We are going PLACES

Today is a day of firsts, this is the first blog for BoardGameScene and also the first appearance of Places on our website (That’s 3 of our icons done… 2 to go!). This is where we list locations you can visit to enjoy all sorts of aspects of the gaming hobby. You are bound to find your favourite but we suggest you try out a few of them as they all offer different experiences.

The other first is our preview of Dwarfish Tales! We have already resolved to try to visit everyone on the list at some point but with this new location opening on Saturday 12th September it felt fateful that we should start here.

So Will the Wizard and Andy the Trusty Steed headed out on a quest that led to Sutton Coldfield’s Gracechurch Centre (after various other mis-adventures). There we found a mysteriously unnamed shop (the sign arrived hours after we left). Bolstered by the fact that we had received a trail of clues, we ducked beneath the portcullis and were met by Perry, the master of this treasure trove of games and stories.

In reality Perry is the owner of Dwarfish Tales, a new shop and community venture in Sutton Coldfield. It’s a passion project that’s been a lifetime in the making but it is also a very real idea with bags of potential. The shop is a community space that is designed to encourage a love of stories, whether that’s from books or games or from the imagination of the people involved. He is very much encouraging gamers of all kinds to visit him and connect with what they want from his little haven of gaming. You may already have enjoyed a glimpse into his world as he has been an active around Birmingham for many years and has even run a market stall where he inspired people to try role playing games.

These are MINE. Hands off…. we’ll have a cushion fight for ownership!

Wandering around the shop whilst we talk there are many, many treasures to be found. Gift ideas abound for everyone from beautiful bags to full-sized cushions shaped as weapons and everything in between. His eclectic mix of furniture really sets off the treasure trove vibe and makes for a welcoming space to explore People are encouraged to open drawers, or sit down for a while and play a short game, or even get involved by making their own character sheets for the many roleplaying games he has on offer.

He’s very passionate to collaborate with local designers and also arts and crafts people too, with so many ideas for the future who knows how this wonderful space will develop? He has plans for this year and next but as he finds his place in the local BoardGameScene we’re sure those plans will continue to change and develop, just like we know ours will as we continue to build this venture ourselves.

This is a brand new adventure for Perry and he deserves all the energy and support our community can provide. The wonderful thing is that even just an hour spent with Perry has inspired us to want to be involved. So all things being equal, Perry’s enthusiasm will attract all the support he needs. We can certainly see a very likely possibility of a virtuous local circle appearing with Dwarfish Tales at it’s centre. We are sure that it will be a force for good in our lovely hobby of games and will endeavour to support him any way we can.

Dwarfish Tales opens on Saturday 12th September 2026 so support a local business and head off on a mini-quest of your very own.

BoardGameScene.co.uk