Monday, May 27

...that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books....

An interesting article in Saturday's Times... the usual journalistic stereotyping but the quote from Pete Berry is interesting, as is the premise that our fellow blogger Tim Gow [clicky] is a member of an "elite" wargaming club...   I had no idea there was a wargaming club premier league.... transfer fee's anyone???




...and just in case you want some source material:

28 comments:

  1. I was stood next to this group of journalists at the Triples on the Saturday as they picked over the lovely Britains figures. Unfortunately they never asked me for a quote, and not being an elite organisation member, I was unable to give any type of opinion regarding women in wargaming, or even about women in general.
    When will I get my fifteen minutes of fame.
    Thanks Robbie.

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    1. Robbie - I'm waiting for my 15minutes too.. :o)

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  2. weighing up if I should show the 'Group Captain home front' this article or not! Baccus sounds like a massive manufacturing company at 4.5 Million figs but at 6mm tall not so big and do Elite wargames club members wear black and balaclavas and burst through your windows clutching figures in comfort boxes scattering '6's only' dice everywhere?

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    1. Fraxinus - I did a double take on that number as well... 4.5 MILLION every year... really??? Wow.... At 100 figures per pack, that's 45,000 packs and at £6 a pop a turnover of £270K (less rent/materials/time/tax/etcetcetc) I (really) had no idea Baccus were that popular...

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  3. I've noticed at shows over the last few years that there have been an increasing numberof women attending. Particularly interesting is that fact that so many seem to be highly talented painters too. Diversity is what we need and much desired. Plus they smell nicer than the average show attendee too!

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    1. Grimsby, I agree... what we don't want is ladies who look like their male counterparts/us.. :o))

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  4. My observations have been that I've seen most the women involved are painters of which many of them are very good indeed, but on the playing side not quite so much, but hey what do I know I'm not an elite wargamer it appears.:-)

    Christopher

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    1. Axebreaker, I'll have a word with my agent, he'll have a word with your agent, I confidently expect a transfer offer of £3.27 will be on the table before he's finished his banana Daiquiri.... :o)

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    2. Excellent.....ahh yes to finally reach the lofty heights of the elite wargamer. My family will be so proud!:-)

      Christopher

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  5. That's right boys - us girls are coming to invade your hobby space! :)

    I think that a lot of Pete's "10% of sales" to women may be wives/partners buying gifts for their boys who play with toys, but I'm certainly not the only female historical gamer out there.

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    1. Tamsin, I reckon the entire article is a load of old guff, and that the ladies have always been amongst us... and anyway, who cares, what is important is the joy of paining little metal men, reading history, doing research, playing games, and generally talking utter rubbish to your fellow hobby'ists.... whether you're male or female...

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  6. Ah - ha- here we go again the GREAT FEMALE DOUBLE STANDARD.... and yes I'm jesting but only partly . Lady -or women or - in the 80s at least sometimes "wimmin" wargamers have been around for a good while(I can think of 2 or 3 without strain that I knew and or played- there were others ) and I've encountered female painters who simply beat the crap out of some of the professionals.
    For me this has never been a problem though I wonder what would occour if chaps tried to "invade your hobby space" gels !!
    but that would be where the double standard comes in so a "Ladies Club " is OK but a club for chaps alone would be denounced a sexist of course ... not that I care I merely observe.
    Neverthelees I'd opine that more than 10% of my sales are to Women but as Tamsin says most are bought as presents. That being said I've never had a problem with the"Gentle Sex" (see the film and you'll understand the reference) as long as they can stand thec swearing when I roll a 1 !!
    Since when were WD and their shopping troleey and cardboard "tanks" elite Pillocks !!

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    1. Big Andy... "cardboard tanks"...?! Made me laugh... :o)

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    2. Andy, you will be pleasantly surprised that I actually agree with you regarding the "ladies only club". The only excuse for it is if it encourages women into gaming who would otherwise be put off by open clubs.

      Yup, nothing new with female gamers. They've been around for a long time, but I think numbers are increasing in historical gaming as some of them gain enlightenment and switch from "the GW Hobby".

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  7. "Diversity is what we need and much desired. Plus they smell nicer than the average show attendee too!" Here, Here!

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    1. David, smell nicer? One can only hope so... :o)

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  8. I have to say that I've not encountered that many female historical gamers (the HOTT circuit in the UK has a number of regular players, though). The group I game with on a Thursday has something of a contrast. In our room there are the miniature gamers - all male. In the other room is the role-playing group. It's the same size as our crowd and is 50% female.

    'For me this has never been a problem though I wonder what would occur if chaps tried to "invade your hobby space" gels'

    Frankly, given the nature of most male-dominated hobby spaces I can fully understand why women might want a relatively exclusive one of their own.

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    1. Kaptain Kobold - have to say my experience is pretty much the same as yours, though having aid that I'm not a very clubbable sort of person so that experience is limited....

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  9. David as to the maloderousness of some wargamers I'd agree - I'd much rather see a player in her Biba or Karen Millen or Phase Eight than in a manky T-shirt and sweaty combats- or those Godawful silly long shorts worst of all (!!!) and a noseful of Chanel or Terry Mugler or Bannana Republic or even Givenchy is better than 'Orible Armpit . Moving around the table in Manolo Blahniks may be a bit trying though! .

    Its true that there are more female Role players and Fantasy Gamers than historicals- and its not hard to see why really if you think about it.
    The principal of Diveristy is of course fine so Ghettoising is not where it isn't needed. Our hobby uis one where there is nodistinction of ability by strength as in some sports so there is no need for ther "Cop out" of separation - or are the rest of you bloke frightened of the egls- bring 'em on dude says I.!!!

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  10. I have only ever seen one woman playing historical wargames here in New Zealand. Seen half a dozen playing Warhammer though.

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    1. Woolshedwargamer - cracking blog.. love the bears! :o)

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  11. Hey thats me! I'm the girl in the picture! :D

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  12. Ha... welcome to the blog Katie.... so are you a wargamer, or were you just an interested bystander??? :o)

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  13. Thank you! Im not a wargamer myself, but my dad is! I was there with my dad, I was one of the only girls there! haha :')

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  14. LOL... so the article saying that more girls are wargaming now was illustrated with a picture of a girl who was only there because her Dad was.. :o))

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    1. Yes but I have got my school work to concentrate on, I go with my dad to a Wargaming club and play there though.

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  15. Well as you well know war gaming takes up a lot of your time, right now my free time is taken by GCSE exams and course work. I go to a club with my dad occasionally and watch them play and I have a rule book, I don't have any figures because I don't have the money to buy them. But wargaming is almost certainly something I will take up in later life :-)

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    1. Well done... good attitude..

      I started wargaming when I was about 12 I think, back then I could only afford Airfix plastics, but they got me going...

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