Old rules, Airfix stuff, etc

OK. last post Rick asked me if I'd made any interesting rules finds...

Before that, might be an idea to give a bit of history. Although I'd been making Airfix kits and messing about with a version of wargaming since before my teens I didn't actually know what I was doing. Got to Uni in Bradford in 1970 and discovered metal figures... Train Shop Supermarket in Bradford, Northern Garrison in Knarsborough (bus ride from Bradford, change at Harrogate).Did this for a couple of years then...

Decided it might be an idea to find out more about real wargaming. So I did the obvious. Put an ad in the Student's Union newsletter saying I was starting a wargaming club. 

First person through the door was a Mansfield lad called Pete Harris. Later on Pete wrote the Tercio ruleset used in quite a few Nationals. The first pre-Tercio set was a run of 20 copies we had printed off by the club. Pete also started his own club - though his call to arms was a bit more visual than mine - he put out posters. Pete was one of these people who liked doing re-enactments. Thus he founded a university chapter of Sir John Lambert's Regiment of the Roundhead Association.

The following year Ian Beck arrived. Which is how I found myself helping to organise the North East Regional Finals... mainly by booking the room and being described as the Regional Treasurer. Didn't mean a lot - Bill Robertson (Nottingham) and Pete Morrison (Halifax) did most of the real work.  This was when I first met quite a few Manufacturers like Bill Lamming, as well umpiring a game involving Peter Gilder.

The convention was also the first outing of Ian's Chariot Racing Arena, including about 2,000 converted Airfix civilians acting as the audience. I must confess I had nothing to do with this other than playing the game. No idea what happened to the arena - last time I saw it was in the attic of his parent's house in Halifax. The rules were printed using a Banda - a spirit duplicator. Bet not many people these days have heard of them! The other typed (plus some handwritten comments) photocopy is of the Halifax club's amendments to the WRG 4th Edition rules - actually played a game using them once. Against Ian. He won. I've got a funny feeling I could possibly be the only person to own a set of these that wasn't a Halifax club member. Though over the mid to late 70s I went there often enough!

Lots of other rule sets. These three are just part of them. Alan Cook was another Mansfield lad who joined the club and was also later responsible for rules used in the Nationals. The middle rule set was by Dave Millward. Although Dave was a really good player he's probably best known at the time for his feud with Phil Barker. Only knew Dave from conventions. The Pike and Pistol set were by Ian Shaw. Ian was in Liverpool Wargames Association, of which I was secretary. It's still going today, and at least one of the founding members, Ronnie Bate, is still there.

Also found my original 70s set of Featherstone rules... not a lot I can say about that. Met him a couple of times at conventions - really nice person. Think I'd spoken to him at at least two conventions before I found out who he was!

Also found the missing Airfix magazine articles I'd cut out! This is just a selection...

So, that's about it from that box. Lots of other rule sets and things in it, but gives you an idea.