News:

Welcome to the SoA Forum.  You are welcome to browse through and contribute to the Forums listed below.

Main Menu

Vapnartak question

Started by Dave Knight, January 28, 2013, 11:12:12 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Dave Knight

I see that the Society is running a participation game and was just wondering what it is.  I might get a chance to play it :D

Dave Knight


Patrick Waterson

Can any of our Vapnartak team answer this one?
"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." - Winston Churchill

yesthatphil

Sorry to David and anyone else affected ... the Society Shows North team has felt obliged to withdraw from Vapnartak.

We have not been particularly well-treated by Vapnartak/York Wargames Society over recent years (despite us supporting the show since it days back in the Merchant Adventurer's Hall), but this year they have treated us particularly badly.   It is quite an expedition to York Racecourse for us and we sort of need to be dealt with fairly.

There is a full explanation on http://soawargamesteam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/3rd-february-nowhere-now.html and I have also put a note on the old Yahoo mailing list (so hopefully our own members at least will know) ...  I haven't put anything on TMP as we can get pretty harsh treatment from that crowd and if we end up having to have some sort of Societies vs Traders spat, it ought to be amongst our own and on our own turf ...

Sorry if I haven't given this information out as early as I could - it hasn't been the only issue with which I've had to deal since Christmas and I did initially hold some hope that York Wargames Society would appreciate how this affects us and find a fairer way to solve their problems.

Phil

aligern

Understood Phil,
You and your team put a lot of effort into running stands at shows and that needs show organisers to play ball and realise that the wargames societies need supporting and that means giving fair treatment and decent positions.
Having run the trade side of a show for several years I  do understand that the group running a show has to balance the revenue from traders with putting on a show that has lots of attractions. Despite what some traders think a trade only show is un satisfying.  In the end , if they make push other stands into unattractive areas with low footfall then the show and the hobby will suffer.

Roy

Dave Knight

Thanks for the update

I am sorry that I will not see the Society stand at the show but I fully understand the reasoning behind the decision.

As someone who is involved in putting on a show myself I understand the pressures that show organisers are under as well.  However an out and out commitment should of course be honoured.

yesthatphil

#6
Thanks for your understanding, Dave ...

Not an 'out and out' commitment, to be fair to Mr Darley ...

(Oct 24th 2012): Unfortunately we over booked at this years show and that's why you were tucked in a corner way up on the 2nd floor mezzanine - next year I plan to move you down next to the Lance & Longbow Society in the Pike & Shots place.

(1st Jan 2013): after drawing up a preliminary floorplan I suddenly spotted that one of the traders next to the Societys zone (Mutineer Miniatures) wanted to put on a demo game and the easiest option was to put his game where I was going to put you.  ...

... but I think given that I had specifically asked if we could take a turn in the main show area, a pretty clear tempt that all would be favourable this year.

In the subsequent correspondence, Mr Darley has made it clear that the trader pays, we don't (so even if it is a last minute reorganisation - as seems to have been the case both the last 2 years - we get whatever is left).

The only 'power' we have in all this seems to be that we don't have to go if we don't want to.

Well as I have suggested, the circuit of shows and events the various Society show teams do grew in an era where fuel cost less than a third what it does today (and where traders were happy to see Societies take subscriptions at shows without feeling the need to complain to the organisers that there was illicit trading going on, as occurred re e.g. the Lance & Longbow Society at Colours) ...

So although I feel bad that we have been let down by York Wargames Society and bad that we will not see old and new associates this year (at a show I have liked and supported over many years) ... really, these things have a way of sorting themselves out - we need to trim back a bit and Vapnartak are not making us feel welcome or wanted ...

The game was to be the first public outing for my completed 54mm version of the Battle of Bosworth (using DBA V3).  This is now scheduled to debut at Hammerhead next week.

Enjoy your day out tomorrow ...

Phil