I have been organising a number of my old magazines and I happened upon this advert for the opening of Warlords Games shop in White Dwarf number 31, dated, June/July 1982.
This was not my first White Dwarf, the oldest I still own is issue 22 which survives coverless but otherwise intact. Interestingly WD 22 this has a review of games day 1980 which I am fairly certain I attended, but being so long ago I am unsure. I certainly attend two back then at the Royal Horticultural Society hall, one of which I fairly certain ran a huge roman chariot racing game, it was there that I remember buying the D&D PHB shortly after it came out.
Most of my early games were bought mail order via, Games Workshop in Dalling Road (I visited the actual shop once in the early 80’s), Games of Liverpool or Esdevium games (A shop I used to visit regularly when I lived in Reading). However back then I did not have a bank account and had to pester my mum for a cheque or pay extra for a postal order.
This was solved by the opening of Warlords which I could visit regularly and actually see the books, games rather than relying on a catalogue (which you had to send off for) or magazine advert. The shop was the first games shop I regularly went into, and must have been there almost weekly when I attended Southend Technical college in the early 80’s. There was another local games shop on the way to Shrewburyness (the name eludes me) but I only remember going in once or twice. To be honest I have no idea why I felt it necessary to write out the telephone number which was clearly printed.
Warlords was run by Pat and Bill and I remember it being quite intimidating but probably only because of my age. They later sold the shop to Dave Ryan and it was renamed Caliver Books but even now 30 years on we still call it Warlords but I vary rarely visit.
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