© Richard Ellis Photography.com  Dec 2007

Don Featherstone   

reaches his 90th year

The grand-father of British Wargaming, Don Featherstone recently celebrated his 90th birthday in style at his home in Southampton recently.   Since he was given a box of Britain’s metal figures as a boy he has been playing games with toy soldiers, becoming a major force in taking the hobby out of lofts and sheds and into international conventions in luxury hotels and exhibition centres all over the world.

With life-long friends like Chris Scott, Don has walked over 200 battlefields of 21 wars spread over 7 centuries in 11 countries and 3 continents, often camping where the armies slept before battle.  Although an expert in Victoria’s Colonial Wars his interests stretch from Ancient Egypt to World War II, in which he played an active part in the illustrious 8th Army.

Don has written an impressive 28 books about the hobby with a further 21 on military history.  He founded the first British wargames magazine, ‘The Wargamers’ Newsletter’ and ran the first British Wargaming Convention.  A legend in his own lifetime, his study wall boasts an array of awards and plaques and he even has a society named after him: the Heart of America Tactical & Strategic Order of the Followers of Featherstone!  At 90 he can feel proud of inspiring so many people to enjoy wargaming. His response to his achievement… “If I’d not done it, somebody else would have come along.”  Those who know, realise the immense debt wargaming owes Don Featherstone.