This weekend just gone, I visited the Warfare show at its new if exceedingly temporary home at Ascot Racecourse (next year it will be somewhere in Farnborough - Ascot proving too expensive for a repeat).

Those of you who have been to Warfare in previous years will know of its historical presence at the Rivermead Leisure Centre in Reading: a place often characterised by terrible parking, worse catering, but two large halls (and a few smaller rooms) packed full of gaming goodness that made it an unmissable event.

So how was the Racecourse.

Pretty good actually, if you ask me.

There were a few problems: the parking, although free, was very badly signposted when I arrived around midday. Apparently the original car park had filled up more quickly than anticipated, and there wasn’t any decent signage for the overflow. But it was, when I eventually found it, plentiful and free, which is good.

As for the atmosphere, I thought it was excellent. The main body of the show was on the ground floor of the main grandstand: a space that seemed to stretch for miles and miles. Imagine Salute squeezed into a 10m wide corridor and you have an idea of what I mean. This gave the show an intimate, labyrinth like quality, where display games and trade stands seemingly appeared out of nowhere in a way that I can only describe as being akin to the back of Mr Ben’s favourite tailors! In a similar vein, and for our younger viewers, I half expected to step into Narnia at any moment!

It reminded me a bit of the town hall in Kensington that used to be the venue for Salute, but schroffed up and brand new. I liked it.

Amazing 54mm battle between the Romans and Carthaginians

The ancillary elements, the Bring & Buy, the competition games, were on the second and fourth floors: again, plenty of room and very pleasant surroundings. I don’t competition game any more (brings out the worst in me!) but I enjoy wandering around looking at all the armies on show, admiring the look and feel of the rule sets I like, scoffing at the ones I don’t! The venue made this easy to do and a most enjoyable trek.

So, all in all, an excellent show in an excellent venue. Even better, the catering was up to the standards you would expect from Ascot Racecourse, and not too pricey either. Three excellent coffees and a cake cost me only £11.50 (and the cake was delicious: fresh etc); my lunch was a burger that actually tasted of cow and not of a poor unfortunate who broke a leg at the last!

Well done to the Wargames Association of Reading, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s show.