-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed! -
Something of more-than-passing interest - that I noted at the Hereford weekend convention - was the Team's full and considered approach to the welfare of the attendees. Many little details and facilities around the place reinforced their determination to create a safe and welcoming space.
Indeed, Adam - the head of the Hereford team - posted the following article on the clubs Facebook page; this is a long but worthwhile read as Ad explains what they did, what they're trying to avoid and what they learned:
This sort of thing should be a template adopted by more Conventions - big or small - because, for example, I couldn’t find an analogous policy on the UKGE website.
Life and Games (but mostly games) from Tony Boydell: Father, Grandfather, Husband and Independent UK Game Designer.
Archive for Miscellany
1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 Next » [161]
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed!
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed! -
Have to say that I feel rather confused and disappointed with this:
Quite how Dobble fits in to a murderous, medieval regime is a mystery to me; I don't remember any of the symbols being an homophobic dinosaur, an oppressed LGBTQ+ snowman and/or a murdered Nepalese worker?!
I shan't, of course, be watching/supporting thisWorld Cupappalling shit show; instead, here's a picture of a real hero:
Alex Scott, Professional Footballer & Stellar Human Being.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/21/bbc-alex-sc...
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed! -
Oooh, there's a new Magic: The Gathering set coming soon and it's called "The Mothers' War"; here are a couple of spoilers from it:
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed! -
She was, once, my actual boss; I was invited - as the sole representative of my Project/Department - for canapes and small talk:
Preceded by her consort - a chirpy, chatty Prince Phillip - Her only words to me were:
"And what do YOU do?"
Happy with my brief answer, she chirruped and moved her attention easily to the next member of our particular staff grouping; shortly thereafter, she was gone.
A few of us hung around to ogle the customized Rolls Royce that was parked outside the building before drifting back to C Block to relate the experience to the rest of the Team.
Once met, never forgotten.
R.I.P.
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed! -
One of the most abiding truths after running The Museum of Board Games (for a year now) is that most of the people who have walked through the door are not gamers according to our modern understanding. My welcoming, curative spiel - rising from behind the point-of-sale counter or putting an exhibit's rearrangement to one side - is "Did you play board games as a child and do you play board games nowadays?"
The majority of responses group visitors into the 'used to play Risk/Monopoly/Cluedo as children/teens but not much since' category. Of course, there have been geek visits and special designer/gaming pals but - in the main - the Museum seems to be a source of nostalgia for 'everyone else'.
I must admit to feeling frustrated that, despite healthy board gaming communities in the surrounding regions - Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, South Wales, Wiltshire, Bristol and Avon and so on - there have been precious few visits by modern gamers: the very people, I would posit, that could (and, indeed, would) get the absolute most out of the 200 years of gaming goodness contained within its modest walls!
I don't know what to do; you'd have thought that the only active, non-convention resource for respecting and promoting our hobby in the United Kingdom would be of far more interest to the growing community. What of the 30,000+ folks who enjoy UKGE and/or spread themselves across Airecon, Midcon, Manorcon et al? What of the 24,000 members of the Facebook Board Game Trading and Chat UK group?
Where is everyone?!
Of course, as much as we adore our hobby and our local clubs and our be-Kallax-ed collections, we are absolutely our own worst enemy; you only need to see the comment trails of sadness that accompany the announcement of yet another FLGS closing down followed - in the same breath - by huge campaigns to spend your cash/go crowdfunding online instead.
Yes, things are more expensive from a shop but with a shop comes a place to talk, to share and to play. Maybe that retail model is, truly, dead? How can a shop determine which new games to stock when 1000s are available every year? How can they possibly compete on price when they have staff and energy bills to cover and online retailers shift units from a warehouse on an industrial estate?
And how can a Museum - devoted to the history and variety of our favourite pastime - survive if no-one ever wants to look behind at the wonderful journey that brought our hobby to its position and status today?
Please consider sponsoring The Museum of Board Games -open Fridays, Saturdays and Non-Winter Bank Holidays (and, occasionally, by special request) - via our Patreon pages: https://www.patreon.com/themuseumofboardgames
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed! -
This, apparently, is the new 'Bloke checks out girl in red dress while girl in blue dress looks on angrily'; how lovely to be there at the birth of a new Meme:
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed!
Sat Aug 6, 2022 6:15 am
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed! -
Goodness, but doesn't my occasional musing on the fate of the barkingly-wonderful Lamont brothers (Gordon and Fraser) come around quicker every two years or so?! Yes, indeed, it seems that their disappearance without trace has been further compounded by a global pandemic.
A little on-line detectiving has revealed that Fragor, as a business entity, is still an active concern - accounts and filings being submitted regularly - but it seems that the magnesium-esque flare of light afforded by their Wallace & Gromit project has been all-consuming...like that bit in Sunshine when an entirely scarred and naked Mark Strong (Pinbacker) bathes himself in the Icarus's viewing gallery.
Oh Lordy, but where can they be? It wouldn't hurt to let us all know that they're safe and well at least? I miss their affability, their stupid jokes and their ridiculous component ambition - modern gaming's obsession with over-production is so bloody humourless.
And talking of modern components:
- [+] Dice rolls
-
Anthony BoydellUnited Kingdom
Newent. Glos
UnspecifiedWelcome...to my Shed! -
Ladies & Gentlemen! The guests are now arriving for The Board Gamers' Annual Ball:
Mr & Mrs Ayre...
...and their son Chet.
Mr & Mrs Paraleases...
...and their children Al 'n Alice Paraleases.
Mr & Mrs Ontroll...
...with their son Eric.
The Honourable Mrs Phardt...
...with her Nephew: Brian.
Mr & Mrs Chure-Wargumms...
...with their daughter Minnie.
Lord & Lady Uro...
...with their son, the Honourable Justin Arthur and his fiancé Mary Trash.
Mr & Mrs Menage-Mont...
...and their daughter Andi.
Mr & Mrs Playamarker...
...with their children Forrest and Stark.
Reverend and Mrs Worded-Rulebook...
...with their son Paulie.
And, finally (for now), Mr & Mrs Auction...
...and their children Urban, 'Dutch', Juan-Surround, and Aiden.
I'm off for my break so please let me know, in the comments, if anyone else arrives in the meantime?!
- [+] Dice rolls