The wargaming world of Nozza

Over the last couple of shows I’ve attended, I kept spotting the Perry Miniatures Travel Battle boxset proudly displayed on various vendors’ stands. It always caught my eye - a complete wargame in a neat, compact little package - but I never quite made the leap. Why? Two reasons: Price Napoleonic miniatures aren’t usually my thing But then Wayland Games threw a curveball: a 20% discount and free shipping. Suddenly, the price landed squarely in the “treat yourself” zone. So… I took the gamble. What's in the Box? Travel Battle is, at its core, a portable, ready‑to‑play miniatures wargame. Everything you need is packed into one tidy box - terrain, armies, rules, the lot. Inside you get: 8mm plastic miniatures, in red and blue, representing two evenly matched Napoleonic armies 160 infantry 24 cavalry 4 guns + 12 crew 6 brigadiers 6 buildings 4 dice Ruleset & simple painting guide Two 10-inch 3D terrain boards, complete with woods and buildings A 1-inch grid system, meaning no rul...

There are a few certainties in British life: rain on a summer weekend, queues forming from thin air, and - every Bank Holiday - some TV channel showing Zulu . The 1964 classic is a staple of British broadcasting, and for good reason. It dramatises the Battle of Rorke’s Drift during the Anglo–Zulu War of 1879, depicting the defence mounted by just 150 British soldiers - engineers, infantrymen and several wounded - against thousands of Zulu warriors. At the centre of the film is the unlikely partnership between Lieutenant John Chard (Stanley Baker) and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead (Michael Caine), whose strained but growing cooperation under fire anchors the story. Packed with spectacle, character conflict and moments of mutual respect, Zulu remains one of the most memorable and iconic portrayals of a real military action ever committed to film. Whatever your personal view of the British Empire or colonial history, I absolutely adore this film. Some of the first plastic figures I ever bo...

The deputy shifted his weight as the black government sedan rolled to a stop at the edge of the dirt road, headlights cutting through the mist around the old Montgomery Estate. A tall, sharply dressed man stepped out first. A woman followed - red hair, structured bob, oversized 90s suit. They approached with steady confidence. “Agent Davids, FBI,” the man said, flashing a badge.   “Agent Gillian,” the woman added. The deputy nodded. “Something’s not right out here. Lights, chanting… a smell I can’t explain.” “Occult signs?” Gillian murmured.   “Possibly,” Davids replied. “Show us.” They headed into the silent woods - too silent - until a grinding, wheezing noise froze them in place. They reached a clearing. A blue police box stood there. Beside it: a man in a tweed jacket and bow tie, and a woman with wild blonde curls in a white leather jacket and boots. “I definitely packed a fez,” the man muttered.   “You always say that,” the woman replied. “Hands where...