The Siege Of Hobbs Street - A Tabletop Game In 28mm.

         ANARCHY IN HOBBS END!!

We all knew when the Skeleton Army declared a day of protest that Saturday was going to be rather trying, but, there was no way anyone could predict the tragic events to come. The police under the command of DI Bolton were there in force to maintain order and all seemed to be in hand.

Using the protest in the High Street as a distraction three Anarchists robbed the wages clerk at the factory gates in Drovers Road and made off with the wages down Drovers Road pursued by several locals. Meanwhile the police were still trying to diffuse tensions with the Skeleton Army.

Whilst being chased down Drovers Road one of the Anarchists open fire scattering the locals, the shot was heard by the police in the High Street and it wasn't long before they and the Skeleton Army forgot their differences and joined in the chase.

Seeing the pursuing crowd gaining in size and bravery despite shooting at them one of the Anarchists turned and fired another two times, unfortunately one of the shots severely wounded Mr Wicker the travel agent.

The chase continued for a while, but no one was injured, soon the Anarchists were run to ground at number 10 Hobbs Street, having been chased up Wells Street they gained entrance through the back door. The police quickly evacuated both Hobbs and Wells Streets and surrounded the building whilst under fire from the upstairs windows.

After many outrages in London recently it seemed the Anarchists were finally cornered, the enormity of this situation was soon made apparent when the Home Secretary himself, Mr Birchill, came down and ordered soldiers to be brought to the scene. 

Shots were being exchanged at an alarming rate, a soldier in Wells Street was wounded and both the police and military were saying they had shot an Anarchist, but by the sounds of it they were far from dead!

The house was being peppered with bullets and yet pistol shots were still being fired from the upstairs windows. It soon became apparent that this siege could not go on much longer as smoke started billowing out of the ground floor windows, the house was on fire!

With the flames licking higher the pistol shots from upstairs died away, a terrible end indeed, the soldiers were stood down and the fire brigade was called. So ended the siege of Hobbs Street.

Hobbs End Gazette - Blockhouse Attacked, local man prisoner of the Boers! - A table Top Game In 28mm.

 

                                SPECIAL EDITION:                          12th September 1901

                        Royal Fusiliers in action, local man wounded.

Our South Africa correspondent Tarquine Squears reports;  

An isolated blockhouse of the "Rice" variety was attacked by a party of Boers last week in what has been described as a serious setback for the operations of the Royal Fusiliers in that area. The Boers approached very stealthily and rushed the position with reckless abandon.

The blockhouse crew fought back bravely, preferring to fight outside at first and causing several Boers to fall, the superior numbers of the Boers was beginning to be felt and the mauser fire soon began to take its toll.

The survivors gave a good account of themselves from within the blockhouse, but the assault was too much for them. Following threats to blow them to kingdom come the last of the small garrison surrendered to the Boers, they were stripped of everything useful and the blockhouse was destroyed.

Local soldier Private Thompson is reported wounded and a prisoner of the Boers, we wish him well and hope for a speedy recovery and repatriation.

The Village Must Burn! - Wallachia 1462. A table Top Game In 28mm.

                                       The Village Must Burn! - Wallachia 1462.

A detachment of the Ottoman army is given the task of protecting the main army's flank, in their way is a small Wallachian village, the name of which is of no importance to the Turks and lost in the mists of time.

Most of the civilian population has already fled, those left are the local militia and some fighting monks, brave and unswervingly loyal to Prince Vlad, their chances are not good.

There is no negotiation with the Ottomans, the attack is pressed home with ruthless efficiency, arrows fly and men die.

The village is soon taken, the Sipahi and Janissaries were too much for the local militia who are put to flight.

One of the fighting monks has been taken prisoner, his fate is sealed and his end will be grisly. The village is put to the torch and the Ottomans lick their wounds, the Wallachians fought hard and they too took many casualties.

The survivors are hunted by the Sipahi but they slip away, looking for the Voivode's army, determined to fight another day and exact righteous vengeance on their sworn enemies.