springing up offering an ever increasing variety of metal figures, at much the same time collectors were drawn away from toy figures towards the new ranges of accurately sculpted and animated 54mm collectors quality models offered by a growing number of manufacturers. A whole new society of clubs, literature and figures then grew up around the two increasingly disparate wings of the hobby and drew them further apart.

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    1. Brian, I feel that for the sake of tradition there ought to be a place for wargaming in the BMSS even as an interest group. There was once one and there should be again. I wonder if we could work towards this in 2021? Perhaps a wee demo game at one of the London meetings one day...

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    2. Actually you've reminded me that there were wargames at the last BMSS Annual show I attended in London, mind you that was 15 or more years ago, so I don't know if they're still a feature.

      Most of the show was about modelling and painting competitions of various classes but there was also a competition for best wargame with three contenders: one chap put on a 28mm North West Frontier game with a very impressive mountainous valley terrain but very little else of note), Stuart Asquith put on a 54mm Big Wars game with Timpo arabs facing assorted metal colonial Brits (a sort of Tel el Kibir I think) and a visually spectacular 54mm Italo-Abyssinian war game hosted by Ted Herbert of the Skirmish Wargames Group.

      Stuart won the competition and I thought he looked a bit sheepish collecting the trophy because his game was very basic compared to the other two. I don't think anyone was bothered though because none of them were really interested in the competition they just wanted to fly the flag for wargaming.

      if I don't speak to you again beforehand may I wish you and yours a safe and peaceful Christmas. Best wishes, Brian

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  4. I'm not a member but sure you there is always the opportunity to suggest a start or restart the BMSS Wargames section? Amalgamating these hobbies may bring in fresh blood when most of such hobby societies are greying and dwindling.
    I'm sure a Wargames section may have existed in the past and that Don Featherstone was in the BMSS etc .
    It is the same argument as taking a good looking 54mm game of originals or recasts and conversions to a normal Wargames show full of 28mm tables / figure games.

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    1. I agree Mark. I think that 54mm games ought to b3 more present at wargaming shows, even model railway ones perhaps. Reminds me of the song we’re all in this together...

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  5. I seem to remember that the London Wargames Section, who were closely associated with Miniature Warfare magazine in its early days and published many sets of rules, was initially the London Wargames Section of the BMSS.
    Ronnie

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    1. Very true Ronnie . I wonder if the rift could be repaired next year in any way, locally or nationally...

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