Since Don Featherstone, one of the founding fathers of wargaming left the field of play, there have been a lot of memorial events to mark his passing. For example, Christ Scott, Michael Curry and I ran a stand about his books at Warfare in Reading last year.
Don's life long friend, Ron Miles, wanted a trophy to be awarded annually in Don's name. So in collaboration with Henry Hyde (editor of Miniature Wargames), Mark Freeth (the Wargames Holiday Centre), Chris Scott and I, a plan was hatched to run an annual weekend at the Wargames Holiday Centre Basingstoke . It fell to Henry and Mark to organize the detail and make it happen.
The event was run in March 2014. 28mm figures, huge terrain boards, rules pasted onto the walls, the event was run in a friendly style that the early wargamers would have valued.
At the end of the event, the trophy was awarded unanimously to one of the early wargaming legends, Charlie Wesencraft. In his eighties, the spritely Charlie was energetically engaged all weekend (even if his character figure was killed). Don's daughter Jane presented the award, which also included Don's lucky dice, a free subscription to Miniature Wargames and a free return to the holiday centre next year. Two runner's up received copies of Don's last book on Wargaming Commando Operations.
The presentation was captured on video and is On YouTube.
Good one Henry Hyde and Mark Freeth, Don would have been pleased with the event.
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ReplyDeleteJohn Curry Editor History of Wargaming Project26 March 2014 12:28
At the end of the event, some of Don's books (kindly donated by his daughter), were auctioned. This raised £380 for the Combat Stress Appeal, a charity Don would have heartily approved off.