QuoteI discovered wargaming in 1962 when I found Featherstone's 'Wargames' in Hummel's, a shop in Burlington Arcade in London. 

I discovered a copy in the local library in 1966; the rest is history (and best avoided).

QuoteTwo bob for a packet of soldiers? I could have sworn they were only a shilling a time when I first started "Collecting" them, mind you I was about 6 at the time so the memory may be playing tricks on me.

Sold most of mine at Cavalier in 2017 and some still showed the one shilling  price tag from the mid-sixties: 1/-.

Quote from: hammurabi70 on 21 August 2023, 04:26:52 PMI discovered a copy in the local library in 1966; the rest is history (and best avoided).

Thinking back to the early/mid 1960s, and what there was avaiable for wargamers then, I do wonder where wargaming would be today without Donald Featherstone's original book, and Stanley Paul who thought it was worth publishing.
If ever the influence of one person had a defining effect on a hobby he must be a contender.

Quote from: John Cook on 22 August 2023, 09:29:11 AMThinking back to the early/mid 1960s, and what there was avaiable for wargamers then, I do wonder where wargaming would be today without Donald Featherstone's original book, and Stanley Paul who thought it was worth publishing.
If ever the influence of one person had a defining effect on a hobby he must be a contender.

Hear! Hear!

QuoteThinking back to the early/mid 1960s, and what there was avaiable for wargamers then, I do wonder where wargaming would be today without Donald Featherstone's original book, and Stanley Paul who thought it was worth publishing.
If ever the influence of one person had a defining effect on a hobby he must be a contender.

For my/our generation everyone I have spoken with seems to refer back to either FEATHERSTONE or GRANT.

Quote from: hammurabi70 on 22 August 2023, 01:30:09 PMFor my/our generation everyone I have spoken with seems to refer back to either FEATHERSTONE or GRANT.

These two were my first authors that I borrowed from the local library at eleven.

My exposure was determined largely by what was available in the local library; fortunately it was the Borough's central reference library and so carried a much greater range of books in both the lending and reference collections than in the other libraries. The first book I encountered was Featherstone's Tackle Model Soldiers This Way, followed by Wise's Introduction to Battle Gaming and then Featherstone's Wargames.

Near my school was a military history bookshop and in the window I saw a copy of Young & Lawford's Charge! and requested that through the library as well.

Later on I borrowed, and then bought, copies of Grant's The Wargame and Napoleonic Wargaming and Featherstone seemed to take a back seat.

Later on in life, and for purely nostalgic reasons, I picked up copies of both Wargames and Charge! at various shows, probably from Dave Lanchester Books.

Yes, on reflection, 1960s era Airfix was 1/- per packet. I just found it hard to grasp that 10p in today's inflated market was the tender back then.

Founders like Featherstone were wartime ex-service, but us born in the 1950s, I suspect the D H Thompson comic diet of Valient, Hotspur and Hornet plus the Commando type booklets featuring square jawed British WW2 heroes endowed us with an interest in things military - enough from playing with 'toy' soldiers, to progress to being commanders of wee armies as Featherstone et al took H G Wells' concept to a more polished conclusion.
Great memories. Any younger forum members wish to share?

I have to dissent, albeit with respect. I shudder to think of the trashy, badly-painted, non-paint-retaining, terminally inaccurate plastics I grew up with, and feel even worse at the memory of the rules we used from the 60's to the 80's. We've never had it as good as now.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 23 August 2023, 08:31:30 AMI have to dissent, albeit with respect. I shudder to think of the trashy, badly-painted, non-paint-retaining, terminally inaccurate plastics I grew up with, and feel even worse at the memory of the rules we used from the 60's to the 80's. We've never had it as good as now.

Ye gods and little fishes, FK, something else we agree on!

Warhammer 1st Edition

Quote from: Lord Speedy of Leighton on 23 August 2023, 10:32:53 AMWarhammer 1st Edition

An abomination that can't decide if it's a mass battle game or a skirmish one and therefore fails at being either. It spawned my first "unkillable" army!

Back in the early to mid 1970's it would have been a mix of Airfix WWII rules, Thane Tostig, D&D and Chainmail. There was some Ancients gaming but no idea what the rules were as they were my friends.

WRG 4th edition, with it's invisible shield walls.....

Started with Airfix, Afrika Korps and 8th Army, and the ubiquitous SDKFZ 11 and 88mm gun.

Then got into WRG ancients with 25mm Samurai from QT Models, ands Warhammer Fantasy 1st Edition.

Quote from: FierceKitty on 23 August 2023, 08:31:30 AMI have to dissent, albeit with respect. I shudder to think of the trashy, badly-painted, non-paint-retaining, terminally inaccurate plastics I grew up with, and feel even worse at the memory of the rules we used from the 60's to the 80's. We've never had it as good as now.

Ahh...we did'nt know any better. A few blobs of flesh paint on green plastic, a dab of Bostix glue to bigger bases, rules transcribed from a library book, a set of dice,a ruler,and we were wargaming.Period.