Salute 2012

One of the many advantages to living in England is I get to experience the largest game show in England; Salute.  It is very different from a US "con".  For one thing it last only 7 hours and there is really no space to set up "extra" gaming.  It is in a huge warehouse or hanger type exhibition hall and there are long rows of retailors.  there must of been at least 30.  Between the rows various clubs set up games.  The games are beautiful but are primarily there to be looked at.  Some of them can be demo'ed.  It is quite different from the US where the games are the focus and the traders are off to one side.  Then again in the US you normally have a whole weekend.  Both formats are fine; it depends on what you want.  Since I don't get to shop much this worked out well for me!
Rich Clark and the gang told me I could go down with them to the show.  They ditched me when they claimed to not look at the back entrance to the train station to see if I was there!!  As fate would have it we met in line to get in so alls well that ends well! 
I had hoped to get some SAGA dice (told you I am a dice junkie) and several 15mm clerics for my vikings to kill.   I manged to get both!

Keeper of the SAGA dice

I found the clerics from a company called Donnington.  They look good and I got some civilians and campfire stuff as well.

I have been looking for some vineyards for about a year.  I made some that looked good but they were too flinsey.  I came across some S&A scenics ones that looked nice so I picked up a couple of them as well. 

Finally picked up 2 FOW russian rural buildings as a spur of the moment purchase.  Don't know why but I did.  Can use them on the russian front and as saxon dwellings a thousand years ahead of their time!

Had a very nice lunch with Rich, Sid and Robert (not pictured) and the gang at a local pub. 

Rich calling in his fan club!

Rich decided to make time with his fans and I decided to go back to the show

Notice the storks nest !

 great table

Another great table

Interesting Chap

Crying table

The table above was the worst for me.   It showed the belgium army fighting the germans in 1940.  Almost all the tables were 28mm or bigger and as you can see were brilliant.   I take solace in the fact that they are larger than the 15mm scale that I use.  The table above was 15mm and blew away my stuff!

Another picture to weep over

If I had Belgium stuff it would look this good!

Great table/ bad picture

After the show I went back to the pub and there sat the Lardie lads.   So we talked for about an hour about US presidents, the Church of England  and Anglo-American relations.  It was a great time!

With that we all rode back to St Albans the long way so I could view the tower of London.



The tower of London blocked by tourists!

(Nick and Sid)

All in all it was a very nice show and I feel I had a great time with some good friends.  You can't do better than that.

Cheers

Joe