"Best ever wargaming venue?" Topic

It strikes me that I have been fortunate enough to wargame in some very apt locations, both for club games and conventions.

I have been to several Wargames South conventions held in the middle of Fort Brockhurst, a 19thC Artillery fort defending Portsmouth Harbour, and similalrly been a member of a club, HMS Sultan wargames club, that met in one of the gun casements of Fort Rowner.

I have attended the Battle Group South conventions held at the Bovington Tank Museum, playing Normandy games on a table between Shermans and Panzers! I have also been a member of the Blandford Garrison wargames club, playing armour games with the hut shaking to the sound of a returning armour column of FV432s!

Unfortunately I never thought to stage naval wargames on the various ships I served on!

So what was your best/most appropriate wargaming venue?

I attended a great games weekend this year on the battleship USS TEXAS. It's great to play a WWII naval game while standing next to 5 inch guns.

Had many a good con in clontarf castle, and others in old church, stained glass window , very athmospheric.

Phil

I used to game in a brewpub…

On the 50th anniversery of Dday some guys got together on Normandy Beach to play a game (Normandy Beach NJ that is)

The Texas also!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

they also have game days at the WW2 museum here.

Lancaster Host of course! ;-)

At a pub…

old wargames holiday centre up near scarborough – brilliant at all levels

When I was in high school back in the late 70s our Dungeon Master was a big ancients player. He would take a couple of us from the group who interested with him as he went across the state of Michigan to play at friends house's. I remember playing in basements and living rooms on the floor as hundreds and hundreds of 25mm figures fought it out in all day affairs. The host would always provide a home cooked meal and plenty of drinks. It was some of the best times I can remember as a teenager. Far better then any convention that I attended.

Maybe its because I am approaching 50 and the memory fails but I don't think gaming gets any better then that. Sweet memories. Wish I could remember all the names,but a stroke has stolen too many memories already. Maybe I am getting cranky but I think when you are young the world can be a magical place and those memories hold a special place.

Playboy Club in Lake Geneva

Knuston Hall

I've played in a naval participation game in the Queen Annes house in Greenwich, UK.

Part of the National Maritime Museum.

Beautiful ornate room with pictures of naval officers adorning the walls. Very atmospheric.

The first Barrage (maybe the second as well) run by the HAWKS was at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. If you had any arguments about the particulars of the tanks on the gaming table, you could walk outside and look at the real thing!

I agree with Margard; it has to be Knuston Hall!

It would be hard to beat the Kelvedon Hatch nuclear bunker as a venue for games of nuclear warfare.

All the best,

John.

The hotel in Alexandria where they held the 2009 World Championships will always be memorable – spectacualar views up the Potomac to Washington from my bedroom window …

I have some wonderful images of the Redoubt in Eastbourne (what a venue!)

And the Royal Armouries in Leeds used to be good …

But on balance I'll go with Knuston Hall as well. Of course the WD connection gave you HMS Belfast as well as Kelvedon Hatch and Knuston (nice people to know, that's clear enough)..

Phil

A Blackpowder game of AWI (Battle of Brandywine) at the Brandywine Battlefield visitors Center with a tour of the field after the game. Helped raise money for the Battlefield preservation. Hopeing to do Monmouth, Paoli or Brandywine again in 2012.