The Main Games Room…
One unexpected bonus of making this website is going to gaming events that we otherwise would likely never have done. That’s what just happened today, there I was looking over gaming related stuff earlier this week and before I know it I’ve found out about a convention that’s local, flagged it with Andy and he’s like, ‘Well I’m free Friday, are you?’
Turns out I was, so me and Andy got tickets online and this morning headed off to Kenilworth to Midcon #47! Has any other local convention been running for that long? Seems not, it’s the longest running game convention in the UK.
Lets dive into that illustrious background a bit first shall we? It all began back on Saturday the 18th September 1976 at Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham UK. Organised by Dave Allen for the National Games Club (formerly British Diplomacy Club) it ran for two days and consisted of free-form gaming. Blimey, It’s been going nearly as long as I have! Take that UKGE, you may be the biggest in the UK but you can’t take this away from MidCon with your 20 conventions! Size isn’t everything you know, it’s what you do with it that really counts (although we do love the UKGE and can’t wait to share that with you when it comes around in the summer!)
So, what makes MidCon what it is? Well it’s got a very well designed website where you can buy tickets, list games in their Bring and Buy, and even ‘Find a Game’. That last one is a great idea, pop in what game you would like to play and when, then people can claim a seat at the table to play along. With a convention of such a small size, that works really well. A local, uncapped Bring and Buy is also a godsend this close to Christmas, we may have only gone for one day but me and Andy popped a few games in just to top up funds and pay for the tickets too! We both sold a few games so it’s a win win for us!
Some of the Bring n Buy offer…
We spent most of the time enjoying the company of other gamers and getting our game on, played Great Western Trail (Andy’s choice as he doesn’t get to play in person that often) and Will chose a game of Timespan, one of his Essen purchases. Very different games but both wonderful in their own way and enjoyed by all.
Wandering the rooms between games (including a Quiet Room for those who don’t like it too raucous!) we saw so many excellent Euros were hitting the table. If anything, this is very much a gamers convention. Lots of those classic scenes of buildings/landscapes on boxes with a person in the foreground in period dress doing some kind of thing. You know what I’m talking about.
If that’s your jam then Midcon is definitely something you should look into, they’ve started doing them in the Summer too so no excuses… the hotel staff even wandered around taking lunch and dinner orders, although you are so close to many other locations to eat you’re very much spoilt for choice. There’s also a bar on site too (unsurprisingly). Hotel rooms do sell out pretty early so if you are interested in attending, join their Facebook group to be alerted when tickets go on sale. We’ll have to add special events to our EVENT page too so we can flag these things ahead of time!
So, if you find yourself free this weekend and itching for a heavier game or two, grab yourself a last minute ticket on their website and head over to Kenilworth and enjoy the company of some like-minded gamers for a day or two, there are worst ways to spend your weekend!
