Dick Wellard's day out in Balham

Today's game centred around the fighting for the British town of Balham.

Balham! Gateway to the South!

We enter Balham through the verdant grasslands of Battersea Park, and at once we are aware that here is a land of happy, contented people who go about their daily tasks in truly democratic spirit.

Unfortunately the French have come ashore to spoil the day...

Balham bridge and the British Deployment  point.  Pity nobody told the British where it was.

French sailors skip merrily over the bridge

The British freeze in place as the French trundle a huge column behind the sailors.

The British Light Dragoons arrive and also freeze in place.  We're the British counters even in that bag.  (The answer being no, at one point they weren't.)

As the British movement fails to happen the French saunter over the bridge and deploy.   The British units moved once.  The French seven times!

In extreme frustration the Light Dragoons charge but surprise!   They fail to reach their targets, and then get shot to pieces as the French fire not one, but two full volleys into them whilst the entire British force stands still.  At this point Lt. Dick Wellard took a ball to the chest and mercifully fell to escape the battle for the safety of Dr Hook's Sanatorium
The British moved twice in the whole game and as a result got a mullering.  Enough said really,  

And so the long night draws on. The last stragglers make their way home and the lights go out one by one as dawn approaches and the bell of Saint Quilp's' Parish Church tolls ten o'clock. Balham sleeps. And so we say farewell to this historic borough, with many pleasant memories – and the words of  Jeramiah Quillp, Balham's own bard, burning in our ears...


"And from the bag he drew forth blue, 
and did not draw forth red,
And from the fourth turn of the game
The Brit's were good as dead..."

Or at least they wished they were...