Salute 2017 Review

First - my congratulations to South London Warlords for a great show, very well organised, a very nice day out for this Northerner.

A good start to the day - the Grand Central service from York departed on time and arrived in London on time. From there it was London Underground and Docklands Light Railway to ExCel Centre for the show. I arrived at 11:15 so I missed the initial rush - which was good - and the free figure given to the first 5000 entrants.

When I got into the hall, the first thing that struck me was it seemed to be less crowded; in fact throughout the visit I felt there was more room but whether that was fewer punters, fewer traders or fewer games I cannot say; probably a mix of all three. Anyway, being less crowded was a positive for me.

These are my purchases.

Steve Barber Models - Turkish Levy infantry and a Captain

Minifigs sample blister packs

28mm Ottoman flags from The Flag Dude

Artillery sized bases

I was very pleased to find the Steve Barber Models. I had seen the figures in their on line catalogue but I like to see and feel figures before I buy. I bought the two packs, infantry and an officer. I will order more packs of different figures. The new, 28mm Minifigs of Napoleonic Ottomans I will buy as and when I see them. I tried to purchase some figures from Foundry and Perry but both were out of stock. Also I wanted some flags, found The Flag Dude and bought three flags so that was a success.

I have been thinking that as my Ottoman force grows I should get some buildings so I had a good look around for ideas. Adrian's Walls models are one option. These are really nice.When visiting the Warbases stand I saw that they have a range of flat pack Middle Eastern buildings at very competitive prices. I have not bought any of these IKEA style MDF buildings or vehicles. If anyone has I would be very grateful for any feedback on your experiences.

Ideas for buildings - Adrian's Walls look very good

One surprise for me - I resisted the temptation to buy a book or two.

The journey home was the same except in reverse and everything went well. I met B and we went to Pizza Express for dinner. All round, a very good day.

Sizes - l to r - Warlord, Barber, Minifigs  28mm, Barber, Old Glory, Dixon.