Early Influences
As a child I was heavily influenced by the science fiction and war movies of the 70's. I loved (and continue to love) films like Silent Running, Apocalypse Now, Battlestar Galactica, Kellys Heroes and of course Star Wars. Despite being a late starter I grew to love reading and it was some time in the late 70's and early 80's that I discovered the writing of H.P.Lovecraft and R.E.Howard and most importantly J.R.R.Tolkien.
Dungeons and Dragons
I was about 13 when I was first introduced to the world of “Fighting Fantasy” with a book called Warlock of Firetop Mountain by Ian Livingstone. It was a short step from these books to proper roleplaying with Dungeons and Dragons. I can still vividly remember my first D&D game and the Carrion Crawler my character killed in a pitched battle. This game has remained one of my favorite memories despite the years and the naivety of the original game compared to the sophisticated versions we play now. My first character was a stereotypical Barbarian hero called Vulcan the Slayer (not very original but it suited the moment). The game was a simple monster bashing adventure but I loved it and I instantly became hooked for life.
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| 1984 - Preparing for a game |
This was also the time when I painted my first model. It was a Knight in black armour with gold trim. It was an awful paint job but I was still very proud of it. I recall I used enamel paint and I was one of only a handful of player's to use fully painted miniature in those early games. The techniques and materials I use have changed a lot but I hold true to the principle that I never game with naked metal!
I still play Dungeons and Dragons with the same group of friends - known as The Dagenham Dungeon Delvers - from that first session so many years ago. We have played our way through basic D&D, AD&D (struggling with THACO along the way), 3rd Edition and now 4th Edition. We even tried Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, and Call of Cthulhu for a while but eventually went back to the first and the best RPG.
Painting
It was with my return to D&D (this time 3rd edition) that my painting became more serious and I tried to improve my skills. As a player I have always liked to paint a good character model but when I became a GM I transferred that enthusiasm to painting scenery, monsters and NPC’s. I've now broadened my scope by branching out to historical miniatures and display models that will never see a dice rolled in anger.
I consider myself a 'reasonable' painter but my skill level is far below the standard seen in competitions. I did enter one competition (Salute 2009) without any allusions regarding my chance. It was fun to take part and I'm glad I did it but I won't be entering any more for a while. I think of my level of painting as more 'practical' with an eye to getting miniatures on the table for gaming that look good, but aren't necessarily display standard. Having said that I have painted - and continue to paint - some miniatures specifically for display at home.
Wargaming
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| 1977 - Red track top and shorts standing next to the turret |
Over the years my group has also invested considerable time and money in Warhammer Fantasy Battle, WH40k, and Epic 40k. This of course was in the days when we still had disposable income and before careers nibbled away at our spare time. When space became an issue (both for playing and storing our games) we had a go at CCG's like Babylon 5 and Magic the Gathering. In recent years the group has struggled a little as different members have moved away. However we regularly reunite for special games and the core members of the group still meet for game sessions roughly every other week.
In 2010 I met up with a couple of fellow Bloggers and followers of this site while at SELWG at Crystal Palace. I was invited to join their group - Posties Rejects - for their next wargame. Since that fateful meeting I've been fully welcomed into the group and am a regular attendee playing a wide range of periods and rules. Thanks to the Rejects I've been able to get back into Wargaming after a long hiatus.
The Origin of BLMA
I have a voraciously inquisitive mind. This is code for "I can't settle on anything for very long". My interests have always been wide ranging and varied so I know a little about lots of things and am an expert in none. The problem is I'm also very opinionated and love to pontificate. So when I discovered blogging I knew it was a match made in heaven. This Blog came into being in January 2009 initially as a platform from which to show off my miniatures painting. However I quickly realised that I had a lot to say about a lot of subjects... and I'm a very slow painter. I now write about anything that I consider to be hobby related, which is pretty much anything I want it to be.One overriding aim I have tried to stick to is to make this blog Picture heavy. I want this site to be fun to look at as well as to read and where possible I use my own pictures to illustrate my words. I've always been an avid photographer and never attend a convention without a camera firmly clutched in my hands. Many of these pictures have found their way into the Blog as have some of the thousands of pictures of museums, historic sites and living history events. This continues to be my aim and I hope that this helps to make the Blog distinctive and enjoyable to visit.
