Yesterday I had my premier game in the partially finished “Salon de Guerre” with our week long holiday guest Chris Pringle (Author of Bloody Big Battles) and his wife. A very delightful visit and a great rapid fire game to bless the room.
We decided to play a battalion of British paras with a support company holding the village to prevent the Germans from exiting the table. The Wehrmacht forces were two battalions of infantry, one stug and a recon light armoured car coy, plus a coy of recon mechanised infantry, commands by a RHQ.
Chris really used his battalion artillery well along with his mortars first to lay smoke to make his assault on the defending Brits, then to pound the paras until they were pinned. Eventually he assaulted the village after losing two companies pushed or destroyed the remaining Brits out capturing before the allotted 15 turns.
This week we have started the redecoration of the 18th century “salon de Guerre”. The Wargames room on the first floor, using the name borrowed from Versailles Salon de Guerre, although it is has later baroque interior. The Salon has unique curved corners and door, squared 18th century panels and timber rails and a deep decorative cornice.
When we were looking for a house for the business twe were looking for a building with three entertaining salons. L'Hotel de Hercé (the houses name) fully met the requirements with two salons for entertaining guests on the ground floor and this Salon on our first floor.
Every Wargamers dream is a permanent location for the Wargames table, miniatures and militaria collection, I used to in Australia, have a shed for storage and table or used the dining room table for gaming, but had no permanent location for wargaming.
I am quite excited to finally have such a fantastic room and permanent location for my collection of miniatures and militaria I have collected over the years. It will be a great asset for the business to have such a unique room for a wargames table that all of our Wargame Holidays and B&B guests can enjoy.
I have been planning this room since we purchased the house in 2017, researching colours and the layout of what I want to achieve, I am seeking a sort of gentlemans club feel, but also practical, and a inspiration for all of the wargaming community also.
A have made a short video of the what the room looks like before we really get stuck into the preparation and painting. Plus added a few pictures of what it looked like before. Hopefully we will be complete in around three weeks for the preparation and painting.
Video here on my channel
And some images
The curved entrance door
The curved corners
Curved corners
Above the fireplace, the typical 18th century panels
