THE SUTTON COLDFIELD GAMING CENTRE

Adam Sharpes

Nick: Though Sutton Coldfield was one of the last of the Gaming Rooms to emerge in the UK, it hasn't taken manager Adam Sharpes long to build up a steady hobby following, "Thursdays is one of our major nights; we're open until 10pm and get between 25-30 guys coming in regularly," he says.

Sutton Coldfield caters for all tastes, and with so many gamers, you're sure to find an array of opponents and build some good gaming contacts. "It's a broad age range," Adam, who's been managing Sutton Coldfield for a year, tells us, "certainly the broadest I've seen – we've even got ladies," he says, with a wry smile.

VITAL STATISTICS

• Sutton Coldfield has five 6'x4' tables… on Gaming Nights they can muster another four of the same size – that's 216 square foot of table!
• The Gaming Room has boards of all types, with a range of great scenery made by modelling guru Stu Morris (check out some of the boards below…)
• On Saturdays the guys at Sutton Coldfield teach Warhammer Skirmish. It's so popular that there's now a tournament!

GOING CLUBBING

A strong body of regular gamers of various persuasions isn't enough for Adam; he's striving to get even more gaming action going on in his area, "We're trying to set up clubs – we've helped set up a school club so far." If you live in the Sutton Coldfield area or are indeed, a regular of the Gaming Room then why not set up your own club – Adam would only be too happy to help.

These tables were made by the Sutton Coldfield team; the Moria table even has a partial roof and the Warhammer table boasts a realistic waterfall.

GAMING GALORE

The talents of Sutton Coldfield extend to building gaming tables too. Here's the trophy they won for the Best Table at Games Day 2005.

Despite its relatively recent inception, Sutton Coldfield has already established quite a pedigree when it comes to gaming events. "We once played a game of Warhammer with over 173,000 points – this broke a previous record!" Adam says. "Our hobbyists really like Kill-team Nemesis and of course Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 and The Lord of The Rings, but we have a good mix – they even play stuff like Warhammer Skirmish, Mordheim and Necromunda."

There's always someone who's an expert in one of our game systems at the Gaming Room, and with store armies in abundance, you can play pretty much whatever you want, when you want. It's part of why Sutton Coldfield attracts so many gamers, that and the fact that they are so welcoming, as Adam attests, "We've built our success on the fact you can come here and have a game of anything. Come down and play games," he says, "It's what we do, and what we do best."

MINIATURES SHOWCASE:
BEST OF GW SUTTON COLDFIELD

		These Daemonhunters are the handy work of Paul Bowater an ex-staffer, who's now a regular at Sutton Coldfield. You can see more of his models on display in the Gaming Room's cabinets.

ACTIVE ASTARTES

Sutton Coldfield is a Gaming Room that prides itself on doing something a little different, just to shake things up. These dynamically posed Ultramarines are no exception. "We like being special," says manager, Adam Sharpes. "We have a wealth of talent here and like to do stuff that stands-out."

The Space Marines, arranged in a variety of unusual 'in-battle' stances were painted by Adam and converted by full-timers Martin Jennens and Stu Morris. "They're unique," Adam tells us of the models, "it makes them more personal and it's a good talking point for tuition."
With copious amounts of clipping, repositioning and gluing, Adam and his team were able to come up with a host of interesting poses...

You can find further details of the Sutton Coldfield Gaming Room including directions and contact telephone numbers on the Store Finder.

GAMES WORKSHOP GAMING ROOMS

Like a regular Hobby Centre, all Gaming Rooms provide the full range of Games Workshop services. They are larger than a normal Hobby Centre and have many tables, making them perfect for meeting fellow hobbyists.

During the week we have to restrict Gaming Room facilities to those over 16, but at weekends they are open to all hobbyists.

GAMING ROOM FEATURES

• Varied scenery and table set-ups for Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, The Lord of The Rings and all the Specialist Games.
• Dedicated painting areas.
• Special events, battles and campaigns.
• Minimum age 16 on weekdays.

Related Links:
Store Finder: Sutton Coldfield
Sheffield Gaming Centre | More About Gaming Rooms