Your friend and mine, The Jolly Broom Man recently wrote about wargaming rabbit holes after he disappeared down the warren that is the Hundred Years War. I was listening to Cavalier Cast (a podcast about the Wars of the Three Kingdoms) and came across an episode about Powick Bridge. The guest, John Spiller, had done research on the battle which overturned the standard narrative promoted by Clarendon.
John, a native of Worcester, said his research into this particular encounter started as an offshoot of a lockdown project to create a wargame of Powick Bridge. At the end of the podcast, the pod presenter, Mark Turnbull asked John what happened to the original war-game project. In true wargamer style, that didn't get off the ground due to said rabbit hole.
Too bad not to see the research through in order to deliver a wargame scenario.
ReplyDeleteHe completed (and published) the research, but it seems he lost sight of the game. Do at least we can benefit. Now to find the article …..
DeleteChris
Beware the wargaming rabbit hole , not only can you fall down it but you can twist a financial ankle severely!
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland P
P.s or perhaps be like Candi Staton…. Young hearts run free.
Now that musical reference dates you (and me). An older generation might have mentioned Run Rabbit Run 😉
DeleteChris
Very funny. We've all been down those holes. The issue is how quickly we can get back out again... or whether we even want to!
ReplyDeleteThat’s a very good point Richard. Do we want to get out of the rabbit hole?
DeleteChris
Sounds terribly familiar!!!
ReplyDeleteMea culpa, say most of us.
DeleteChris
Doubly interesting as several Civil War battles report cavalry being inconvenienced by "conney" or rabbit warrens......
ReplyDeleteA real life rabbit hole to stumble into!
Neil
Haha! A good point well made sir! Sounds like an idea for an ‘event card’.
DeleteChris
I’ve even managed to fall down a rabbit hole while falling down a rabbit hole. This hobby is bad for your wallet!
ReplyDelete😆
DeleteWe always have the same cause that it’s not as bad for the wallet as some. I knew someone who used to race an old banger (I’m not sure what the official classification of the cars was) and the entry fees alone were eye watering.
Chris
Excuse not cause
DeleteChris
Powick Bridge is still there, I think - on the road from Malvern to Worcester. It's a nice touch that pretty much the first battle of the Civil Wars took place there, and the last (1651) only just up the road at Worcester.
ReplyDeleteThe rabbit hole I am trying to avoid is getting into all these podcasts you keep mentioning...!
Good point about the circularity of the beginning and end!
DeletePowick Bridge is apparently only just still there. They mentioned on the pod that it’s desperately in need of shoring up. It was already old in 1642.
Chtis
I have found the way to handle these distractions is to make a note of them, allow them to percolate in the background while at moments when materials that clearly connect with that particular rabbit hole to be obtained. Once a proper rabbit warren can be assembled, re-examine the materials - if there's enough to get something done and on the table, then start - otherwise, set aside with a new set of notes of what is missing - so that you do not waste large amounts of time on something that is unlikely to be completed.
ReplyDeleteKeep the end in mind at the start and waste less time in the one rabbit hole.
I can sense a mindful approach here. For many, wasting less time in the one rabbit hole would mean wasting time in lots of rabbit holes.
DeleteChris.