Northern Militaire 1982

 

One of the joys of my youth was the annual visit to the Hinchliffe sponsored Northern Militaire. I just came across my bunch of programs so will get them all shared eventually!.

Northern Militaire 1987

 

Somehow I have mislaid my programs for the earlier shows however, inadvertently came across this little one... no longer sponsored by Hinchliffe Models I assume, although I could be wrong. According to Roger Bigg via Facebook it was held at the 'Queen Elisabeth suite, Oldham town hall. The Mailed Fist WARGAMES Group were exhibiting there, as we did at all the Northern Militaires invited by the organiser Mr John Leigh'. 

I have many fond memories of the show including seeing the wonderful painted display at Poste Militaire and the (then) new 25mm Star Troopers range by Garrison Miniatures... tying in with a certain sci-fi film. My late father, god bless him, took me to my first one around 1975. I certainly have progs from then on (somewhere in the house) but it may have been the year before. If only I could go back in time and ask people to take lots of pics

Looking at the traders it's a sad indictment of the hobby with so many lost in time, like tears in the rain... 

A few more posts on the shows (amongst other things) here; http://www.deartonyblair.co.uk/search/label/Northern%20Militaire

Some enhanced pics from one of the 80's shows here;

https://thewargamingmegalomaniac.blogspot.com/2014/01/northen-militaire-1980s.html

As always; enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

The Assault Group Dwarves - Kettle Drummer WIP

After a long hiatus due to children being off school, social anxiety issues and spending time looking after my mum I have returned to the maelstrom.....2 new (very comfortable) settees in the front room mean that miniatures have been relegated to the back (dining) room.....very little space for anything, however I've got the painting table in a reasonably accessible corner with the luxury of the dining table to my left and an empty mantelpiece shelf to my right......the heights of luxury. 

A recent order from The Assault Group included a bunch of accessories for my mounted dwarves including holstered pistols and kettle drums....I remember seeing a Dixon Miniatures Mongol Kettle Drummer back at my earliest Northern Militaire by around 1974 (I think, possibly '75 but not sure if Dixon had started by then as I've read 1976 before now so may have the year confused) and was desperate to go back the next day but my father had other things to do of course (God bless him, he'd taken a young me there for the first day out of his weekend). If anyone has a copy of that Mongol Kettle Drummer (Camel) please let me have a pic or a trade! Anyway, Milliput mixed and Kettle Drums cleaned up it was a simple job of supergluing the drums to either side, having already attached the rider's body, and filling in relevant gaps....I'm certainly a poor sculptor so merely flattened out visible areas between the 2 drum and will paint accordingly...... the separate arm choice was one with a raised pistol - the easiest to convert to holding a drumstick. The drumsticks are merely cut off pins from an IKEA sewing kit. The earmuffs are a thoughtful addition as I realised the drums were rather close to the ponies' ears....

More TAG posts here.

Contact me on enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

Northern Militaire, Hinchliffe, Minifigs and Helmet......those were the days....

1976 is the earliest Northern Militaire programme I have however I believe I was here the year before.....anyway, a few pics down memory lane.....

A few other Northern Militaire posts here.

Earliest full adverts I can find (so far) for Minifigs Fantasy and Sci Fi....

Also this, plastic 54mm by Helmet Products...I wonder what happened to them?

As always; enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

Northern Militaire 1977... I was just about to turn 16.

Just found some old Battle magazines that I had stored at my mum's. I remember buying these at the time... more to follow at some point. Northern Militaire was the highlight of my year... I didn't know about anything local to Manchester and certainly didn't think about travelling around the country on my own back then... I led a very sheltered life unless it involved camping out somewhere for Motorhead tickets...

Files should be large enough to save and then peruse at your leisure if you can't read them here...

November 6th 1977 - next day was my 17th birthday 'Happy Birthday to me...'

Also found a later advert (Military Modelling March 1988) for a 'Dragon Miniatures' Dwarf Chariot - now me and my pal Boki Gromdal over at Stunties can't work out if this is a different 'Dragon Miniatures' to the one we've already posted pics of (Stunties and Lost Minis) - addresses are different parts of the island for sure - if anyone has any ideas please let me know as we haven't got a clue.....

As usual email me at; enquiries@deartonyblair.co.uk

The late 70s, my own history and Games Workshop ...not quite a movie title but feel free to enquire....

Old Military Modelling and Battle for Wargamers magazines are a great source of pics and articles....here are a few of recently unearthed ones....

At home with Hinchliffe.....the wargaming minis (or most of them) are still available today although Hinchliffe itself , as a company, is long gone from the wargaming world.

Barry Minot was one of the big boys of the fantasy market at the time....I plan to do an in depth review of The Quests of Thane Tostig at some point as I just found my old, old rule set.

  

South London Warlords (who still run Salute every year) in the early days.....

From left to right, Bill Brewer, Brian Cameron and Chris Thompson

And lo there came unto us a fledgling new company.....

Skytrex imported the new Heritage Lord if the Rings minis....

Minot also did historical....

Although Bryan Ansel had now formed Citadel, Asgard was still going strong...

Part of my personal GW history.....early 80s payslip......looking at the salary, God alone knows how I went to the pub most nights!

A query answered by Steve Jackson himself....one a brief note and the one below in letter 

  

Games Workshop statement of practice.....I have a load more paperwork from these GW employed days that I may upload at some point

Contract of employment

My earliest Games Day programme

  

Possibly my earliest show....it may have been 1975 but I'm not sure...too many glasses of not so fine red wine. My father, God bless him, took me, Dixon miniatures had just released a new range of Mongols and I couldn't afford them. Great memories.

Possibly the last show but definitely my last programme!

In 1979 Games Workshop took the back page advertising....