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| Site Name: Touching History |
| Site Owner: Paul Darnell |
| Nationality: British |
| Languages: English |
| Site URL: http://www.touchinghistory.co.uk |
| Contact: Info@TouchingHistory.co.uk |
| Brief: On-line magazine dedicated
to wargaming and featuring a good selection of articles
and a very attractive picture gallery. |
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Touching History
Touching History came about due to my still undiminished passion for
History. When I was just a young chap, oh so many years ago, my father
would take the family out to visit historical sites around Britain.
Well take me to a castle now and I still get quite excited, back then
it was just pure magic. So from an early age myself and history, specifically
military history have became close friends and gave me a desire to
research into all aspects and periods of history.
The model construction side of interest came about due to the old
favourites 1/72 scale Arfix plastic figures. I had thousands of them
and a few thousand more. Many a large scale battle was fought on my
bedroom floor against my brother Martin, with my older brother, Peter
taking on some cameo roles of walking all over the figures from time
to time, well that's what older brothers do!
I started to build the odd building and terrain for the figures, all
a bit shoddy, but back in the 1970's there was nothing I knew of to
give you any ideas or inspiration. My teens were spent as teenagers
do rather focussed on other material things and importantly girls,
but cue Miniature Wargames, which was to re-awake my modelling interest.
One day I was in the newsagent in Walton on Thames in Surrey and there
was issue One of that magazine, which is at least 20 years ago now.
It was full of articles, manufactures of great figures and some superb
pictures of terrain, many from the then Guru of all things wargaming,
Peter Guilder.
Wargaming to me then was unknown and it opened a whole new aspect
to modelling, giving me the potential to get a little closer to history
by way of battle recreation. Once the magazine Wargames Illustrated
was born which used to include a regular series of articles on model
terrain and building construction by the other Guru, Ian Weekly, I
realised that making terrain and buildings was not that hard and even
I could do it.
 So
I started to make the odd project for a few people within the hobby
of wargaming and even myself. What was always the main draw back to
doing it on a more formal basis was space, the hindrance to most wargamers.
For myself who wanted to play the odd wargame and make large-scale
terrain and building projects, it was even more preciouses? So, for
too many years it was totally take over of the kitchen or living room
or anywhere in the house, much to the complete distress of the various
partners I have had, who strangely did not share my love of wargaming
or need to make scale models of castles!
Thankfully in 2002 I moved to Paddaburn in Northumberland where
I currently live. Apart from being officially the most remote place
in the whole of England, it is seriously remote; I have a large
workshop and room to make as much mess as I can. It was this space
and having at the time of moving a few model projects to complete
for some friends that made me create my web site.
It was set up primarily to show off my model work and to add some
quirky historical articles along with some realistic Wargames pictures.
This aspect of the hobby is really important to me because a good
Wargames layout with realistic terrain and well-painted figures can
be a real inspiration to get into the period and the history of the
subject displayed. Some of the Perry Twin layouts featured in Wargames
Illustrated a few years ago were such a stimulus for me and was the
push to get me interested into a wide range of periods.
So with the launch of Touching History and my web site it was the
photo aspect of the site that has proved very popular and has forced
a rethink, not easy at my age! In July this year I am to launch an
on line Wargames Magazine called e Wargaming. It will include articles
on all periods within the hobby along with terrain and model construction
tips and as you might expect some hopefully good inspirational Wargames
pictures.
So, that brings you up to date and big thanks for reading this.
If anyone is contemplating a model project, please check out the
site for some examples of my work and for details of the forcoming
magazine, along with some quirky articles.
Cheers Paul
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