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Easter Long Weekend 3rd and 4th April 2010 McLaren Vale South Australia |
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| Off to a roaring start! The crowds have gone the trade stands packed away and the dice have fallen silent once again. Gamers at the first annual ozHistoryCon have rolled up the grass mats, packed away their armies, and soothed their wounded wallets before heading home. It was a hectic but thoroughly entertaining two days having fun in such a beautiful region. The organisers would like to thank everyone who assisted with the running of the day and also the visitors themselves, who came from right across Australia and even overseas.  Dawn over McLaren Vale The generosity and helpful nature of the people who run the venue got us off to a great start. Several wine makers attended with their families and soon joined in some of the participation games. Their comments later showed that they found the whole thing very much more interesting than we had expected from these hard working families. The game organisers were fantastic with the geniality and wonderful tables that drew the crowd's attention and, hopefully, broadened a few people's horizons. There were only a couple that didn’t offer the chance for visitors to join in, but the level of concentration showed that the players were having fun.  The Battle of Madonna del Olmo The trade stands were great this year and without their support, our convention would have been a very quiet affair indeed! We had stands from local, interstate and international vendors (Sanath Fernando himself came all the way from Sri Lanka and brought some magnificent painted figures to demonstrate his painting service). Of course we had advertised the various things to see in the area and it was great to see that most took advantage of them. People we have known for years as wargamers suddenly showed another side as they sipped wines available to taste at the hall on day two. It seems we have some connoisseurs among the ranks who know a good red or a tasty white. Similarly it was pleasing that so many families did attend. Wives and children looked around and then went off to enjoy the sites, the chocolate, cheese, olives, almond treats, and so many other things. Food was available at the hall, and much enjoyed. It was fun to see so many enjoying the pasta or the antipasto platters with a glass of wine or a beer. Others chose to take advantage of the huge range available in the main street of McLaren Vale. Some were surprised that the town was so large and well equipped, but of course it is a wealthy region so all food tastes are accounted for. Even Sanath Fernando was able to find Indian food that he declared to be of very high standard.  Food, drink, games, what else do you want!!! A pleasing aspect was that not only did the traders do a roaring trade in wargames figures, the sales of scenic items was very high. Modelling materials, trees, grass mats and so forth were in demand. The scenic modelling display by Alan Harrison was a great inspiration and he answered many questions from wargamers keen to improve their own layouts. I suspect that next year we will see some very nice tabletops, if they use even half the materials that were sold. A huge thank you goes to the great folk who helped pack up and tidy the hall after the convention came to an end. It was very heartening to see lots of wargamers who hardly knew each other, or who had lost touch over the years, joining together to clear things away with spontaneous enthusiasm. The organisers didn’t have to ask the people present just jumped in and got the job done. Mal Wright was exhausted but happy at the end, his only problem being a sore right hand from so many hearty handshakes across the weekend. It seemed everyone wanted to offer congratulations and request the event be run again next year. There were a very large number keen to present games next time. So many offers of support and ideas were offered that the organisers could hardly be anything but delighted. A last hour auction went off rather well. There were some people who, surprisingly, still had just enough money left to take part and snatch up a bargain or two. It also added to the good natured feeling of the last hour. We learned a lot from this experience and will take those lessons into account for next year to make it run smoother and more professionally. It was unfortunate that our keynote speaker couldn't make it on the day, but we'll make contingency plans should that happen again in the future. Special thanks to Group North, Southern Battlegamers, the guys from Lucindale, Adelaide gamers, Garrison and the many other private wargames groups that attended, helped, and made it a great weekend. It was really great to see them all gaming together and in such a genial atmosphere. Mark us in your calendar! We'll be back next year, bigger, brighter and full of games, traders, events, and more. 23rd and 24th April 2011. |
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