Okay, my annual trip to the old smoke. This actually marked my tenth consecutive trip to the show. Or at least the ones I remember.......The trip started badly on Friday morning as my taxi didn't turn up so I had to jump in my car last minute and drive hectically around trying to find a parking place in the back streets near the station........I got to the train with time to spare though and was enjoying a cup of tea in first class (£20 upgrade and worth it) when the taxi driver rang to ask where I was.......grrrrrrrr.
The usual first pic opposite the Tower of London...less hair and a windy day meant I only sneaked a partial head shot :)
Work on the Docklands Light Railway meant I had to get off at the next stop however so far so good and it gave me a chance to walk through the whole of Excel and start to grasp how massive it actually is. Quick shot of Excel as I walked towards the hotel.......
Hotel in the distance on the left.....
Queues on the day were quite impressive. I had arranged to meet Mark Stevenson of the
Asgard Miniatures Collectors group on Facebook however we were separated by the milling throng. We agreed to meet up at
Simple Miniatures Games as I'd noticed they were having a clearance on Warmachine miniatures (and they did, managed to pick up a nice handful of blisters). I have to admit that this year my mojo was not with me for some reason. Can't have been a hangover or lack of sleep....possibly just one of those 'later than mid life' crisis things. I promise to do better next year. This also explain the late delivery of the post and a distinct lack of pictures.....oops.
The queue behind me.....
The scene as I walked in......
Doctor Who game in full swing......should have got some close ups of the sprues.
Some of the new
Studio Miniatures releases (I get a threat warning whenever I go to their site...not sure why) - their Hollywood Havoc and Medieval Mayhem ranges are classics.
My good mate Tony Yates getting rather too familiar with good old Steve Casey on the
Warmonger stand. Top blokes both. I spent too much money with them as usual.
Some random pics.....
Afterlife promo vehicle......
The Dropship Horizon craft looks finally finished. Quite jaw dropping.....
Broken Toad have some stunning sculpts including a Star Wars tribute - Toad in Carbonite.
Previews of the Harry Potter Miniatures game minis.
Missed the name but lovely layout....
Alex over at
Arcworld doing a roaring trade throughout the day. This was towards the end!
Some lovingly done scenery here....
Brilliant idea for using those broomsticked minis from
Rapier.
Much humour here and a busy table all day. The Battle of Animal Farm.
Not sure why I took this shot....towards the end of the day showing a slightly less maddening crowd.
Couple of random pics....
Pint and a burger with Mark. A brief respite from the throng.
Frostgrave has certainly taken off with a proverbial bang. Nik over at Northstar has his regular 'Nikstarters' - click
here for the latest 'Ulterior Motives'. Below are some pics including the new Dwarf sprue.
Stop the press! Miniatures for Dracula's america and Ghost Archipelago due later this year!
MDF navalware......not Sarissa but have forgotten the company...
4Ground had previews of their new Fabled Realms minis. Very nice indeed.
Good old Mark gave me these 2 mugs he'd had printed. He is as fanatical about old Asgard miniatures as I am about lead in general. A trend to be encouraged methinks.
The scene as I left the hotel to try the other DLR station. I hadn't walked this way before and it is actually closer plus I discovered a large convenience store........useful for next year.
Pic of the London marathon runners doing their bit. Closest I could get as they'd closed off the better viewpoint.
The journey home was blighted by losing my return ticket which, of course, I found when unpacking at home. £120 down wasn't a good end but I bit the bullet and returned first class. Virgin trains won't refund anything which is something of a shame but that's business I suppose.
Hopefully next year I'll be a more upbeat mood for taking pics!
