The early days.

[Bankinista]

Did anyone else have lots of enthusiasm as a youngster but little knowledge?

I remember my first wargame forays were into the ACW (because Airfix did the figures) but in a North v South America conflict couldn't understand why the Panama Canal didn't feature more heavily. I did believe, however, that in most battles there were more rifles than sub-machine guns and that sub-machine guns were shorter. None of the Airfix figures had smgs but this was easily amended with a little tooth-work. (I was too young to have a knife but don't know why I didn't use scissors – even the round tipped safety ones.)

[John Watson]

Fortunately I discovered history before I discovered wargaming. The former drew me to the latter.
John

[Leman (Andy)]

Like John, history was a bit of a passion for me before wargaming. My parents were very good at buying me well illustrated books on history, so I had a pretty good idea what ACW armies looked like before I embarked on the hobby seriously when I was 13.  I did however have lots of toy soldiers as a child, from about age 5. These were mostly US cavalry and Indians, WWII Eighth Army and DAK, and Britain's Wars of the Roses Swoppets. Thanks to reading from a pretty early age I never mixed up the historical periods when playing.

[Colonel Kilgore]

I had a good number of Britains Deetail and Airfix figures from a tender age, but it was the Airifx Wargaming Guides (Napoleonic and Ancients, then ECW and ACW) that drew me over to the dark side. So probably gaming first, closely followed by history.

Simon

[martin goddard]

It is a shame that the internet was not available when I was young.
The contactisation and informationix would have been wonderful.

martin

[Spartacus]

I Wargamed first, Airfix Guide to Wargaming Napoleonic then ACW.

Used books under my bedroom carpet for hills and dad got me a new green carpet for my bedroom.

[Bankinista]

My early memories put me at about 5 or 6 years old. The most game-like part of the wars I did were that muskets/rifles whatever flicked marbles at enemy troops to knock them over and tanks used tennis balls. This weapon differentiation put me ahead of my peers and, I'm sure, was a sign or a wargamer in the making! After all, my toys fought in a realistic manner.

Derekl

[Moggy]

That reminds me of the old spring loaded cannon, I recall used to shoot matchsticks.

[Bankinista]

Tame. I used a 25pdr that fired 6" nails!

[Leman (Andy)]

I quite like Nine Inch Nails.

[Smoking gun]

I made my own bombard out of copper pipe. and my own gunpowder following the proportions given in the "New book of knowledge" encylopedia. It used to have a good range, I didn't have any cannon balls so I used pebbles which led to poor accuracy. The joys of being 11 with an active brain and access to a well equipped shed / workshop.

My mother caught me with it after a couple of weeks, she was quite angry with me.

It did lead to an interest in chemistry and physics which has served me well over the years.

Best wishes,
Martin Buck