Where Seagulls Dare

 This was a game in the style of a dodgy war film and owes much to Ian Drury's 2005 game The Guns Of Toblerone (I ran it again in 2012 - link) .  WSD was set on a small island off the coast of southern France but filmed for reasons of economy on the Yorkshire coast - hence the name!  I'll not say too much at this point as I've been asked to run it at COW.

The mission involved sabotaging some German secret weapons. The cast er, I mean players were all given individual briefings and then had to select their equipment before being parachuted onto the island.  Meanwhile I set out the high quality terrain and elements of the garrison.

Being a properly rubbish old film, there was of course a Gestapo presence.

entertainingly the players spent several minutes speculating about the location of the
German secret weapons facility.  Then someone
took the time to look properly at the table...

a further cliche was the mountain-top castle.  I built the 'mountain' by draping a sheet over a table...

the German airfield soon attracted the team's attention

the garrison  - of course - included an obviously American postwar tank wearing big black crosses

One of many exciting incidents was the ambush on a mountain road next to the scary ravine.

A most entertaining game which the players entered into with good grace, and which produced several incidents and outcomes beyond my wildest imaginings!

Saving Private Lion

I am indebted to Nigel Drury for sending this Youtube link during a discussion of war films.  Splendid stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qga7yGat2KA

The Battle of Britain - for real

I am greatful to Ian Drury for drawing my attention to the following.  Makes you think.

In case anyone missed the obit of the most memorable face of the film, The Battle of Britain, here it is. What an extraordinarily courageous man.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/8204673/Bill-Foxley.html

My Kingdom for a halftrack

Following Bob Cordery's recent blog comments about the Ian McKellen version of Richard III (set in the 1930s), I was remembered that I have seen and taken photos of some of the AFVs used in the filming. The vehicles formed part of the Budge Collection whose Retford base hosted a MAFVA event in the mid-1990s. Sadly, few of my photos seem to have survived but they include a vehicle which was definitely in the film.

Below: Not a German Sdkfz-251 but an ex-Czech Army OT-810 APC. This still bears the markings it wore in the film.

The interior of the OT, looking in through the rear doors. Having subsequently sat in a BMP it looks positively spacious!

An ex-Polish (?) T-55. Very dusty.

A rebuilt T-34/85. Despite the Russian script this too may be ex-Polish as I recall Budge bought 10 of them (maybe there was a deal if you bought them by the company) which arrived complete with all the external MGs swathed in grease but fully functional in the 10th tank.

Finally, the only other photo I could locate was of this AMX-13 light tank.

The only purchase I recall making at this event was an unissued East German steel helmet - the first, as it turned out, of many military silly hats.