http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22777029 Illustrated London News picture from 1913, showing Wells measuring a move with string Made his name with science fiction classics like The Time Machine and War of the Worlds Predicted tanks in 1903, atomic bombs in 1914 and WWII (to within four months) in 1933 Had two sons with his second wife and two children from a succession of relationships outside marriage As well as war gaming, roped his guests in for boisterous hockey and handball games where he made up the rules HG Wells's lead soldiers and his beloved 4.7" cannons are still in the possession of his family His great-grandson Prof Dominic Wells (above) remembers many day-long games with them against his father Illustrated London News picture of HG Wells war gaming was "remarkably similar to what we were doing," he says Artillery fire was the heart of the game and hand-to-hand melees were "fairly bad news" he adds Little Wars: How HG Wells created hobby war gaming
Thanks Di, This reminded me of my own childhood lying on the floor setting up hundreds of Airfix soldiers, both 'little' and 1/32 scale. I mentioned it on another thread recently, wondering how me playing with these in front of my Nan and Mum was viewed. I had boxes of these figures including the Japanese infantry, but intriguingly, not the Australian, which is now often depicted as 'Chindits' when sold on line. My imagination was strong back then. I built a cable car for my German Alpine Commandos. This was a reel of cotton stretched from the washing line to the top of my Dad's rockery. The car itself was a 'R' Whites lemonade top with a safety pin pushed through it and then clipped onto the cotton. Worked beautifully. Such simply happy days.
My earliest memories of a museum visit (in Germany) is seeing cases after glass cases of painted lead soldiers and an amazing diorama of some battlefield scene, all next to original uniforms and weapons. Colours, just lots of amazing colours. My kids prefer laying out playmobil battles - with knights, pirates or curiously enough, American civil war figures. (Never quite got why they produce those and redcoats etc, but not WW figures.) A small indulgence of mine from Gds Toy Soldier centre
Bamboo, Rockeries were good for all sorts of toy soldier games. Cowboys and Indians especially. My Timpo soldiers were allowed in the garden but the Britains were not. I suppose that is why I still have the Britains after nearly 70 years. Mike
Hi Mike, Mum gave all mine away when they cleared out the loft about 20 years ago, must have been 100's of plastic figures of all shapes and sizes.
Great post D cheers for sharing, H G Wells is one of my favourite writers but I didn't know about this. Now I am going to reminisce from when I was a kid like Steve and Mike sorry. I think if you dug up my nanas front garden and my mams back garden there would be loads of soldiers lying in the soil, I would be there for hours digging trenches and making bomb craters,and how many I would lose but the next weekend I would just go and buy some more. Then there was my Hornby train set with which I had all set out on a 6ft board, there is another day I would be lost playing away. Ah ! the memories. Michael.
