The Newark Irregulars are off to Salute this weekend. As I may have mentioned before, James and I now take it in turns to organise the game each year. Last year was my WW1/BoB extravaganza dealing with Brits and Bolsheviks out East. See http://paintingshed.blogspot.com/2007/04/we-survived-salute-07.html for details and pictures from that game.

This year James is laying on a Warhammer Ancients scenario, the Battle of Haethfield (Hatfield). This is a 7th Century clash involving Anglo-Saxons and Welsh. Here is James's blurb:

Newark Irregulars present

The Battle of Haethfeld, 632 AD

Welsh and Saxons struggle for
Northumbria


“The sea rushes in. It cast forth a host
arrayed for battle –
The host of Cadwallon in the triumph of his objective,
An opponent like a furious fiery stag…
The man wearing the brooch as he
rides in the front rank,
Encased in gleaming iron…
The image of a lord
returning in victory.”
-Moliant Cadwallon (In Praise of Cadwallon)


The Battle of Haethfeld (modern Hatfield Chase, near Doncaster)
was perhaps the greatest Welsh victory of the Dark Ages. The ruler of
Northumbria at the time was “Good King Edwin”, Edwin son of Aelle, who had
brought peace to his land through a series of successful military campaigns, and then converted himself (and many of his subjects) to the Christian faith.

Against him were arrayed the Welsh forces of Gwynedd and the Saxon
kingdom of Mercia. The King of Gwynedd, Cadwallon ap Cadfan, had already been exiled from his homeland by the campaigns of Edwin, and thus had no love for the Northumbrian monarch. Returning and raising an army, he allied himself with Northumbria’s perpetual enemies, the Mercians. Under the fearsome King Penda, these pagan warriors marched into Northumbria in Autumn 632 AD. On the 12th
October the armies met ‘on the plain called Haethfeld’, and the Northumbrians were decisively defeated. King Edwin was killed, ‘and his entire army slain or scattered.’

The Mercians soon returned to their homeland, but Cadwallon
and his warbands remained in Northumbria and embarked on a year-long campaign of destruction. The great Welsh warlord was eventually brought to battle, defeated and killed at Heavenfield, near Hexham on Hadrian’s Wall, in 633.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

We look forward to chatting to any or all who drop by our table (GH05). Safe journey to anyone travelling down and enjoy the show! If you can't make Salute then the game will be on again at Partizan in May.

Below are some pictures that James has provided of troops recently added to his collection which will appear in Saturday's game.