So about the Tour, the tour was a great time with some awesome people. We all meet up in Toronto and flew out the nite of Sept 23rd, then we landed in England at around 11AM on Sept 24th. Then proceeded to London to our hotel at the Hilton Metropole, and was given the rest of the day to explore London and then meet back at the hotel for dinner. I took the rest of the day up to dinner to get some sleep since I had not sleep for about 27 hours up to that point. On Sept 25th there was two different tour options for the day; either the Military Tour of London, or the Geek Tour of London. I went on the Geek Tour of London; which we went to comic book shops, game stores, and one really nice model store with R/C stuff and scale model kits. Then we went to a Curry House for dinner as a group, boy was that a bad idea. The food was alright, as I had never had Curry before that. There really wasn't that much served up during the dinner, then the check for the dinner came to the table. Holy Crap! was the expression from just about everyone, cause the meal cost about $50 US. That will more then likely be the last time the tour will go to that Curry House.
After that we left for Birmingham for the evening, and then on Sept 26th we went to Games Day UK. Which after being there I can say that I'm not sure if I would go to another Games Day anywhere. It was good to see all of the sites, displays, and get some pre-release items; but the show as a whole was poorly run by GW. The only smart group there was the Black Library section, as they were well organized and had people controlling the lines for their products and to get the main authors to sign books. The worst group there had to be the Forge World sales area, there was zero organization to the area for the whole day. They had people just pile in front of their tables and then push to the front of the lines, then once you got your order you have to go stand in the chaos to pay for your order. And they did have a pre-order area, but it was just as big of a mess as the regular order area. I did learn one thing for the next time if I go to a Games Day, enter the Golden Daemon competition and you get in an hour earlier then everyone else. And if there is a line to get into the Games Day and there is space beside the line, then just move up there cause the organizers are going to do that anyways. So would I go back? Not unless they have something that really interests me, and even then I would enter the Golden Daemon to get early access. And they Photoshop all the pictures they take anyways for the Golden Daemon, what a big let down that was to see going on right there in front of everyone.
We all then went back to the hotel and some of the guys got in a makeshift game of 40K on some tables in the lounge area beside the bar of the hotel. So that was a fun nite, and I got to quickly go over my Imperial Armour 9: Badab Wars Part One book. Sept 27th we went to Bovington Tank Museum, which was really good. I wished that we would of had some more time there to explore everything, and we found out that if we would of called ahead we could of took a tour of their restoration area for the tanks. But what I really wanted to do was get to either drive one of the tanks, or ride in one of the tanks. But they only had four days a year where people get to drive or ride in the tanks, and the next one was I think at the end of October. But I will definitely go back to Bovington Tank Museum, and hopefully get to drive one around too. After that we went to our hotel in Bournemouth and then a group of us went out to a pub in the town. During our time at the pub we realized that it was my birthday, so all of the sudden I had two more pints sitting in front of me on top of the three that I had already drank. After that we walked down to the sea side and the beach area, then we walked back to the hotel where there was more games going on.
Then on Sept 28th we went to Corfe Castle, which was really great. I will go back to this Corfe Castle town at some point for sure, it is a really great little town. And the Castle was amazing, if only it had not been destroyed it would of been even more amazing today. We had a guided tour of the castle, and the tour guide was really good. After we finished that tour we went to the Miniature Village & Castle / Cafe for lunch, again I could of spent more time in the town due to all of the shops and sites to see. After that we went to Nottingham for the evening, where we went and had dinner at "Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem" which was built in 1189 AD in Nottingham.
This place is really interesting and the food was really good too, but there was more going on that nite then just food. We had some visitors that came out to the dinner; there was Alan & Michael Perry of Perry Historical Miniatures, Alessio Cavatore of previous Games Workshop and now Mantic Games rules writer, Ronnie from Mantic Games, John Stallard & Steve Morgan of Warlord Games, I think I seen Nick Kyme there for a few minutes (author of the Salamanders Series of novels), and I think two guys from Unseen Lerker magazine too (not really sure). So that evening I spent most of my time at the dinner listening to Michael Perry talk, as he was sitting beside of me at the table. And then I wandered over to see if I could find Nick Kyme, but he had already left if he was there. So next up was Alessio Cavatore, I wandered into the conversation he was having with another guy on our tour. Right before I left to go get another pint I asked Alessio if he was going to stop by Warhammer World tomorrow, he laughed and said that he didn't think that was going to be a good idea. I told him that he could just be a normal gamer getting in some games, he didn't buy it. Then went the "Trip" was closing a group of us went over to another pub in the town. Alan Perry went with us, and I think the two guys from Unseen Lerker too but they sat at another table with Romeo. Our group grabbed a table and again I was sitting beside Alan Perry this time, and listened to him talk about everything. Then when that pub closed at 2AM we went back to the hotel, which there was a two games going on at the hotel just starting to finish up.
Sept 29th was Warhammer World from a little before 10AM to 11PM (normally Bugman's Pub closes at 10PM on Wednesdays). So I started a game of 40k, but was pulled away to get a guided tour of the Miniatures Hall at Warhammer World before we started playing. We were allowed to have the guide take one miniature from the cases for close up pictures, and then we were allowed to hold the Slayer Sword for the Golden Daemon competition. After that we went back down and finished our game, which lead to me conceding at the start of my forth turn with no Tactical Squads on the board. And I had my squad of Vulkan & Terminators left on the board and way out of position to contest either of the two objectives. After that we had lunch at the Warhammer World Restaurant, then I went back and wandered around watching some games going on. Then around 3PM a few of us went over to Warlord Games offices and metal casting area in Nottingham. John from Warlord lead us around on a tour of their area, and we were shown how the casting process is done for Pewter figures. Then we were lead to their offices and had a Q&A session with them on their products and the future of Warlord Games. We then checked to see if we could get a tour of Mantic Games, but they were already closed for the day and it was going to take longer to get over there. So we went back to Warhammer World, where I went and placed my Forge World order. We then had dinner at the Restaurant again, and then I went back and watched some games and talked with other on the tour. Then at 10PM we transferred to Bugman's Pub and had a few more pints, then went back to the hotel for the evening and went to the bar at the hotel for some more discussion.
Sept 30th we left the hotel that morning and stopped at Maelstrom Games, the place was in the process of remodel but it will be a really great place when complete. I believe the next tour over to the UK there is plans to have a tournament at Maelstrom Games. Then once we got to London we had the rest of the day for what ever we wanted, I was starting to feel the bug that was being passed around on the tour so I went and had a nap. We then had a goodbye meet at the sports bar of the Hilton Metropole that evening. Then in the morning of Oct 1st we got up and left for the airport to fly out, very early in the morning. We flew out at about 11AM from England, and arrived in Toronto at about 3PM. Then my flight wasn't until 1PM the next day, so me and Hyde from Columbus Ohio got a hotel room there at the airport in Toronto. Which we finally crashed for the day at about 8PM, and didn't awake till 8AM on Oct 2nd which helped get back into the swing of the time zone.
Overall it was a great trip, and I would like to go back and do the trip again for sure. With maybe a few changes for the next one, mainly get a roommate for the trip that does not snore like a chainsaw at full blast.
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