Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast

Hi all, I've been allocating most of my hobby time to painting over the last couple of months and its the Podcast which has taken a bit of a back seat, but with the upcoming Salute Wargames Show in that there London (which I have been busy painting figures for) only a couple of weeks away, I thought it would be a good idea to have a quick catch up with Martin and Phil from The South London Warlords to have a chin wag about the show. In the hour of the show we catch up on everything that's new, everything that's the same and all the stuff in between. I will be at the show waving my banner for Big Old School Historical Wargaming, as you would expect, there will also be lots of other people waving their banners for their areas of the hobby, which is wonderful to see. I can guarantee that none of those banners will be as big as the ones on the front of a certain wargames magazine ! Now the Analogue Hobbies Winter Paint Challenge is over I hope to have a bit more time to put some more episodes together, so if I don't see you at Salute hopefully you can tune into the next episode of the Podcast. Until next time, Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hi all, Welcome to the show and today I have a bit of a spontaneous episode (for me) with Joe and Aaron from Dads War Room over in Hull (or is it 'ull) in the East Riding of Yorkshire. I saw what the lads were doing via the Yarkshire Gamer Facebook page and I knew I had to get them on and help to get their message out to the world. Mens Mental Health has come a long way in my lifetime and Mens Sheds and the likes of Andys Man Club has made discussing how we feel more socially acceptable, so Joes idea of a Wargaming Club focusing on being not only a space for painting, building and gaming but also being a place where a shared hobby experience might help bring on the courage to share any personal challenges and receive likeminded support is a fantastic one. Both Joe and Aaron are relatively new to the hobby so its a shorter more bespoke format to the episode as we get straight into the meat and tattes and talk about the setting up of the club, its first meeting and some great positive plans for the future. Give these lads a like and a follow and if you can help in any way please do so, sharing this show link would be a great start ! Dads War Room is on Facebook, Tiktok and the Utubes, links below https://www.youtube.com/@Dadswarroom https://www.instagram.com/dads.warroom?igsh=MW1vNDVuYjhhZG1jeA%3D%3D https://www.facebook.com/groups/1368023948184485/?ref=share I'll be back next week for a birthday party to celebrate 5 years of the Podcast Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Welcome to 2026 and Happy New Year. No mucking about this year as we are straight into the first episode of the year, only 10 days in. My guest today is Paul Mackay, a name I am sure you will recognise if you read any of the Wargames Magazines, Paul is a regular contributor to those tomes with his painting tutorials, which cover a wide range of scales, periods and styles. Paul is a lapsed Wargamer so there is a slightly different format to the show. We get to know a bit about the man himself in the first part, before we move onto a deep dive into many different aspects of the painting part of the hobby in part 2. We round off the show with some semi serious top tips. After the 5 hours of the Xmas Special, this 2 hour 45 episode is officially a Yarkshire Gamer short ! I hope you enjoy the episode and please take time to leave a like, a comment and subscribe to the show wherever you listen to it, it helps it to grow, after all it is free ! I'll be back in 3 weeks time with a new episode. Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hello all, and welcome to the Christmas 2025 edition of the Podcast and as always I spend the festive celebrations with the Brews in the Binyard crew, tonight its a full house. I'm joined by Alex Sotheran from Storm of Steel and Iain McDonald of Flags of War as usual but there is also a return for the "voice of reason" Sean Clark. If you haven't listened to a Brews before it contains a lot of opinions and a bit of swearing and its best not played in front of your kids ! We tackle some weighty topics in our usual irreverent way so if you are a delicate flower I'd stay in your compost. Tune in to hear Alex attempt to break the world record for the loudest ever typing at a keyboard during a podcast, a new and definitely true conspiracy theory about Santas reindeer. There's a couple of quality rants by yours truly after an interesting year of magazine mags and a swarm of Mediaeval Skirmish Games. We also introduce a new Space Marine Chapter. Its a long one but its got to last you all Xmas so take it slow. As always please, like, subscribe and comment to help the show grow, lots more coming in 2026 Until then, Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Welcome to the show and today my guest is another Yorkshire resident Mr John Savage. John is well known on the show and Lardy Day circuit for putting on high quality, fun participation games and we spend the final section of the show talking about those games and getting some tips for putting them on ourselves. Before that there is all the usual mayhem of a "normal" episode. John has been seen doing some Big Game Napoleonics recently so we use the Big Game section of the show to discuss that and also add a new meaning to the phrase "Full Leipzig" The next episode could be anything ! But the main thing is there will be one and it will be free ! Until next time Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

A change in Programming Schedule as the difficult birthing of the Wargames Time Machine episode continues. I took the opportunity to take a ginormous microphone down to that there Newark and the T'Other Partizan show where I spoke to the organisers and a variety of people including former guests and potential new ones, here is the full running order Running Order Live at T'Other Partizan Side 1 1. On Ilkley Moor bar t'at (Band of the Coldstream Guards) 2. Intro with Yarkshire Gamer 3. Trix and Laurence (Partizan Organisers) 4. Andy Johnson (Episode 64) 5. Roger Castle 6. Chris Flowers (Episode 32) 7. Martin Gane (Episode 53) Side 2 1. James Morris 2. Big Lee and Ray (Episode 72) 3. Simon Miller (Episode 22) 4. Joe Bilton (Episode 58) 5. Barry Hilton Side 3 1. Kevin Dallimore 2. Tim Whitworth 3. Mark Backhouse 4. Rich Clarke (Episode 50) and the Brews Boys 5. Steve Shann (Episode 40) 6. Pete Berry (Episode 44) 7. Glen from Warbases Side 4 1. Paul Eaglestone - Empress Miniatures 2. Dave Thomas 3. Paul EWM (Episode 43) 4. Leon from Pendraken 5. Outro Yarkshire Gamer 6. Last of the Summer Wine (edit) Something a bit different, hope you enjoy it, please like subscribe and leave a comment where you can thank you. Hopefully back soon with the Time Machine finally working ! Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hi everyone, welcome once again to Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast. Today sees a continuation of our round the world trip with a visit to New Zealand and my guest Mark Strachan. Marks Blog 1866 and all that has been a popular stop off point for many wargamers over the years, it covers many things but specialises in the Franco Prussian War and other similar wars around that time. https://stracmark.blogspot.com/ We look at Marks personal hobby as well as his time working in the wargames industry and the hobby in general in New Zealand. Hope you enjoy it. Episode 79 will be a new show format for Yarkshire Gamer as I take you all back in time to 1983 and the first ever edition of Miniature Wargames. I've got some great guests and an item from the magazine (kindly donated by its current owner) which I hope to raise a few quid for the Bradford Burns Unit by auctioning it off. So until next time, Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Earlier this year one of the early Wargaming Pioneers Charlie Wesencraft passed away at the age of 97. I thought it would be a fitting tribute to get some of my former guests together and have them tell Charlies story and there memories of him. In between the various interview sections I read passages from his first book, written in 1974, Practical Wargaming. See if you can spot any phrases from those readings that still resonate today. Charlies first book can still be obtained via amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charlie-Wesencrafts-Practical-Wargaming-Wesencraft-ebook/dp/B01H2UK96U?ie=UTF8&tag=mh0a9-21&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvexid={aceid}&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_7dy1f5hemb_e Here is a link to Robbie Roddis' piece on his blog about Charlie https://independentwargamesgroup.blogspot.com/2025/04/charlie-wesencraft-author-wargamer-and.html And here is the piece about Pete Berry from Baccus6mm and his tribute to Charlie which has a link to the Blenheim Project https://www.baccus6mm.com/news/28-06-2025/CharlesFWesencraft/ Thanks for listening and as always, please like subscribe and comment wherever you get this podcast to help the listenership grow. My next guest will hopefully be Mark Strachan from New Zealand who runs the 1866 and all that blog, so I best get the Yarkshire Airline Pidgeon fed up for the trip. Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hello everyone and here's something for the weekend ! This is the hangover from Episode 74 when in the Brews in the Binyard Episode where we talked rubbish for that long we didn't get chance to cover the listener questions ! So here they are. We spend an hour catching up as one or two things have happened between this episode and the last brews and then its into the questions. As always for the professionally offended, this is a very loose form Podcast which contains the odd (and even) naughty word, I even mention edible knickers a couple of times (no, I don't know where it came from either) so if its not your ting skip on by and wait for the next episode. Speaking of which I am putting together a Tribute Episode to the recently departed Charlie Wesencraft whose book Practical Wargaming was an introduction to the hobby for many of us. If you would like to include an audio tribute (minute of so long) to Charlie, send it to me at yarkshiregamer@gmail.com Until next time Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hello everyone and welcome to the shows Diamond Jubilee. Todays guest is Ken Hanning. Ken has a wonderful wargaming shed (its a lot better than a shed !) which is named The Perthshire War Room. It is a wonderful spot and the envy of many when he shows the room off on his Big Wargames Website and YouTube Chanel. Ken has many links with the Leeds Wargaming Scene and it was lovely to chat about old friends some of which are no longer with us, the joys of Yorkshire and the Pie based food of the area. At the end of the show we try and tackle a difficult subject in a positive manner. Ken was diagnosed with Cancer some time ago and has gone through numerous rounds of treatment and surgery some of which only ended last week. Ken was keen to talk about how the hobby and people in it have been amazingly supportive. Other communities like the We Have Ways Podcast have also been key to Kens wellbeing and it was a joy to hear the positivity in his story. Thanks to Ken for being so open and honest. Kens Big Wargames Website is here Big Wargames The YouTube Channel is here https://youtube.com/@kenhanning57?si=KhP5Bf1Rf0i1U_eZ Next episode will be the Brews in the Binyard Questions we missed at the end of episode 74 Until Next Time, Sithee

Welcome to the Summer Edition of the Brews in the Binyard side Podcast within a Podcast. Its the 9th time we have done one of these and they are very different to the usual shows, so after a run of 7 or 8 "normal" episodes I suppose I best warn newcomers that there may be a spot of bad language and you really don't want to play this with kids in the room. Someone will no doubt be offended, but that's not the intention and I hope everyone takes the show in the tongue in cheek manner it is intended. We start the show with a general catch up with some lively discussions about wargame magazine coverage and game complexity that develops nicely throughout the show. Part 2 is the draw for the 1st and 2nd Rounds of the World Cup of Wargaming Pet Hates, we discuss the results of the Preliminary Votes and those who didn't make the cut before going onto the draw. We delayed the usual 3rd part of listener questions, we were already over 3 hours in and thanks to the wonderful audience we had well over 70 questions, so we decided to come back and do a separate episode in a few weeks time. So sit back and enjoy this episode and I'll see you again soon with either a guest or a bunch of questions. Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hi Everyone, Welcome back and today in episode 73 we return to the fascinating events surrounding a potential German Raid on the radar station at St Lawrence on the Isle of Wight in August 1943. My guest Paul Thompson has spent a lot of time and effort supported by others to greatly further the investigation into the "rumour" on the Island of a raid to a point where the evidence is really looking like there was one. We have spoke to Paul a couple of times (Episode 43 and 63) about this event, but we've tried to make this a stand alone episode with an introduction before we get into the meat and gravy. By all means go back and listen to the other episodes if you fancy a deep dive. I wont spoil it but there are some pretty juicy reveals in the Episode and I honestly think we have gone from it being hard to prove the Germans were on the Island in 1943, I think we are at a point now where its hard to prove they weren't. Listen and decide for yourself. With the shorter episode length I've taken the opportunity to cover the recent Partizan show and also the new World Cup of Wargaming Pet Hates, the preliminary round is open for voting until 2nd June via the link below https://www.facebook.com/groups/1394761557711606/permalink/2097032530817835/ Next episode will be the Summer Brews in the Binyard, if you have any questions for the panel of me, Alex and Iain please send them to yarkshiregamer@gmail.com Until next time Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Welcome to the Show and today I have a couple of guests on the show who I have known for a few years via the Analogue Hobbies Winter Paint Challenge (see Episode 18 for more). Ray Rousell and Big Lee Hadley have been around the hobby for many years, both running successful wargaming blogs, with Lee branching off into the world of the Utubes in recent years, having his popular question of the week videos every Sunday. As usual we start with a bit of an introduction and general game chat before using the second part of the show to discuss the Posties Rejects group that both Ray and Lee belong to. After the usual mayhem of the Quiz we get down to an in depth discussion of the recent Salute 52 Wargames Show down in that there London. This is a really fun episode with a couple of great guys who have a similar outlook on the hobby to me, hope you enjoy it. Rays blog is here Don't Throw a 1 Lees is here BigLee's 'Miniature Adventures' I will be returning in a week or so with a further exciting update on the German Raid on the Isle of Wight in WW2 with Paul Thompson. Looking forward to that. Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hello everyone and welcome once again to the Yarkshire Gamer Reet Big Wargames Podcast. Today for the 71st episode I have three guests, Steve Bomford who runs the Company of Makers (CoM) Organisation which helps Veterans adapt to civilian life post service. Nick Denning who is a former British Army Infantry Officer who is developing a near future Wargame with the assistance of CoM and Conrad Steele - Benny, a 30 plus year RAF Veteran who is heavily involved in the organisation of CoM events. Between us we discuss their individual careers and involvement in Wargaming before moving on to discuss the work that The Company of Makers does. At the end of the show we widen out the discussion to cover the link between Veterans and Wargaming, the benefits it can bring and how we, as individuals can help. It was an interesting and often thought provoking discussion which I hope you will enjoy. If you would like to know more about the Company of Makers their website is here Company of Makers – Podcasts | Talks | Workshops My next episode will be with The Posties Rejects, Ray and Big Lee when we will be having a chat around their channels and blogs as well as a review of the recent Salute Show in that there London. Until next time, Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire |Gamer

Welcome to Episode 70 of the show and today I sit down with fellow gamer and podcaster Jared Fishman. Jared runs the US based 20 Sided Gamified show and its a Wargaming show with a broad topic base which has a slant towards the educational value of our hobby in a wider context. My guest is a teacher and has used gaming in his lessons as a great teaching tool, something I'm sure all of us would have enjoyed when we were at school. As you would expect with two podcasters we rattle on a bit so it might be a two or three sittings to get through the show, or you might be hard core and get some painting done in a oner ! My next guest is one of a number who are trying to make their minds up on when they can do a recording, so I'll be back in a couple of weeks with someone ! 20 Sided Gamified is available on all major podcast hosts, here is the Apple link 20 Sided Gamified Podcast - Podcast - Apple Podcasts And on the Utubes Introduction to the 20 Sided Gamified Podcast. Welcome to the Fold! Hopefully see you at Salute Until next time, Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hello all and welcome to Episode 69 of the Reet Big Wargames Podcast. My guest today is Arran Johnston, Arran works with the Scottish Battlefield Trust and the Battle of Prestonpans Museum increasing awareness of the History of conflicts in the Highlands, Lowlands and Isles. A specialist in the Jacobite Rising Arran has had a number of books published on that subject as well as Cromwells earlier campaigns in Scotland. On top of his day job he has also done some historical re-enactment, so as my grandma would say " He knows his eggs" Arran has a personal website covering his historical work here https://www.arranjohnston.co.uk/ The work he does with the Battle of Prestonpans Museum can be found here https://www.battleofprestonpans1745.org/ Recently Arran has begun to use Wargaming as a tool to tell the story of the Jacobite Rising and has chronicled the Campaigns in a series of "What If" videos on the museums YouTube Channel. The decisions made, by the Jacobites in the first run through and by the Government in the second have been made by members of the public which has been a really interesting experiment. You can tune into the campaign here www.youtube.com/@Prestonpans1745 I think all wargamers would love to be involved in such a well run campaign. My next guest will be Jared Fishman from the US Wargaming Podcast, 20 Sided Gamified Podcast. See you soon Regards Ken

On the 500th Anniversary of one of the most pivotable battles of the Great Italian Wars, what better to do that a deep dive into the battle of Pavia, with a specific slant on recreating the battle on the tabletop. I'm joined by Martyn Kelly who has last on the show 2 years ago. He is well known for his exquisite Big Games at Historicon in the US and this year he will be putting on a huge recreation of the Italian Wars classic. Neither Martyn or myself are historians, just enthusiastic wargamers, we give our own briefing introduction on the history of the battle before moving on to a deep dive on the orders of battle and figures used in Martyns game. After that we talk about the terrain for the battle and how that is recreated in miniature before eventually getting to the battle itself and how that presents challenges on the tabletop. Martyn has an excellent blog College of Kings on which he posts updates on the project. https://www.collegeofkings.com/ Please like, subscribe and leave a review wherever you see the show. I'll be back in a couple of weeks when I will be talking to Aaron Johnston who works for the Battle of Prestonpans Trust and runs the What If, 1745 Jacobite Campaign on the YouTube. See you then Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hello everyone and welcome to my first ever Wargamers phone in ! I'm joined on the show by 8 different guests for 8 very different conversations about different aspects of our wonderful hobby, in order of appearance we have. 1. Gary Wills - we talk about the War of the First Coalition or the Revolutionary Wars and his book Throwing Thunderbolts about the period https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/throwing-thunderbolts-a-wargamers-guide-to-the-war-of-the-first-coalition-1792-1797.php 2. Dex McHenry joins me to discuss the importance of using correct terminology when discussing wargames (like The Dark Ages) 3. Neil Armstrong bravely joins the show to talk about contrast paints ! 4. Simon Stokes talks about how Wargaming the Dark Ages can be fun. 5. Sam and James from Warfulcrum join me to discuss "1918" a set of WW1 rules covering the final year of the First World War, which they have in development. https://www.patreon.com/WarFulcrumGames1918 6. Then its time for Rhys Humphrey to talk about his Ashdown 871 Big Project 7. Then Harvey joins us from Vermont in the USA so he can blame a certain Yorkshire based Podcast on two huge projects he has become involved with. 8. My final guest is Chris Gosney who discusses filming Solo Wargaming for his YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@CrustyColonel18/videos Hope you enjoyed this new format, do please leave a like and review wherever you listen to this is really helps broaden the audience. If you fancy being a guest on the next phone in (if there is one) drop me an email to yarkshiregamer@gmail.com and I'll be in touch for the next phone in. I will be back on the 24th February to talk about Pavia on its 500th Anniversary. Until Next Time, Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Hi there, Welcome to the first episode of 2025 and today I combine two of my favourite things in life Wargaming and Italy. My guest is Lorenzo Sartori who runs the Italian based wargames publishers Dadi & Piombo. Lorenzo has been publishing a magazine of the same name for over 25 years, along with various sets of rules and books relating to wargaming, including the very popular Impetus Rules. I chat to Lorenzo about his Wargaming History, as I do with all my guests before moving on to discussing the hobby in Italy in general before finishing off discussing the magazine and his rules. The magazine is available via the website below, https://www.dadiepiombo.it/ I love talking to wargamers from around the world about this wonderful hobby that unites so many of us. Thanks for listening and I'll see you again soon. Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

Welcome back to the Yarkshire Gamer Podcast with our usual Xmas Special with the Brews in the Binyard Boys, Alex Sotheran from Storm of Steel and Iain McDonald from Flags of War. In what is now tradition I butcher a Xmas song at the start of the show so get ready for a version of Fairy Tale of New York which you have never heard before ! The show ended up being 4 hours long, but lets face it, you've got plenty of spare time over Xmas, stick some earbuds in and pretend to be asleep after a festive meal. We tackle weighty subjects like, what the f.... is Trench Crusade about, why historians can't make their minds up (again), Crisp Butties, the demise of Twitter, Warlord Games French Lancer horse legs and most importantly which is the best Fish and Chip Shop in Skipton. Whether you digest it in a oner or in several more digestible parts, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did recording it. I hope to be back in the new year with the regular mix of guests, until then have a great Xmas and a Happy New Year and may all your Pike Blocks be massive ! Until Next Time, Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer