The Ramp Down of Salute 2014

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Here be Dragons!

Salute 2014 is over and I am back in Scotland now.  I got back on Sunday afternoon but its taken until now for me to take care of all the email and other matters to have time to make this posting.  My own blogging comes last on the list and is mainly for my own amusement here on this domain.  That being said I hope the three thousand of you who look at it each week enjoy the read.   Anyway with the dust settled and some time to muse on it…just how was Salute this year for me and as an event?

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Come and look at the table!

For me this Salute was the most easy going ever with the entire event going off without a hitch and even the traffic in London being remarkably light.  I was tired sure but nothing like the mad days of 2004-2010 for this wargames show.  I met a lot of nice people and in among the praise of how much they were loving The Ion Age and wishing it good growth I also took some flak from Flintloque fans.  Did I not know this was the first Salute since the 1990’s that Flintloque did not dominate the trade stand?  Well I did and I did it on purpose; sorry guys!  Makes me think though Flintloque has been ‘me’ for so long now that it did feel a bit strange not to have it there.  We did fine in terms of our sales and I was happy with that and as always we dropped off a stack of ‘collect on the day’ pre-orders.  I want to thank all those who supported us and me and I wish them well.

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The Ion Age in the ‘flesh’ got a lot of admiring looks

As an event this Salute was rather more quiet that previous years.  Less excitement and buzz in the massive hall at Excel and without the bring and buy the gaps between the rows of stands was very wide indeed.  I think attendance was down a bit as well.   Certainly I tend to notice things like this and my notes from 2013 said the same thing down on 2012.  Not to be pessimistic but it seems possible to me with the changing nature of the hobby that such a big show might not continue as it is.   A smaller trade stand suited us and other traders had done the same thing perhaps noticing what I had.  I have not seen this opinion online elsewhere but then maybe I am wrong on this…when I look back at this post in a year I will know for sure.  Just call me Hari Seldon perhaps!

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Perhaps this sign will be gone next year?

Now.  On with life and with business.  Its Malig Madness release week on The Ion Age and its the Maginot Turret kit on 15mm.co.uk and Slaughterloo is back in stock from the morrow on Alternative Armies.  Plus the sun is shining.  Life is mighty fine by the sea here in Girvan and there is a LOT coming your way over the coming months.

GBS

Don’t go to Egypt on Holiday….

I was thinking that I might take a week’s foreign holiday this year.  You know somewhere in the sun.  Somewhere myself and the children could relax and enjoy ourselves and why not I have not been away for several years.  I have a list in my head of possible places that are in the sun but the list just got shorter..by one nation.  That nation is Egypt and while that country has had it share of troubles during the Arab Spring I had thought that visiting the more remote areas in a place like Sharm Al Sheikh but no more.  Go along and read this article being carried by all of the major news networks today and if you are a woman or a man who cares for his other half just don’t go.  Don’t.

You can give other cultures a lot, you can make allowances for languages and indeed you should for that and for other cultures and systems of living but not always.  It seems Egypt is far from a nice place especially if you are a woman.  You might complain that walking about in normal (for western countries) clothes is not an invitation to be physically assaulted but in Egpyt it really is.  Even in the grounds of the finest university in the land which you would expect to be a beacon of progress.  Was I surprised, well a bit, but sadly not really; but what I did learn is that in Egpyt sexual assault is not even a crime.  A UN report finds that nearly 100% of the female population has been harassed in one way or another.  Yuch!

I will not be giving money to this nation.  Not until it enlightens itself…which might be a really long time.  I wonder what St Andrews is like for a summer break?  Might not be as warm, might be raining but it will be freedom for all.

GBS

Do I like the Winter Olympics…No!

Over the past few days I have had dozens of emails and pings personally over the Winter Olympics currently underway in Russia.  I have also had people asking me in the street (despite the wind and water and cold) if I enjoy the Olympics.  The answer is no.  I don’t find sport interesting.  Perhaps its the turn off of football and the absurd money that ball kickers make but really its deeper.  Lots to do in the world that matters more and its never mentioned.  So sport no.  But I was interested enough to do some digging about the current Olympics and what did I find…well nothing nice.  That led me to YouTube and one of my favourite channels, that of Stefan Molyneux the libertarian philosopher.   He has made a video that includes all I turned up and a lot more.

Have a look and listen if you have a spare half hour.  But be warned you will not like the Olympics once you do.

GBS