A good visit to the Colours show yesterday. Very crowded in the morning, but had largely emptied out by the time I left at two-ish.

A big fantasy game from the show. They obviously knew the way in!

Interesting journey there: I’ve been many times before, so went my usual route, only to find that that entrance to the racecourse was closed, with no way through to the correct entrance just the other side of a traffic barrier. It was really a case of so near, yet so far! I then spent the next twenty minutes driving around the nearby industrial estate trying to find my way in…and all the time I could see the racecourse, and the stand where the show was held, but just couldn’t work out how to get there! Eventually ended up looping onto the end of a convoy of obvious wargamers following someone who did actually know the way in, but that’s still twenty minutes of my life I’m not getting back LOL.

My irritation immediately disappeared, however, when I remembered that there was no entrance fee this year, so one could just swan in and out as required. Jolly good show already!

Colours followed its usual format. The ground floor (the betting hall) was packed full of traders, and ws the usual scrum to get through. Slight need for more deodorant from some people as well, particularly in one corner away from the doors, but that could just be my still-unusual, post-COVID sense of smell kicking in. I bought some bases and tufts, but nothing major: just the things you get irritated having to pay postage and packing for.

I did fail to immediately buy a giant crab for £14 from Disain Studios only to find that they had sold out when I eventually decided that I had to have it, so I remain crab-less. I have no need of a giant crab, I hasten to add, nor any expectation of needing one anytime soon, but it was calling its siren song to me, so I will probably end up getting one at another show. Or I could go to their website to get the link for this post…no, must resist…at least until I see it in the flesh (the shell? the resin?) again!

I couldn’t find the crab on their website (am I destined never to get crabs?!) so here’s a shot of a large ancients game from the show

Next floor up was combination of demo games, trade stands and places to eat and drink. Catering was the usual snacks and sandwiches (can we go back to Ascot again please: the food there was lovely!) and this was the floor where the Lardies had set up shop with games of Chain of Command and Strength & Honour.

The CoC set up was part of the legendary TFL Arnhem triptych some of which I had seen at Operation Market Larden, and looked even better than before. Can’t wait to see all three in place in the near future.

Then onto the top floor: demo games and the Bring & Buy. This latter didn’t have anything I wanted, but at least had a sizeable frontage that meant not too much barging around to see what was what.

Lovely For King & Parliament demo game was up here as well: featuring the Roundway Down scenario. Also good to finally meet Simon and Andrew face to face.

So that was Colours for another year. As I said, a good show, and loads of people to say hello to and chat to.