PEOPLE
Clash of the tabletop generals
By Lauren Farrow
In the Valley of the Feathered
Serpent terror is brewing.
Pirates attempting to pilfer hid-
den treasure are being attacked by
a fire-breathing dragon. A Mayan
priest has ripped the beating heart
from a man’s chest during a ritual
sacrifice.
At the centre stands Grant Tighe,
who holds the fate of many of these
men in his hands.
But he says he is no warmonger.
As a member of the Cumberland
Society, Grant and a dozen of his
comrades battle it out at Annandale
Neighbourhood each month using
miniature figures.
Here scenes from the Napoleonic
Wars to the destruction of World
War II are recreated. Only this time,
a roll of the dice and rule books de-
termine the outcome of mighty bat-
tles.
To an outsider this might seem
16 Village Voice Balmain September
like grown-ups wanting to relive
their youth, but member Michael
Barnard argues otherwise.
He said the social aspect of the
game, coupled with a love for his-
tory, can make it a lifelong passion.
“The historical battles are inter-
esting because you are researching
the individual figures to paint them
accurately,” Michael said.
“You are researching the char-
acters of the generals involved and
what they wore,” he said.
“And then you are trying to repro-
duce it within a ‘what if’ scenario.”
The Cumberland Society meets
on the second Sunday of each month
from 9am to 5pm at Annandale
Neighbourhood Centre, 79 Johnston
Street. Phone 9660 2828.
Strategic thinking . . . a member of
the Cumberland Society manoeuvres
a figure as pirates storm the Valley of
the Feathered Serpent.