Wargaming the Anglo-Saxons at Sutton Hoo, July 2024 UPDATE 9.7

[guitarheroandy]

I am very pleased to announce that I have organised the second 'Wargaming the Age of the Anglo-Saxons' event at the iconic Anglo-Saxon ship burial site of Sutton Hoo in Suffolk, United Kingdom. It takes place on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th July 2024 and is free with site admission.

We will have at least three participation games running all day each day with a range of simple, fast-play rules being employed. Games will be fast, furious, bloody and a lot of fun! There will also be a painting area where visitors can paint a free plastic Anglo-Saxon thegn (courtesy of the wonderful folk at Gripping Beast Miniatures).

The aim is to demonstrate to the visiting public what a great fun hobby wargaming is, with the emphasis on social interaction, artistic creativity, enjoying history and generally having a lot of fun with other like-minded people. The games will be set so that the public can play easily and so that experienced gamers can also have a lot of fun too. We also want to link what we do to the history of our site so all games will be set during the 6th and 7th centuries, which is the time period of Sutton Hoo's heyday as a royal burial site.

And of course, as well as the gaming, there is also the beautiful site of Sutton Hoo itself to look around, with the burial mounds, the Exhibition Hall (with replica and real items from the various digs at the site), plus Tranmer House, the one-time home of Edith Pretty who organised the 1939 dig that unearthed the ship burial itself. There are also numerous delightful walks around the site including woodland and riverside walks to delight the soul in between the furious table-top combat clashes! Not to mention the cafe which is quite outstanding!

Our first event last year was a great success and by going for a whole weekend this time, we hope to make it even better! Hope to see some LAF-ers there! Although I'll be 'at work' there on both days, I'll never be far away from the gaming area, so do pop over and say 'hello' if you are able to make it!
 

[Pattus Magnus]

I wish I could attend, these sort of events are on my bucket list! When I finally get to travel to the UK in the future I will be nudging the timing toward including some gaming-related events.

I hope it goes well, the pics on the Mogsy Makes blog of last year’s event looked like a blast!

[Wilgut Spleens]

Brilliant! I hope it goes as well as last years event

[OSHIROmodels]

Good stuff 

[Matakakea]

Well, at least there's some time to try and figure out transport.....

[Sleepy Snoozy Skeletons]

Wonderful idea, I'd love to pay a visit. My girlfriend has friends in the UK and i think maybe i could ask if she'd like to visit them again, maybe around the end of July perchance 

[macsen wledig]

should be a good 'un

[guitarheroandy]

We are now in a position to confirm the three games on offer at our Wargaming the Age of the Anglo-Saxons weekend at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, UK on 27th and 28th July 2024.

First, we have Mogsymakes (James Morris & Chums) with The Battle of the River Idle using James' own fast-play rules, 'Mead Price.' I wonder how many times King Raedwald will die this year (hint: he didn't do so well last year!)



The Battle of the River Idle makes a second appearance via my old gaming club Peterborough Wargames Club but this time using 'Lion Rampant'.



Finally we have East Anglian Historical Wargamers (my current gaming group) with a scenario using simplified 'Dux Britanniarum' called 'Back to the Ship' - can the Britons stop the Angle raiders from getting their ill-gotten booty back to their ship?



We also have over a hundred plastic Anglo-Saxon thegns to be coloured in within our painting area courtesy of those wonderful chaps at Gripping Beast - heartfelt 'thank yous' go to the GB chaps for their kindness and generosity in letting us have these models.

It promises to be a great weekend! If any of you do make it, please do pop over and say 'hello' as I'll be lurking by the gaming area for most of the day.

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

Excellent.  should introduce some new folks to the hobby for sure.