WHO AND WHAT ARE THE MID SUSSEX MEEPLES...

ABOUT ME...

My name is Paul Lamprey, a bus driver throughout Sussex by trade and I run Mid Sussex Meeples with help from my wife and the many, many new loyal friends I've made since starting the group.

In 2016, I was diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety after a prolonged period of feeling lonely after my move to Sussex in 2006 together with other factors relating to our busy modern lives.

After delving through many a YouTube video to pass the time, as many of us do, I came across a familiar face from my youth in the form of the one and only 'Wil Wheaton', famous to me from Star Trek: The Next Generation and more recently, Eureka and The Big Bang Theory.

Wil's board gaming series 'TableTop' on Youtube opened my eyes to the world of Modern Board Gaming, way beyond your Monopoly, Chess, Scrabble etc. into a new world of Carcassonne, Catan, Qwirkle, Ticket to Ride and so many more. His show and as I found, many other YouTube channels, began to open my eyes to a board game world which began to show me it's wonders.

I've played board games, most of us have, delving into another time, world, place, even for just a few minutes or as I discovered many an hour. This new world introduced me to many new game mechanics including co-op games, deck building, resource management and worker placement among many more.

Watching videos and purchasing my first few games were fine but not having too many friends meant an issue with actually playing them all. Some games I had purchased did actually have 'Solitaire' modes, another new mechanic to me like 'Marvel Legendary', so I could play them on my own. My wife would join in with a game she fell in love with, 'Qwirkle' as did other members of my wife's side of the family including my nieces and nephews.

The next step was to hunt for a local gaming group but with issues with anxiety, confidence and depression issues, stepping across a threshold of a new group, let alone making new friends, was an obstacle.

With my depression in check and a new found determination, I anxiously headed for 'The Horsham Gaming Group' one Saturday. The group had been on my radar for a while after visiting the organisers shop in the town on numerous occasions. When I say it was the best move I have ever made, I sincerely mean that and I certainly would not be writing this now if it was not for this moment. Andy and indeed everyone I met on walking nervously through the door was opening and welcome to me and within minutes I was asked to join a group learning and playing a new game. 7 hours came and went by in a flash, 5 different games played, some I'd never heard of, as well as a couple of my own games I had taken. On leaving the premises and making my way back to the car the experience had changed me at my core and I thank everyone there that day for setting me on a new renewed path.

Alan, who I now class as a very good friend runs 'Dungeon Crawley Gaming Group' and it was only a couple of weeks before I would attend his event. Familiar faces, more new games, more new friends and another 7 hours gone before I knew what had happened.

To say the last few years have been a whirlwind is an understatement on my journey. From those initial visits to other groups I decided to start my own, made contact with many other groups in the area, asked to assist in playtesting games in development, producing Gaming Inspired T-Shirts and even invited to read weekly gaming news, crowdfunding and events, and occasionally co-host on a Board Gaming Podcast 'Meeple Minded'.

Board Gaming is My Life and My Life is Board Gaming.

WHAT, THERE ARE MORE THAN 6 BOARD GAMES...?

There are thousands of board games and I mean thousands, don't believe me, then just head on over to the Board Game Geek website and have a peek... If your thoughts or experience with board games only extends to the realms of Trivial Pursuit, Monopoly, Game of Life, Scrabble etc, then let us open your eyes and lead you down our very deep rabbit hole.

Those games are the literal of literals, the tip of very, very large iceberg. It still shocks me today as I find more and more games that appeal to me, from a wide range of themes, mechanics and complexity.

With some games lasting multiple hours to those lasting mere minutes, there are games for all tastes and heading to a local gaming group is a fantastic way of experiencing a variety of themes and mechanics at minimal costs to yourselves. Below is a comprehensive list of my own collection which in turn makes up our groups library too, all linked to pages on our grail website 'Board Game Geek'.

WHY BOARD/TABLETOP/CARD GAMING...?

Recent studies and from my own personal experience, the social aspect of board gaming can help with many depressive, anxious and social issues and help peoples mental health and wellbeing.

I personally welcome every new member through our doors with the gusto that welcomed me back when I started my own Board Gaming journey. Time is taken to understand what has brought you to our group, your experience with modern gaming and endeavour to make your experience at our gaming events a truly positive experience.

Gaming has also be shown to be fantastic for keeping your brain fully fit and active, even pro longing the onset of any cognitive decline associated with Dementia, Alzheimer and other cognitive degradation.

ABOUT US...

Our group is based in Burgess Hill, West Sussex for people from all walks of life, from those new to the hobby and the more experienced players. From the young right through to the young at heart, where we gather, play, laugh, teach and learn some of the wondrous games that can be played on a table top.

Many of our members are well seasoned in board gaming and like myself welcome new members, understanding that reading rules isn't the best start so learning as are happy to become verbal rulebooks at hand as you delve into the game at hand, it's certainly easier and more helpful.

The main reason we play, is to have fun, laughter can be heard throughout the days as plans go awry and dice rolls just don't come up trumps. Winning is always nice but it's the social interaction and the enjoyment in playing that will have you leaving wanting more.

OUR GAME DAYS...

We hold our game days at Cyprus Hall, Cyprus Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 8DX. Cyprus Road Car Park, at the rear of the hall hosts free parking on Sundays.

Entrance is just £5 per person for the day, inclusive of Tea/Coffee/Squash and Biscuits and your welcome to come and go throughout the day, pop out for some lunch or bring some back to carry on gaming.

We have no age restriction and welcome any well behaved children in with an accompanied adult right through to those young at heart pensioners looking for some extra activities to partake in and of course everyone in between.

We are on the level with disabled parking at the door and have fully accessible W/C facilities.

It is truly a hobby that brings everyone together and a fantastic sight seeing multiple generations sat down interacting over some card paper and plastic.

All money taken is put back into the club, securing the venue for further events, to promote the club within the local area and to add games to the ever growing library available for you to use at the events.

Our library, currently, consists of over 120+ titles, many of which are brought to our events for people to play. Other members also bring their own games with them to also play, meaning that your always spoilt for choice.

We will also have a 'For Sale' table in case any gamers are looking to raise funds for new games. So if you are looking to lighten your shelves then reluctantly bring down your unwanted board games and put them on the table, together with a post it note with your name and asking price. Buyers can then find you at the group.

In essence this is what I want from our gaming day, from a warm welcome from the offset, to a great social experience, where we can put our phones away for a few hours, interact with other people over a favourable common subject.

ANYTHING ELSE...

The best place to keep up to date with the group will be our page on 'FACEBOOK', we also have 'INSTAGRAM' and 'TWITTER' accounts or if you fancy looking into some of the games that may be at the gaming day head on over to the 'Links Page' and check out some How To Play YouTube videos.

We hope you like what you've read and can make it to our next event, where we look forward to greeting you with open arms.