A Cinematic trip to Alnwick

Wednesday 18th January

Blackshirt companion paper to the NecroNews."If it's not fit for printing it will be printed"

                               

                   

Evening traffic jam in downtown Alnwick

                         Our first gametrip to Garvald of the year seen us heading back into the dark realms of 1938 Very British Civil War and a battle for Alnwick which seem to involve a few visits by other side to the local cinema.I have been at this cinema a couple of times as this was one of the spots visited a lot on scout camps.

Sleepy Alnwick before the matinee rush.

                            This visit tonight was no laughing matter as it was a struggle between the forces of the Royalist  supporters of King Edward VIII and local defence forces with added local and national celebrities thrown into the boiling pot.

Wallis having a wee puff and a G&T before the evening's festivities.

                           Bill Gilchrist,Dave O'Brien and myself took on the role of the bad guys(according to Colin  since it his dojo)whilst Mr Ray,the skulking Donald Adamson and the newly married groom took the part of the hard done to defenders.

Whilst Edward polishes his crown.

                           

Dave's straight in.

 As usual straight from the off Dave headed straight up the main street of Alnwick hoping to take some ground and be first in the queue for the cinema but alas he was brought to a halt just as he turned into the street.My plan was to go up the left side as Colin had neglected to put any house windows facing my side so I moved my Grenadier guards up hoping to sweep away any resistance and head for the enemy rear,game over.How many times in the past few years have I said that.I was confronted by a local lord's estate workers and was made to cower down behind a wall.My lads tried to go head to head with them but they picked my lads off one by one until the only man left standing was my n.c.o who had no intention of sticking his busby clad head above the wall.I eventually moved up a machine gun and dealt with these pests.

                                Bill was to head up the right flank and hopefully head into the cinema

Left,right left,right.

through the back door therefore not needing to purchase tickets.The  nemesis facing him was the skulking Donald aided and abetted by a company of schoolkids from nearby Coal Hill school all armed with Lee-Enfields led by some lad called Mr Chips.After a while and good shooting from Bill it was goodbye Mr Chips.

"What do you mean I'm getting schoolboys and landgirls?"

                     

Every schoolboy's dream-a rifle.

Meanwhile Dave had drove up the main street and deposited,under fire,a squad of BUF fascists who proceeded to head into the cinema just in time for the serial with the intention of digging in and hopefully seeing Flash Gordon in the process.

Could do with some double yellow lines.

                    The local Alnwick police force had other ideas and proceeded to fire at Dave's squad and pinned them so that they couldn't do anything for a few turns except cower.This police squad was controlled by Colin and at the same time was attempting to utilise his Post Office rocket team to do a first class delivery on my advancing squads.Initially he couldn't hit a barn door but eventually his team succeeded in delivering the mail much to my discontent.

Post Office rocket company delivering the mail.

                           Mr Ray was given charge of the George Washington volunteers(that's Washington D.C and not Washington Tyne and Wear) and moved them forward to occupy some of the buildings on the corner main street but once again due to the lack of windows on the rear of the building he had to contend with shooting at Dave's immobilized squad-lucky for me.

Imposing American values.

                           Colin meanwhile also drove  his armoured car up the main street but after a few useless shots was brought to a shuddering halt and remained there for the remainder of the game his crew ignoring every order.Colin followed up this advance with another foray with his armoured bus which drew fire from both sides of the street making it also come to a shuddering halt.

"Hoy-move that bus"

                 Donald after losing his schoolboy squad decided to see if his company of Landgirls could do any better(remember this is a Colin Jack game).They were supported by a machine gun team also crewed by women-scary.They headed for the cinema hoping to dislodge the defenders and hopefully catch a nice romantic film in the process.They also tried to get in the back door but were fired on by Bill's French allies and forced to take cover in an adjoining building whereupon they were set upon by the French and made to head for the hills sans their reputation.

Donald's girls being refused entry

My girls heading for a night on the town.

                        Colin in this ultimate wisdom decided that if one side has a company of woman so should the other and this came in the form of Boudicca's babes who had last seen action fighting Belgian's exactly 52 weeks ago.They were under my wing so I had them moving up and occupying a front row seat on the main street opposite the cinema waiting for some targets of oppurtunity which came in the form of the Berwick TA cyclist company who had just evicted Dave from the cinema but there aim was definitely off probably due to rogue eyelashes or something.

Bill charging up the table

                   Bill decided to charge up his flank wit two small tanks but really to no avail apart from hoping to fire at the advancing members of the Berwick fire brigade -all armed.

"Tis to glory we steer"

                  Dave's squads were dwindling but his armoured car and a Royal Naval mounted gun armed lorry were making sure the streets of Alnwick were safe from marauding enemy armour albeit in the form of armoured buses.

"Hurry up and blow the final whistle as we are getting wasted here"

                     The evening once again came to a close again ever so quickly and the winning points were counted up using the novel method of a pack of cards giving the local defenders a very slight victory.

"I have a cunning plan sir!"

                A great game once again and especially as it's my favourite period.Just a pity I couldn't get my own figures into the fray but I don't think that you would have got many Cornwallians fighting in Northumberland.

Mr Ray's big phallic symbol.

             
                Mr Ray Neal,Donald Adamson and our host played the part of the local defence/government forces.
                    Bill Gilchrist,Dave O'Brien and myself played the part of the Royalist incursionists.
                 The struggle was preceeded by another excellent fare provided by chef Colin who provided all figures,scenery and scenario.