Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast

• Episode 78 - Mark Strachan - New Zealand 1866

  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

  --------  

  1:42:38

  --------

  1:42:38
• Episode 77 - Charlie Wesencraft - A Tribute

  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

  --------  

  1:59:21

  --------

  1:59:21
• Episode 76 - A Question of Brews

  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 [email protected]  Until next time Sithee Regards Ken The Yarkshire Gamer

  --------  

  3:22:59

  --------

  3:22:59
• Episode 75 - Ken Hanning - Wargaming Positivity

  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

  --------  

  3:19:56

  --------

  3:19:56
• Episode 74 - Brews in the Binyard Summer 2025

  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

  --------  

  3:29:21

  --------

  3:29:21

More History podcasts

Trending History podcasts

About Yarkshire Gamers Reet Big Wargames Podcast