| I guess my interest in board games started during the | | | | dispatches some 25 years after it's' design. |
| World Cup draw in 1965. I had gone to stay with one | | | | In 1978 I met a number of like-minded people and we |
| of my Cousins back home in the east end of London, | | | | all met regularly to play board games. At the same |
| my parents having moved to Surrey 4 years before. It | | | | time I infiltrated a Dungeons & Dragons Club (not a |
| was early January and we were nearing the end of | | | | great fan I'm afraid) got myself elected secretary and |
| the school holidays. I'd seen West Ham play once over | | | | then started to introduce fantasy board games into the |
| the holiday period and all the presents had been | | | | meetings, soon I had them playing Sorcerers Cave, |
| stacked away in cupboards, most of which were | | | | Mystic Wood etc. When I eventually left the group |
| never to see the light of day again. | | | | they played little D&D but a lot of board games. |
| Boredom set in so we decided to tackle Monopoly (a | | | | During the 80's the games collection grew, well past |
| Christmas present), we were twelve years old then. I | | | | the 500 by 1988 when we moved to Hampshire. By |
| guess twelve year olds nowadays have more | | | | the time we got to Cornwall in 1991 the collection |
| alternatives for passing away winter afternoons during | | | | exceeded 1,000. The house we purchased had to |
| school holidays. Anyway we played loads of games | | | | have enough room to store them all. |
| of Monopoly; we were both competitive but good | | | | 1980 - 1995 saw a number to the major games |
| losers (comes with being a West Ham supporter). | | | | conventions. I remember the good old days at the |
| On my return home to Surrey I rushed out and bought | | | | Royal Horticultural Halls in London, when Games Day |
| a copy of Monopoly with vouchers I got for Christmas | | | | meant more than just D&D and painted figures. I |
| plus Spy Ring and Formula One. Games were not that | | | | remember meeting Major Pat Reid promoting Colditz, |
| popular in those days, apart from the annual airing at | | | | Alan Parr inventor of United and later Fireside Football, |
| Christmas, I loved them dearly but nobody else was | | | | Andrew Neil the Inventor of Kingmaker and Maureen |
| interested in my group of friends. | | | | Hiron of Quadwrangle and Continuo fame. I attended |
| Some years later I bought a copy of Diplomacy and | | | | Midcon, Manorcon and Baycon; organised by the |
| soon entered the postal gaming hobby; this must have | | | | postal gaming hobby, all still going strong and always |
| been in about 1973/4. The amateur magazines ('zines) | | | | well worth a visit. |
| were excellent; although postal gaming is long winded it | | | | I continue to collect games, mostly but not exclusively |
| was sometimes the only way to experience the less | | | | German and play games and I play with a small group |
| well known games particularly if you lived in an area | | | | of gamers in Truro. We meet semi regularly but |
| where there was a lack of opponents. | | | | hopefully more regularly in the future to play board |
| In 1975 I developed a game called Cricketboss, this | | | | games. Personally it's a great opportunity to blow the |
| was a postal Cricket Management game very loosely | | | | dust off many games previously retired to my loft. |
| based on Soccerboss (Commercial game) that was | | | | Hopefully we will inspire more people in Cornwall to |
| running by post at that time. The game ran for three | | | | sample the unique experience of playing competitive |
| seasons in a 'zine called Chimera and also spawned a | | | | board games which stretch the mind and imagination |
| number of versions of the game across the national | | | | far beyond my and most other people's early |
| postal gaming hobby (long after I finished running it). | | | | experiences of Monopoly, Cluedo and Scrabble. |
| Even now its gets the occasional mention in | | | | |