![]() This set of rules would be the first of 40+ publications by Don and launched him to become an iconic wargame writer of the 20th Century. In 1962 Don also wrote his first book War Games which went on to sell around the world. The attendance of the events gradually increased each time. The first of the National Wargames Championships Conventions originated here, where a silver salver presented by Airfix Productions Ltd was fought for. The social features included a recreation of Wells’s famous Battle of Hooks Farm using photographs from his book Little Wars on an overhead projector, while a background narrative was read from the book. The following year he stepped the event up and hired a function room at the local hotel, this time there were around 20 attendees. Therefore Don set up the country’s very first wargames event inside his own home, in which virtually every Wargamer at the time attended. In 1962 however players of wargames were scarce and so finding opponents particularly difficult to do. It was unfortunately discontinued due to rising costs and a declining readership. When Jack Scruby ceased producing Wargames Digest Don and Tony decided to co-edit it for Britain, followed by Don’s own Wargamer’s Newsletter which he started producing in April 1962 and continued to do so each month for 18 years until 1980. Tony would later become the manager of the miniatures company Miniature Figurines. ![]() Also around this time Don met Tony Bath, who would be (beside his brother) his first wargame opponent. This reignited Don’s love of miniature wargaming and bought back his memories of playing Little Wars with his 54mm tin soldiers. In the 1950’s Don came across Wargames Digest produced by American Jack Scruby. Eventually Don left the army in January 1946. Don was the possibly the only one to walk away uninjured from the attack. It was here that Don had his brush with death when an enemy shell landed inside their camp where Don and his comrades were eating a meal. Don’s battalion was posted to the Gothic Line in Northern Italy. Once in the 51st Battalion of the Royal Tank Regiment, Don’s skill with words and the ability to type at a reasonable rate saw him move to the HQ and was appointed as clerk in the Orderly Room. Don managed to “negotiate” service in the tank regiments with the recruitment officers. Don feared service in the infantry following stories from both his Father and Uncle. In 1939 Don signed up to serve in the Royal Tank Regiment after trying unsuccessfully to find service in first the RAF and then the Navy. Wells’ rules Little Wars which were introduced to him by his father. Because of him, Britain came to enjoy miniature wargaming as a pastime.ĭon born in 1918 got into miniature wargaming after playing with H.G. Read more about amateur cine societies and watch clips of their members' work.Donald Featherstone is perhaps the most influential Wargamer of 20th century Britain. This film is silent despite the availability for over a decade of magstripe along the non-perforated edge of 16mm films providing synchronised sound.Īt the end of the clip, we see Featherstone playing with technique, as he almost appears in his own painting when the footage of his painted landscape dissolves into the filmed landscape.ĭon Featherstone (1902–1984) was a founding member of the Darling Downs Amateur Cine Society, established in 1952 and now known as the Darling Downs Movie Makers. He is arguably the society's most successful and best-known member, with a memorial trophy named after him.įeatherstone became an enthusiastic filmmaker after purchasing a second-hand camera in 1926.īush Critics was screened by the Federation of Australian Amateur Cine Societies at their Second Australian Film Program in 1968. As the artist decides what to paint, the changing perspectives cleverly suggest he is being assessed or surveilled by the local inhabitants (while, in reality, they are the ones being filmed). ![]() The shots directly after the credits in Bush Critics establish the location and the protagonist. ![]() The watercolours used in the opening titles are credited to Don and stylistically match the watercolours featured through the film. The opening credits of Bush Critics (seen at the start of this clip) boasts a 'D for Don' with a feather through the middle, mimicking established film production studios displaying their logo on commercially released feature films. This is all the more impressive when you consider that he would have needed to craft the story based on what footage he could record of the koalas. With Bush Critics (1961), Don Featherstone elevates home movies by combining crowd-pleasing shots of koalas with a genuine story arc.
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