Friday 1 June 2012

A Very British Civil War Comes to Durham - The Battle of Rothbury Roadblock


Something we've been running for a couple of years has been the excellent 'A Very British Civil War', the genius setting developed by the chaps over at Solway Crafts and Miniatures.  Here's the Concept.  

These are the tales of our own little conflict in and around the great City of Durham...

THE BATTLE OF ROTHBURY ROADBLOCK

++ BBC Press Release ++

After a long period of relative calm, Durham and Northumberland has finally seen the spectre of conflict.  At a remote roadblock near Rothbury in Coquetdale, four policemen were slightly injured in a skirmish with a band of brigands and thugs.  These desperados have been erroneously reported as members of the illegal 'Northumberland Freedom Association', but they were actually simple criminals probably related to the traitorous Chopwell Communists.  Eight of the brigands were killed at the scene, and the remaining four were arrested quickly thereafter.
Local councillor David Thubron said, 'this was a localised incident of brigandage, probably Communist inspired, and the police quickly quelled the trouble.  I can assure the public that the criminals have been brought to swift justice'.


A small police unit led by constable Alan Taylor were acting on a tip off that a smuggler was running guns up to the Northumbrian Freedom Fighters.


The police were supported by a group of Auxiliaries led by James MacAvoy.  MacAvoy and Taylor hate each other however, and trouble between them has been brewing for weeks.


Sneaking in from the north come the Northumbrian Freedom Fighters, ready to ambush the Police roadblock and let their smuggler contact through...


They set up a lethal firing line from cover, and open fire, cutting down the roadblock officers in short order.


As the bullets start flying, Harry East (an innocent civilian) panics and races away from the roadblock...Only to run into the Auxiliaries as they race to the aid of the roadblock.  They open fire, causing Harry to crash.


They pull him from the wreckage where he's arrested and handcuffed.  A terribly rough and caddish way to treat the shocked old gent.


Meanwhile Constable Taylor stops the smuggler and pulls him from the van amid fierce Northumbrian gunfire.


He cuffs and drags the smuggler into cover to prevent him escaping or being injured in the chaos.  Interrogating the criminal will be vital to find out about these criminal Northumberlanders.


Meanwhile MacAvoy sneaks up behind the hated Constable Taylor, and seeing his moment in the midst of the gunfight, empties his revolver at the peeler.  Nerves and adrenalin got the better of him though and he missed with every shot!  A tussle breaks out and the two wrestle in the muddy gloom.  MacAvoy pistol-whips Taylor unconscious.


Meanwhile, the Northumberlanders approach and beat MacAvoy unconscious.  They kidnap the dastardly Auxiliary Policeman and leave him tied to a telegraph pole in Rothbury, with a sign round his neck reading 'attacked a policeman'.



Freed by his friends, the smuggler escapes with the auxiliaries shooting in vain to try and stop the escape.





The Northumbrian Freedom Fighters get away with their smuggler friend but unfortunately have to leave the weapons shipment behind.

This incident turns out to be the spark that lights the powder keg in the North East and would soon bring into the fight, the government Fascists and rebel Communists...


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