This all started because Churchill got bad reviews.
We were down in London for a weekend and I had intended to check out Churchill’s War Rooms. However, they got mixed-at-best reviews on the internet. So at the last moment I changed my mind and we went to the Imperial War Museum instead.
I knew they had a Secret War exhibit (http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/iwm-london/secret-war – go see it!) and I thought I would be interested in strolling through the espionage / intelligence stuff.
Instead, I spent essentially the entire day in that exhibit, captivated by the unconventional warfare bits and the stories of the S.O.E.. We barely made it through the WWI trench, skimming as we exited.
I couldn’t get the idea of playing that experience out of my head. The constant pressure, the twin threats of action and inaction, the danger of trust, the impossibility of succeeding alone.
So blame Yelp’s lukewarm response to Churchill for #ablazeinthedark.
There is an SOE exhibit at Beaulieu which is small but does cover the ‘finishing school’ activities around the estate. It isn’t worth a special trip but combined with the house and the motor museum plus a couple of other exhibitions (James Bond’s vehicles and Top Gear vehicles) might make for a nice day trip if you are close enough.
Personally I do my SOE games using C7’s Darkest Hour book and 7e Call of Cthulhu as it feels more in tune with the genre. Blades, for me doesn’t seem to be quite right for the SOE stuff.
Nigel Clarke ¯\(ツ)/¯ Maybe when I’m done, you’ll feel differently? Beaulieu is not a likely stop for me but if I’m ever nearby, I’ll try to make it there!
I’m thinking about a trip up to London after Expo and before the school kids get out and tourists flood the streets so I’ll be sure to hit the IWM for that exhibition. It’s been about 35 years since I last visited so it’s definitely time for another trip.
I’ll certainly take a look at your hack when it’s done though. Might take it to Revelation in Sheffield next February for a run out.