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The Adventure of the Vicar's Missing Daughter

6/26/2018

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I had just returned from a fortnight away, my annual holiday, when I decided to call on him. I had not seen him in several months, so was wholeheartedly curious, and filled with some trepidation, to discover the current state of both his mental and physical faculties.

Baker Street was as bustling as ever as I called at that oh-so-familiar 221. Mrs. Hudson kindly greeted me at the door and directed me up, knowing full well I didn’t want nor need to be announced nor directed to the upstairs flat.
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I found him pacing, as he often did when he was on a case, with his gaze fixed downward, no doubt studying the minute movements of some as yet unseen arachnid or similar creature. The scent of pungent incense hung in the air, certainly designed to conceal from Mrs. Hudson some far fouler stench.

“Good evening, Holmes.”

Silence.

“My apologies if I am disturbing you, but I have just returned from…”


“Shhhh!!”, he muttered.

“Er… holidays… er… .sorry”, I stammered.

He paused in his pacing, looked up, and studied me but for a moment. “How was Greece?” he asked.

.”Now how the devil did you surmise I’d been to Greece? Wait, is it the slight smell of some Athenian spice, emanating from my clothes? The particular tanning of my complexion, indicative of Aegean latitudes? Or some other subtle tell?”

A hint of a smile appeared on Holmes’ gaunt chiseled face. “No, no, no, my dear doctor. Nothing quite so cerebral.”

He suddenly presented a card, which he must have subtly palmed off the table as he’d paced by. “Mary sent me a postcard from the two of you, from Athens.”

We both chuckled at this.

“Watson, I… we… have a case.” He began. “I was visited this afternoon by Reverend Edward Cussler, Vicar of Saint Sepulchres, in Snow Hill. It seems his daughter, Abigail, has disappeared and he is quite concerned for her well-being.” 

It had been too long since we’d last worked together, so a part of me was quite eager to assist in his efforts, while another part of me was conscious that I had a wife waiting for me at home. “Where shall we start?” I heard myself say. “What additional information were you able to glean from the Vicar?”

Holmes’ smile broadened, “The game’s afoot, Watson.  We’ll start by visiting the flat Abigail apparently called home, I should think."

​
Click on the Read More link to find out what happened.
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Museum visitors will learn how Sherlock Holmes, a scientific expert ahead of his time, used seemingly trivial observations of clues others missed to solve some of his era’s most mysterious crimes. His practices and techniques, created in the mind of doctor-turned-author Conan Doyle, changed the way police work was conducted and remain in practice today. The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes features original manuscripts and period artifacts, investigative tools influenced and used by Sherlock Holmes, and interactive crime-solving opportunities. Guests will be transported into Sherlock Holmes’ London to solve a crime in a world filled with innovation and experimentation–and just receiving its introduction to his ground-breaking methods.
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“The Conan Doyle Estate can’t remember an undertaking as involved and exciting as this one,” says the Estate’s U.S. representative Jon Lellenberg: “Museum visitors will experience the scientific and literary ideas that inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes, and Holmes’ methods for investigating and solving crimes as the world’s first consulting detective, and they will visit their two worlds, including the very rooms in which all this took place.”

​The exhibition is brought to the Houston Museum of Natural Science as the result of a unique arts partnership between Exhibits Development Group (EDG); Geoffrey M. Curley + Associates; Conan Doyle Estate Ltd.; and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Local support provided by the John P. McGovern Foundation.
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Knights - L'Art de la Guerre

4/23/2018

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For a number of years Osprey's Field of Glory (FOG) was a popular ancient and medieval wargaming rule set, here in Houston and throughout the Gulf Coast region.  In recent years, however, that rule system has been replaced in favor by a more streamlined system more akin to DBM called L'Art de la Guerre (ADLG).

On March 24th and April 22nd, 2018, we brought L'Art de la Guerre to the Museum's Knights exhibit, setting up two games on the third floor, not far from the entrance to the exhibit.

I ran a 15mm recreation of the Battle of Stoke, the 1487 battle that truly ended the War of the Roses, when Yorkist rebels, led by Francis Viscount Lovell and John, Earl of Lincoln, challenged and lost to the army of King Henry the VII, led by John, Earl of Oxford.  Eric and Daniel were there in support and we were able to play through a few games and explain to the visiting public what we were about.  We were even able to enlist some young people into playing a few turns.

Matt and Mike were also present for both events, happily setting up and playing 15mm battles between Teutonic Knights and a Medieval Polish army, re-fighting the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) at various scales.

The two days proved very enjoyable and successful, particularly when we were able to improve the lighting on the third floor, which is normally purposely kept subdued.  Support from the Museum technical staff was crucial and very welcome to achieve this improved level of lighting.  It's great to have the positive relationship we have with the Museum and its staff.  We're all really looking forward to more collaborative events.

Want to learn more about the game system and see our photos from the event, then please click on Read More.
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Chivalry and duty are bound together by the masterpieces of European arms and armors, dating from the Medieval and Renaissance ages to the romanticized ‘Medieval’ of the 1800’s. In the Middle Ages, knighthood was closely linked with horsemanship (and especially the joust) from its origins in the 12th century until its finest hour as a fashion among the high nobility in the 15th century. The provocative beauty and exquisite craftsmanship of the objects reveal the figure of the knight, his code of chivalry and his battlefield role. Included are full suits of armor, helmets, corselets, shields, swords and other weaponry. The exhibit explores the themes of love and war, jousts and tournaments, and the historical context in which the objects were made and used. Included is a still-life (Natura Morta) armor installation – a presentation invented by Frederick Stibbert (1826-1906).

This exhibition was organized by Contemporanea Progetti in collaboration with the Museo Stibbert, Florence, Italy. Local support provided by The Hamill Foundation.

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Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum  - Jugula

6/26/2017

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In the summer of 2017 we organized and ran two events in the Museum in support of their special exhibit, "Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum".  

​Want to learn more about the game system and see our photos from the event, then please click on Read More.
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Gladiator combat has evolved into one of the defining symbols of ancient Roman culture. Immortalized by films, gladiators locked in mortal combat for the entertainment of the crowds in Rome’s Colosseum are larger-than-life figures in our mind. However, what went on behind the scenes? The exhibit, Gladiators: Heroes of the Colosseum, provides answers in two arenas: that of the gladiators and that of the Colosseum. The exhibit takes us through time and through the Roman Empire. Featuring original artifacts from the Colosseum never before exhibited outside of Italy, this large international exhibit illustrates the compelling and fascinating world of the gladiators.

This exhibit also explores the behind-the-scenes lives of the gladiators and the colossal stage upon which their fate was determined, the Colosseum. Theirs was a world of specialized training, discipline, regulation, and peril, but also of hope of fame, redemption and even wealth and freedom. Original armor and related archaeological artifacts from the Colosseum and other Italian museums are included.

Organized by Contemporanea Progetti, srl and Expona in collaboration with the Colosseum, Rome. Local support provided by HMW Entertainment and The Hamill Foundation. 
 

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    What's This
    ​About?

    The Wargame At The Museum initiative describes our ongoing informal partnership with the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS).

    From time to time the Museum features exhibits that we feel fit well with a wargaming genre.

    We endeavor to setup, demonstrate, and even teach complimentary wargames near these exhibits, with the goal of educating the visiting public about the related prototypical conflict and, at the same time, promote the wargaming hobby in general and our club in particular.

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  • Home
  • About
  • Members Only
  • Contact
  • After Action
  • What's Next
  • Spec-Ops
    • The Great White Whale
    • Bombing the Reich
    • The Kellog Purification
    • Virtual Wargaming
    • 75th Anniversary of Guadalcanal
    • Wargame at the Museum
  • Texas BROADSIDE!
    • About
    • News
    • Gaming >
      • Event Schedule >
        • Saturday
        • Sunday
      • Register a Wargame
      • Register to Attend
    • Photos
    • Documents
    • USS TEXAS