Art De La Guerre

[madaxeman]

No, this is NOT an April Fools joke...

Madaxeman.com in association with the (self-proclaimed) People's Champion are delighted to introduce to you the first ever edition of "The Kegworth Codgers Midweek Challenge" L'Art de la Guerre Competition !

Tickets available at: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/madaxemancom/1208305

Yes, we have decided to embrace the ongoing demographic shifts sweeping gently through the world of Ancient Wargaming, and run a competition during the week! This event will therefore be an ideal opportunity for the retirees, part-timers, and those with far too much holiday allowance on their hands to play some ADLG without having to eat into any more of their weekends, which of course are better spent with loved ones / watching sport (delete as appropriate).

The venue is The Kegworth Hotel & Conference Centre, which is perfectly located just moments from the M1 Junction 24 in a quaint and historic Leicestershire village.

The origins of Kegworth go back to the times of the Romans and before, as the site of the village once lay in the territory of the Coritani (or Corieltauvi), one of the most powerful Ancient British tribes. Anglo-Saxon burial sites have also been found nearby, with the name it now bears, "Kegworth", coming from a mix of Danish and old English, meaning the "worth" or "enclosure" of a man named Kaggi, the Danish for redbeard.

Recorded in the Domesday Book as being held by Earl Harold Godwin, the last of the Saxon kings, Kegworth then was given to Earl Hugh of Chester by William the Conqueror after the Battle of Hastings. After the Royalists defeated Simon de Montfort in the Second Barons' War in 1265, the Earl of Gloucester was gifted land in the area, which included the parish of Kegworth.

Kegworth has always prospered from its advantageous location placing it firmly on many trade routes, starting with the Fosse Way, a key part of the Roman road network in Britain which together with river traffic helped move produce from nearby farms (and legionaries) around the country. Later on the growth of the Midlands as a centre for textiles was facilitated by use of the railway and canals, and in more modern times light industry and midweek ancient wargamers can make great use of the motorways and (perhaps?) east Midlands International airport too.

Being a busy historic market town and road crossroads also means the town also has enough pubs for you to all easily be able to avoid any particularly gnarly opponents you may have faced earlier in the day.

More importantly, the fact The Kegworth Hotel & Conference Centre is perhaps a little more "East Midlands-based Underlay Wholesaler's quarterly sales meeting venue" rather than "Where the Leaders of the G7 Nations choose to stay when attending Davos.." means it is an absolutely perfect hotel venue for a wargames "non-weekend" event in location, facilities - and of course cost too.

Having deeply researched the extensive history of Kegworth and then lazily cut and pasted it from Wikipedia onto this page also means we've got an abundance of hooks on which to hang a theme for the event both in this inaugural year, and then to ring the changes in future too.

Theme:

With loads of history to choose from, to start with in 2024 we are hanging our hat on Kegworth's great transport links and proximity to the Fosse Way with a Roman Roads theme of "armies valid in the period when the Romans were building roads across the Britain, 43-407AD".

The event will be played in 15mm, with all the usual standard rules, any FAQ extant at the time and that general sort of malarkey. Lists to lists@madaxeman.com by the 20th September please.

Timings:

The format will be civilized and sympathetic to those of advancing years, or put another way the timings will be a bt later than usual:

Tuesday:

09:30-12:00
13:00-15:30
15:45-18:15
Wednesday

10:00-12:30
13:30-16:00

We will be looking to sort out some sort of lunch deal with the hotel for both days of the event - details to follow.

Onsite Accommodation Deal:

You are politely encouraged to book rooms in the venue hotel, on the basis that they have offered us some really great rates, the more of us stay there the happier they will be to welcome us back in future, and also as it just makes it easier for us to round up anyone who might have spent too long in the onsite bar on Monday or Tuesday night.

The booking code to use on the Kegworth Hotel and Conference Centre website (https://bookings.hopsoftware.com/property/Kegworth-Hotel#search-tab) is: "BHGS"

If you use this code then you will be able to secure room rates for Monday and Tuesday evenings of just:

£55 single
£70 double
Breakfast at £10 extra


Venue Address:
The Kegworth Hotel & Conference Centre
Packington Hill, Kegworth, DE74 2DF
Tel: +44 (0) 1509 672 427

Tickets at:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/madaxemancom/1208305
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[madaxeman]

Current Signups as of today:

alan cutner Tradeston
Andrew Whitby Bristol
Andy Fyfe FDWG
Andy Gilbert Pompey
Colin Whittaker Entoyment
David Roberts Cambridge
Gordon Jamieson CLWC
Gordon Miller FDWC
James Gibson Tradeston
Mark Fry Bristol
Mark Gilby CLWC
Nik Sharp Warlords
Paul Dawson York
Paul Frith Dorset Nomads
Pete Sanger Pompey
Richard Young
Robert Middlemist Durham
Tim Porter CLWC
Paul Johnston York
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[madaxeman]

A rather impressive 29 signees so far for midweek madness in Kegworth this coming October!

Alan Cutner Tradeston
Alistair Wright
Andrew Whitby Bristol
Andy Fyfe FDWG
Andrew Gilbert Pompey
Charles Masefield Oxford
Colin Whittaker Entoyment
David Hutchby Derby
David Dryden FDWC
David Roberts Cambridge
Frazer Watson FDWC
Gordon Jamieson CLWC
Gordon Miller FDWC
Ian Sewell WAR
James Gibson Tradeston
Jessie Schoor WAR
Mark Fry Bristol
Mark Gilby CLWC
Mike Bennett Carnforth
Nik Sharp Warlords
Paul Dawson York
Paul Frith Dorset Nomads
Paul Johnston York
Pete Sanger Pompey
Richard Young SOA
Robert Middlemist Durham
Stephen Nice War
Tim Porter CLWC
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[Longtooth]

Hi Tim,

Presume we send army lists to you? If so, when do you want them?

Jesse

[madaxeman]

[madaxeman]

Runners....

486 Cutner Alan Tradeston
1579 Wright Alistair Millbrook
748 Whitby Andrew Bristol
1598 Fyfe Andy FDWG
714 Gilbert Andy Pompey
1447 Robinson Antony Durham
773 Masefield Charles Oxford
1549 Whittaker Colin Entoyment
1435 Hutchby Dave Derby
1017 Roberts David Cambridge
1576 Dryden David FDWC
768 Allen David CLWC
1509 Watson Frazer FDWC
1168 Lind Gary FDWG
1131 Miller Gordon FDWC
465 Williams Harry SSWG
1483 Sewell Ian WAR
1538 Gibson James FDWG
485 Schoor Jesse WAR
1006 Johnson Kevin Warlords
795 Fry Mark Bristol
1807 Gilby Mark CLWC
858 Bennett Mike Carnforth
1015 Sharp Nik Warlords
1308 Dawson Paul York
1309 Johnston Paul York
1239 Frith Paul Dorset Nomads
1536 Sanger Pete Pompey
772 Young Richard SOA
1318 Taylor Rob Westow
1222 Middlemist Robert Durham
1008 Jackson Robin God Knows
1418 Nice Stephen WAR
712 Porter Tim CLWC
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[madaxeman]

We now have a near-full list of Runers & Riders for the upcoming Kegworth Codgers Midweek Challenge ADLG competition, with a rather astounding 32 players finding time from their busy retirement and part-time work schedules to attend plus - I believe - one chap who was so desparate not to miss out on a couple of days in an unbranded Premier Inn-equivalent motel just off the M1 that he's booked 2 days holiday to play too.



(With 33 that does mean we will need to have some byes - or find (or lose?) another player. If we do stay on odd numbers I will take the byes in the first round each day)

The event is themed for Kegworth's great transport links and proximity to the Fosse Way, inspiring a Roman Roads theme of "armies valid in the period when the Romans were building roads across the Britain, 43-407AD" and that has resulted in a pretty decent spread of options, with 21 different lists represented including 7 Roman armies and a further 7 hailing from outside the Roman sphere of influence.

In a week and a bit therefore the mighty halls of the Kegworth Hotel & Conference Centre will echo to the sounds of warfare, as the battle is joined to see who is the Codger of the Year 2024.
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[madaxeman]

Final Standings

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[Mark G Fry]

A thoroughly splendid event. Many thanks for running and hosting it Tim.

I'd certainly play at a similar mid-week event again next year or hopefully sooner?

Well worth attending and even if you don't have a bus pass and are not yet drawing a pension yet, you'd be welcomed
Cheers
Mark
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'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.' Xenophon, The Anabasis

[Richard Young]

Thanks to Tim for organising a great tournament. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would like to see more mid week competitions.

Richard

[IanS]

Roll on next year when I will be truly retired!

Great event really enjoyed it.