2025 - A Wargaming Year in Review

 Some pictures summing up 2025 , it had its ups and downs but ended on a positive.

Looking forward to a very different #2026 doing a lot more of what I want.

Have a great New Year everyone

1. 1/700 HMS Warspite, the pride of the Royal Navy in two wars, the final ship of my Narvik Project and an absolute favourite of mine, I've never claimed to be a good modeller but I did alright on this.

2. 28mm Giovanni Bande Nere Pike Block and shot. Read about this unit since I was a teenager and never put  one together. The flags are in mourning of Giovannis death as are the "somber" colours of the troops, I have units from both before and after Giovannis death and call it the Schrodinger Bande when they are both on the table.

3. The Battle of Mentana 1867 table set up at Salute in that there London, along with the banner for Best Historical Game which we won at the show. WI then mis-awarded me and combined the award with the Large Game and said Warwick won it, not that I'm bothered or anything and haven't mentioned it once since 😉😆 really proud to have won such an award at such a big show.

4. A Swiss Pike Block from a game at the York Show Vapnartak, we did a number of shows during the year and will be back out again in 2026 with York and Salute already booked in.

5 Bradford City the football team I watch every week, actually did something and got promoted to League 1, what made it even better was we scored in 90 + 6 minutes and I was there. I made a Pike Block to celebrate 🍾 

6. The Yarkshire Gamer table at Partizan 2025, I put on the Battle of Germantown 1777 (this game will be at York) it included many figures from my friend Dave Parrott who had passed away the previous year and I used the table to advertise his choosen charity Dogs Trust 🐕

7. Cesare Borgias Body Guard, it started as 6 figures but it keeps growing 😆

8. I put a 6mm ACW game at The Joy of Six, I'm a big fan of the work that Pete Berry at Baccus does with 6mm and although it's not my main way of gaming it doesn't mean I can't support it and I'll be there again next year.

9. Did I mention I won an award at Salute 🫡 🤔 😅

11. I finished off my Elite Miniatures Young Guard Brigade. I have loved these figures for ever but fell out of love with them when I did a load for the Wargames Holiday Centre in the 80s and 90s. I took the plunge with some and managed to complete a few units this year, I absolutely love them.

12. The Podcast keeps going from strength to strength and will be 5 years old in 6 weeks time. Over 200,000 downloads and 81 Episodes, I've stayed away from the latest fashion and tried to interview interesting people who maybe haven't done a show before and branch out into History, Paint Brushes and Veteran Support.

2026 will be different and I plan to spend more time with the hobby I love, I might even get a few games in ! I plan to be more regular (with bran flakes) with the Podcast, do more focused Utubes and annoy more people with the Brews in the Binyard 😆

2026 will also so a return of the World Cup if Historical Wargames Rules and we will see if Chain of Command can retain its crown.

Have a great New Year everyone and try and do as much of the hobby as you can, it really is good for you !

Regards Ken
The Yarkshire Gamer

Yarkshire Gamer Podcast - Episode 81 - Ay Ey Christmas - Brews in the Binyard

 

Hello all, and welcome to the Christmas 2025 edition of the Podcast and as always I spend the festive celebrations with the Brews in the Binyard crew, tonight its a full house.

The episode is available, as always on all major Podcast Hosts as well as vis the link below.

https://kenrtai.podbean.com/e/episode-81-xmas-brews-in-the-binyard-2025/

I'm joined by Alex Sotheran from Storm of Steel and Iain McDonald of Flags of War as usual but there is also a return for the "voice of reason" Sean Clark.

If you haven't listened to a Brews before it contains a lot of opinions and a bit of swearing and its best not played in front of your kids ! We tackle some weighty topics in our usual irreverent way so if you are a delicate flower I'd stay in your compost.

Tune in to hear Alex attempt to break the world record for the loudest ever typing at a keyboard during a podcast, a new and definitely true conspiracy theory about Santas reindeer. There's a couple of quality rants by yours truly after an interesting year of magazine mags and a swarm of Mediaeval Skirmish Games. We also introduce a new Space Marine Chapter.

Its a long one but its got to last you all Xmas so take it slow.

As always please, like, subscribe and comment to help the show grow, lots more coming in 2026

Until then, Sithee
Regards Ken
The Yarkshire Gamer

Here's the last episode on the Utubes 

Yarkshire Gamer Podcast - Episode 80 - John Savage - Participation Games

 

The latest #Podcast is out to the world this morning and my guest is the wonderful John Savage.

As always the Podcast is avaliable on all major Podcast hosts or via the link below 

https://kenrtai.podbean.com/e/episode-80-john-savage-participation-games/

A fellow Yarkshire resident, John is well known on the show and Lardy Day circuit for the quality of his Participation Games. He's a great painter as well as being a great #wargaming host.

Fancy a "Full Leipzig" well we discuss its meaning and catch John doing a bit of Big Gaming on the side !

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer 

Here's the previous episode on YouTube 

#wargames #hobby #tabletopgames #history

Yarkshire Gamer Podcast 79 - Live at T'Other Partizan

 

A change in Programming Schedule as the difficult birthing of the Wargames Time Machine episode continues.

As always it's avaliable on all major Podcast hosts or via the link below 

https://kenrtai.podbean.com/e/episode-79-live-from-tother-partizan/

I took the opportunity to take a ginormous microphone down to that there Newark and the T'Other Partizan show where I spoke to the organisers and a variety of people including former guests and potential new ones, here is the full running order

Running Order Live at T'Other Partizan 

Side 1
1. On Ilkley Moor bar t'at (Band of the Coldstream Guards)
2. Intro with Yarkshire Gamer
3. Trix and Laurence (Partizan Organisers)
4. Andy Johnson (Episode 64)
5. Roger Castle
6. Chris Flowers (Episode 32)
7. Martin Gane (Episode 53)

Side 2
1. James Morris
2. Big Lee and Ray (Episode 72)
3. Simon Miller (Episode 22)
4. Joe Bilton (Episode 58)
5. Barry Hilton

Side 3
1. Kevin Dallimore
2. Tim Whitworth
3. Mark Backhouse
4. Rich Clarke (Episode 50) and the Brews Boys
5. Steve Shann (Episode 40)
6. Pete Berry (Episode 44)
7. Glen from Warbases

Side 4
1. Paul Eaglestone - Empress Miniatures
2. Dave Thomas
3. Paul EWM (Episode 43)
4. Leon from Pendraken
5. Outro Yarkshire Gamer
6. Last of the Summer Wine (edit)

Something a bit different, hope you enjoy it, please like subscribe and leave a comment where you can thank you.

Hopefully back soon with the Time Machine finally working !

Regards Ken 

And as always here is the previous episode on the Utubes 

The Yarkshire Gamer 

1/700 Convoy - New Liberty Ships

 

Things have been a bit slow on the hobby front this month but I've managed to add another 2 1/700 scale Liberty Ships to the Convoy (now 10 in total)

Watchers of the Monthly Update will recall a few months ago I picked up a large collection of model ships from a chap (Vincent Kennedy) who had sadly passed away and these are the first two that have been Yarkshire Gamerfied.

I wanted to keep the orginal model as much as I could, but weather and base them so that they fit in with the rest of the collection, there are another 4 merchants to work on so I hope to have those done soon as well. The number of ships in the collection I picked up, is a bit overwhelming but I've made a start and guaranteed that these models will live on a bit longer.

I'm guessing that they are the Trumpeter Models but some of the AA mounts are different which I'm guessing is a conversion.

I'm a bit behind on the Podcast as well but I'll get back in the swing soon.

Regards Ken 

Yarkshire Gamer 

#naval #wargames #wargaming #TabletopGaming #wargames #1/700 #modelling 

Yarkshire Gamer Podcast 78 - Mark Strachan - New Zealand 1866

 

Hi everyone, welcome once again to Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast.

Today sees a continuation of our round the world trip with a visit to New Zealand and my guest Mark Strachan.

The episode is available on all major Podcast hosts or via the link below 

https://kenrtai.podbean.com/e/episode-78-mark-strachan-new-zealand-1866/

Marks Blog 1866 and all that has been a popular stop off point for many wargamers over the years, it covers many things but specialises in the Franco Prussian War and other similar wars around that time.

https://stracmark.blogspot.com/

We look at Marks personal hobby as well as his time working in the wargames industry and the hobby in general in New Zealand. Hope you enjoy it.

Episode 79 will be a new show format for Yarkshire Gamer as I take you all back in time to 1983 and the first ever edition of Miniature Wargames. I've got some great guests and an item from the magazine (kindly donated by its current owner) which I hope to raise a few quid for the Bradford Burns Unit by auctioning it off.

So until next time,

Sithee

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

And as always here's the Utubes version of the last episode 

Yarkshire Gamer Podcast 77 - Charlie Wesencraft - A Tribute

 

Earlier this year one of the early Wargaming Pioneers Charlie Wesencraft passed away at the age of 97. 

You can listen to the episode via any major Podcast Host, just search for Yarkshire Gamer, or you can tune in on this link

https://kenrtai.podbean.com/e/episode-77-charlie-wesencraft-a-tribute/

I thought it would be a fitting tribute to get some of my former guests together and have them tell Charlies story and there memories of him. 

In between the various interview sections I read passages from his first book, written in 1974, Practical Wargaming. See if you can spot any phrases from those readings that still resonate today.

Charlies first book can still be obtained via amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charlie-Wesencrafts-Practical-Wargaming-Wesencraft-ebook/dp/B01H2UK96U?ie=UTF8&tag=mh0a9-21&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvexid={aceid}&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7dy1f5hemb_e

Here is a link to Robbie Roddis' piece on his blog about Charlie

https://independentwargamesgroup.blogspot.com/2025/04/charlie-wesencraft-author-wargamer-and.html

And here is the piece about Pete Berry from Baccus6mm and his tribute to Charlie which has a link to the Blenheim Project

https://www.baccus6mm.com/news/28-06-2025/CharlesFWesencraft/

Thanks for listening and as always, please like subscribe and comment wherever you get this podcast to help the listenership grow.

My next guest will hopefully be Mark Strachan from New Zealand who runs the 1866 and all that blog, so I best get the Yarkshire Airline Pidgeon fed up for the trip.

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

And of course here's the last episode on the Utubes 

Yarkshire Gamer Podcast 76 - A Question of Brews

 

Hello everyone and here's something for the weekend !

This is the hangover from Episode 74 when in the Brews in the Binyard Episode where we talked rubbish for that long we didn't get chance to cover the listener questions ! So here they are.

As usual the episode is avaliable on all major Podcast hosts or via the link below 

https://kenrtai.podbean.com/e/episode-76-a-question-of-brews/

We spend an hour catching up as one or two things have happened between this episode and the last brews and then its into the questions.

As always for the professionally offended, this is a very loose form Podcast which contains the odd (and even) naughty word, I even mention edible knickers a couple of times (no, I don't know where it came from either) so if its not your ting skip on by and wait for the next episode.

Speaking of which I am putting together a Tribute Episode to the recently departed Charlie Wesencraft whose book Practical Wargaming was an introduction to the hobby for many of us. If you would like to include an audio tribute (minute of so long) to Charlie, send it to me at yarkshiregamer@gmail.com 

Until next time Sithee

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer

The YouTube version of the previous episode is shown below

Rebellion and Retribution - A Review of the new Ireland 1642-49 Scenario Book

 

Welcome to the latest Yarkshire Gamer Review and today I am looking at a new scenario book written by Bill Linhart, Peter Page and Paul Reynolds specifically for Simon Millers To the Strongest Rules.

Honest Box - Simon sent me this book to review, I think he's a top bloke. I don't play To the Strongest and I'm a Royalist 😁

I do a quick flip through of the book and then concentrate on one of the scenarios (there are 8) so you get a good idea if the book is for you.

Personally I think it's a great book and even includes a mention of my Great, Great Great etc Uncle Myles and his weak bladder.

Recommended 

Avaliable at the Big Red Bat Shop - please mention Yarkshire Gamer when ordering (no you won't get a discount)

https://bigredbatshop.co.uk/collections/all/scenarios

Regards Ken

The Yarkshire Gamer