Following a visit to Chartwell, the Kent home of Winston Churchill, I decided to listen to a series of podcasts on the life of Churchill. They both happened to be about his early life. The podcasts are all on BBC Sounds:
The Rest is History 1: Young Churchill: Born to Lead
The Rest is History 2: Young Churchill: Soldier of Empire
The Rest is History 3: Young Churchill: Prisoner and Fugitive
The podcasts were very interesting. They made reference to Churchill's own book that he wrote in 1930, My Early Life.
Like a a very thoughtful partner, my better half looked out for it and actually found it in a charity shop.
I'm currently in the process of reading it. I have to say that so far it's an easy read and he's quite self-deprecating. The narrative flows like a "ripping yarn".
But one thing that I came across was this passage about when Churchill was still a school boy. He was writing about his collection of nearly 1,500 soldiers. The account continues:
"... my father himself paid a formal visit of inspection. All the troops were arranged in the correct formation of attack... At the end he asked me if I would like to go into the army. I thought it would be splendid to command an Army, so I said 'Yes' at once."
With his future now determined by this conversation, Churchill then went on to comment that, "the toy soldiers turned the current of my life."
Now, I love my hobby. However, I can't say that it "turned the current of my life" in as dramatic or life defining way as Churchill's. What it did do was provide good friends, a positive community of like minded people and a life engaged in the joy of history, gaming and problem solving. That's not too shabby!
So, have the toy soldiers turned the current of YOUR life? If so, how?
Well, I guess I was in a similar situation, although my father didn't ever ask me that directly ( nor, unlike Churchills, I suspect, was he in a position to sort me out with a commission)
ReplyDeleteI did enlist in the army (Gordon Highlanders as they were) after university on an O type engagement (O for potential Officer) but after a few months and a trip to the Regular Commissions Board, the army decided I had insufficient potential, and I was discharged!
That sounds brutal Keith. Though I am sure that your obvious potential has been realised in many other and varied forms.
DeleteI may be mistaken, but as I understand it Churchill's mother had as much (if not more) to do with opening doors for her son. Albeit that both his parents didn't have much time for him.
He had a very nice collection and I remember seeing it in Blenheim Palace. I think the effect it has had on me is exactly the same as you Richard, although it is an important part of my life that would leave a void if it wasn't there.
ReplyDeleteI've seen that collection at Blenheim Palace as well. I did linger with a degree of envy.
DeleteYou're right, there would be void if wargaming and toy soldiers were not part of my life.
Sounds interesting Rich, I'll give the podcasts a listen. I like you Rich came to wargaming quite late, mid 20's for me, so it never really shaped my way forward. And I totally agree with your last comments, good friends and a positive community....what else would we do, play golf??
ReplyDelete... and like you Ray I played with Airfix soldiers and models long before Postie ensnared us.
DeleteGolf! That's a nice walk spoiled!
Lol
DeleteI suppose Airifx models and toy soldiers were part and parcel of my formative years, so I can't remember a time without them. My Dad used to make Airfix models and get the magazine, which I used to read over and over again, especially loving all the scratch built stuff, most of which I could never achieve anything close to, especially that of Gerald Scarborough et al. I did manage the siege weapons with balsa wood though, but they were pretty ropey if I'm honest.
ReplyDeleteBut I think that love of making stuff via Airfix and wargaming was installed in me from an early age and was probably responsible for my career in the design and prototyping business. Even today I still get immense pleasure from scratchbuilding stuff as well as seeing other gamers efforts too.
Ah, so toy soldiers and things related to it has "turned the current of your life". It sounds like it instilled the love of design and creation which sent you down a particular course.
DeleteThanks for sharing Steve.
Interesting perspective from Chruchill. I have been fascinated and somewhat consumed by toy soldiery and wargaming from my first WWII playset received at Christmas at age six. Despite that lifelong interest, I suppose since I never followed up with a military career (came close on two occasions), toy soldiers never turned the current of my life. As others have said, toy soldiery and wargaming have certainly been a mainstay and steady current in my life. I wonder if my early fascination and study of mathematics and probabilities in hex-and-counter wargames contributed to a career in mathematics and statistics? Hmm.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your reflections Jonathan. The currents that turn our lives can be many and varied. So, it can be easy and mistaken to attribute too much credit to any one "current". However, it makes for some interesting observations about how and why our lives have turned. Perhaps, a question could be how different would we or our lives be if toys soldiers etc. were never a part of it... pure speculation of course.
DeleteWell, for one, I would have never met you fine chaps!
DeleteAnd what a sad world that would be Jon!
DeleteWhat was that film? Young Winston? I guess it was based on that book, I quite liked it, I mean it had a cavalry charge and an armoured train, do you want anything more in a film? Like Steve modelmaking was something I did at least in part at art school and did it for a living for a while but felt it was sucking the enjoyment out so I did something else, also I was spending my day in a cloud of cyanide without extraction and maybe that had something to do with the decision! My dad encouraged my modelmaking as I was to use his phrase cack handed due to a childhood skin disease (we had to throw the first airfix model away I'd made such a mess!) the other time also involved my dad when after expecting to get twelve O levels and all I got was one in art, he told me down the phone "Well, it looks like you've got three choices, the army, the navy or the air force and in twenty years you might make sergeant!" I went to the army careers to sign up as a 16 year old boy but luckily my school who I thought I'd burned bridges with were good enough to let me come back and do retakes, still remarkably good way to aquire a work ethic!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
That is a good film Iain. Sounds like lots of "currents" turning your life. I certainly know of you better. Thanks for sharing so freely.
DeleteTurned the current of my life??? When i read your post I considered that wargaming has been such an integral part of my life ( researching, buying, painting, preparing, planning and playing) that without it there would have been a huge hole in my existence....and that doesn't take into consideration that my best and closest friends are my wargaming mates. To that extent one of whom, his son is my son's best friend and both are gamers. It has been a fundamental element in my life!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting John. Your response seems to reflect most views taken and what would be missing from our lives for want of this great hobby.
DeleteNice one Richard. Ditto your comments about friends and shared interest/joy. Expanded now to e-friends thanks to blogging.
ReplyDeleteA big addition for me is learning more. The collection/megalomania leads to more and more reading. I discover huge gaps even within limited eras that have been a major focus. Great fun and stimulus.
Regards, James
Excellent contribution James. Wargaming has been great in showing, in a good way, that I will never knowevrrything... every day is a school day!
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