SoAC 26 will be held at Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL over the weekend 16th-18th October.
As a follow up, myself and Gavin Parnaby (who has kindly volunteered to assist on Convention organisation) visited Cranfield for a site visit this week. We are agreed that the facilities offered are excellent.
Contained within the same conference area is a lecture theatre which we will use for the talks etc, and six large rooms each with space for at least two games. And if this isn't enough, each of the six rooms has four breakout rooms - and each of these has room for a 6' x 4' table. This extra space should help in the setting up and taking down of games issue where game organisers are waiting for a table to be cleared before they can set up - there is enough space for this problem to go away.
The central atrium area where an excellent buffet lunch (we sampled it!) will be served is bright and roomy. The bedrooms are fine, the restaurant where we will eat our evening meals is close by. The bar will stay open into the early hours if there is demand...
All in all, I believe this is the best venue yet for the Convention.
So - save the date, and start planning a game that you will run in one of the gaming sessions...
I took a few photo's while we were there, posting them here to whet your appetites figuratively and literally, the food was rather good. Couple of shots of the bar area and one of the informal coffee areas of which there are several, plus the main atrium with food set out (only half of the setup is visible), and there is lots and lots of seating available in there for lunch as well as a full battery of snacks and drinks available.
(https://1drv.ms/i/c/3439b94054bf169d/IQC3P6PJjoqtT4qSJzyZ-wOqAV_20GZ_4J6ESJSyT7EFvyY?e=YgapE7)
A couple of the largest of the 6 Richard identified in his post, easily big enough for the largest of games, and one of the smaller breakout rooms, sufficient to get a 6x4 and have space for players and paraphernalia if required. Lastly an image of the check in desk in the lecture space, the hotel has it's own reception and check in as well.
Conference centre buffets seem to have improved since I last attended one (a work conference, that is).
Looks impressive
Hello, I'm keen to attend this year, it'll be my first time. I would like to make my own accommodation plans though. Is it possible to just buy a ticket for the event and not a bedroom etc? Thanks
It will be. We will offer day tickets for individual days.
Just giving this a bump. I signed up for the 'event of the year' yesterday, I had missed it going live. So in case you missed it too make sure you sign up pronto so as not to miss out. 8)
"Bee there orr bee a rectangular thyng!" - Terry Pratchett, Soul Music
Hi I see the tickets just went on sale. Are the day tickets £40 or £45 each? Seems inconsistent on the page
Yeah, confusing isn't it? This arises from holding all the prices at the same level as last year...
...except for the single day rates, which we were able to reduce from £45 to £40. As with many such anomalies, this will all be straightened out over the next several days or weeks.
In the meantime, if you wish to attend the Convention during Saturday or Sunday days only, you may book now. We keep a record of who books what and at which price. Where appropriate, Richard Lockwood will be handing out £5 notes at the Convention.
;D
I expect to be able to confirm my availability and book in the next few days. Are there still plenty of spaces?
Quote from: Dave Knight on Aug 20, 2026, 07:11 PMI expect to be able to confirm my availability and book in the next few days. Are there still plenty of spaces?
How many do you need? :)
Quote from: GavinP on Aug 20, 2026, 08:51 PMQuote from: Dave Knight on Aug 20, 2026, 07:11 PMI expect to be able to confirm my availability and book in the next few days. Are there still plenty of spaces?
How many do you need? :)
At least 2 unless I go on a diet before then ;D ;D
Good news is that Cranfield is less prone to flooding.
;D
Quote from: Dave Knight on Aug 21, 2026, 06:15 AMQuote from: GavinP on Aug 20, 2026, 08:51 PMQuote from: Dave Knight on Aug 20, 2026, 07:11 PMI expect to be able to confirm my availability and book in the next few days. Are there still plenty of spaces?
How many do you need? :)
At least 2 unless I go on a diet before then ;D ;D
whereas with the food on offer I'll need a bigger car to go home lol.
Booking Deadline 31st August
Just a gentle reminder to guarantee your spot at the Convention... ;D
Games. We need attendees to put on games. Lots of them.
We have around 55 booked to attend - which is fantastic. But did I mention we will need lots of games for us all to play?
I spoke to Richard at Colours today and I can see why he asked me to have three players a side rather than two a side as I had planned for my refight of Frigidus of 394 AD with 15mm figures. The more the merrier!
Was someone asking for information about the heraldry of the knights at the battle (both sides)? There's a booklet which should be very helpful. I'll bring it along to the Convention in October since it was published nearly 30 years ago by a small outfit in Keswick entitled:'The Battle of Bannockburn, June 1314, Heraldry, Armour and Knights'. The author is Peter Armstrong, published by Lynda Armstrong Designs and printed in 1998 by Border Miniatures (ISBN 1 902667 02 06)
The following has just been emailed to all attendees so far signed up for the Convention:
Dear all
This is going out to all 57 of you so far signed up for this year's Convention.
Wow! 57! This is by some way a record attendance, and I can only thank you for deciding to attend. For this returning for another year, I am glad you have enjoyed the event in previous years enough to come again. And for those who have signed up for the first time - thank you, welcome, and I really believe you will have a splendid time.
Now, what this increase in numbers means of course is that we need more sessions to be run by attendees than ever before. So please, please, please: if you have not already stepped forward to run a session then we really need you to think seriously about doing so. This event only works if we all contribute - and that means running a session if at all possible.
So what can a session be? Well nearly anything!
- At its simplest it can be organising and running of a game (with figures, or a boardgme, all are welcome) and allowing ideally at least 4 and preferably 6 players to join in (or 8, or 10, etc).
- But it can also be a "work in progress" game where you are developing ideas and need to try it out with live players and get feedback - we've had many examples of this over the years.
- It could also be more of a discussion than an actual game: one year I ran a session on "understanding the Battle of Issus" which was a kind of workshop where I presented information and we talked about what it meant for the interpretation of the history and a potential war-game; similarly Matt Bennett ran a workshop session discussing how to potentially wargame the Xenephon's March of the Ten Thousand.
- And almost anything else can fit the category so long as it encompasses history and wargaming in our period.
If you decide to run a session, or have already let me know you will be doing so (thank you to the relatively few who have so far stepped up) then I need the following information as soon as possible:
A title/heading for the session
A short descriptive piece to be printed in the Programme, perhaps including info such as rule set, figure scale, and ideally selling it!
The number of players you can accommodate
The size of table you will need
Any special requests (eg Don't want to clash with another particular person's game as you are assisting each other)
Anything else you want to tell me, or ask about
Also, please produce and bring with you a "Signup sheet" which should be an A4 sheet, with name of your game, short descriptive piece, number of players you can accommodate, and then some lines underneath for people to sign up on. These Sign-up sheets will go up on the notice board in the main event hall on the morning of each day, around 8:45am, to allow everyone a fair chance to sign up for sessions they want to. (Those physically less able to participate in the "scrum" can assign proxies to sign up on their behalf.)
I hope to start sending our drafts of the Programme in the last week of September. As usual it will be update a number of times, hopefully as more and more games get volunteered.
Finally - not long now! I look forward to seeing you all there.
Regards
Richard
There are still plenty of rooms and tables available for games over the convention weekend, if you are attending please consider running a game and don't wait to the last minute hoping someone else will step up to the plate.
If you are already planning on putting on a game or a session of some kind please make sure that you've let Richard know as soon as possible.
Bump!
Quote from: GavinP on Sep 24, 2026, 04:34 PMThere are still plenty of rooms and tables available for games over the convention weekend, if you are attending please consider running a game and don't wait to the last minute hoping someone else will step up to the plate.
If you are already planning on putting on a game or a session of some kind please make sure that you've let Richard know as soon as possible.
Step up or resign to playing my dreadful games all weekend - you have been warned! :-\
;D
Not sure I can run a game this year but I will be packing a couple of dba armies
Quote from: JohnOfCarthage on Oct 03, 2026, 06:23 PMNot sure I can run a game this year but I will be packing a couple of dba armies
I'll be there for the Sunday - Are you there for the weekend, or just one day's worth?
Ill be there on the saturday and can also bring a dba army or 2
An evening DBA game would be good, although I don't have any armies in 15mm. I could perhaps find room in the car for 2 25mm armies if there was interest?
Only there on the Sunday, unfortunately (clash with another event).
We will pass like ships in the night Martin
Quote from: Martin Smith on Oct 04, 2026, 06:44 AMQuote from: JohnOfCarthage on Oct 03, 2026, 06:23 PMNot sure I can run a game this year but I will be packing a couple of dba armies
I'll be there for the Sunday - Are you there for the weekend, or just one day's worth?
I'm there both days
will any of the SOA rulebooks etc be available to buy at the convention?
Quote from: JohnOfCarthage on Oct 07, 2026, 04:21 AMwill any of the SOA rulebooks etc be available to buy at the convention?
I can't guarantee, but usually there has been, it's a good potential market.
I anticipate that the Society stand will be set up in a discrete corner of the Convention for everyone to load up on all the best in ancient wargames publishing.
:)
Excellent, I look forward to lightening my wallet ;D