Difference between revisions of "UK LARP history"

Revision as of 18:50, 16 March 2015

CJ has in March 2015 started to collect resources on UK LARP History on what may well become a more formal project, or be quietly abandoned, in the future. So far I have collected only names and dates for various strands of UK LARP, and tried to put links as I can find them. I have designated conatct larops where fighting with larp weapons occurs as CLARPS, Fest Contact larps as FClarps and non-combat systems by various labels.

FCLARP = Fest Contact LARP CLARP = Contact Larp- one where physical contact is used to resolve combat FREEFORM - in the UK sense - all characters designed by game writer, no physical combat WKFREEFORM - a weekend long Freeform.

1982

April 1982 Treasure Trap Fantasy CLARP founded at Peckforton Castle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Trap by Peter Carey and Rob Donaldson [Source: Wikipedia, Treasure Trap]

Steve Jackson Games publish Killer; this book codifies a US college game known by many names. Many games were tun across UK campuses and schools as a result. I would be interested in hearing more about peoples experiences playing variants in the UK.

1983

February - Durham University Treasure Trap created for purpose or arranging trips to Peckforton. At this stage they do not run their own events? Still going today, the longest surviving UK Fantasy CLARP system. [Source: Wikipedia, Treasure Trap]

1985

Peter Garner starts overground Fantasy CLARPS in Kent, under the name Garner Adventure Tours http://www.labyrinthe.co.uk/introduction/history/

Treasure Trap closes after losing access to Peckforton Castle & financial issues. [Source: Wikipedia, Treasure Trap]

Durham University Treasure Trap begin running their own events. 30 years on they are still running weekly events as part of Durham University Student Union. The oldest continually operating Fantasy CLARP group in the UK? [Source: Wikipedia, Treasure Trap]

Birmingham University Treasure Trap was again a group of enthusiasts from Treasure Trap who responded to the closure of Peckforton by running their own Fantasy CLARP games, lasting till 2002. [Source: Wikipedia, Treasure Trap]

Garner Adventure Tours moves to Chislehurst Caves, and is renamed Labyrinthe http://www.labyrinthe.co.uk/introduction/history/

Portly Pixie Fantasy CLARP launched by Helen Holdforth and Roger Price in Coventry. It runs for next twenty years. https://portlypixie.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/hello-world/

The Nameless Anarchist Horde's CJ & Hugh Wake run Romeo & Juliet meet the Verona Chainsaw Massacre, a KILLER variant with rules for tragic romance that ran in the King Edward VI Upper School, Bury St Edmunds for one week in September 1985.

The Nameless Anarchist Horde's CJ & Hugh Wake run Cthulhu at Halloween '85, a one off Cthulhu CLARP in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The game is set in the modern era, and features 6 investigators, NPC ghouls and a 2 person carried shoggoth costume worthy of an Ed Wood film.

1986

John Naylor and Steve Bell found Fools & Heroes Fantasy CLARP. Founded in Nottinghamshire there establish local branches throughout the UK and the annual FCLARP Summerfest which was the first Fest to break the 1,000 player mark in the early 1990's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fools_and_Heroes

1987

Pete Garner leaves Labyrinthe and former player and staffer Jan Mc Mannus takes over; Alan Morgan deals with the innovation of Play By Mail downtime, keeping your character involved between adventures. http://www.labyrinthe.co.uk/introduction/history/

1992

The Lorien Trust founded as a charitable organisation to run Fantasy FCLARP events at Locko Park, Derby. http://www.lorientrust.com/ The Gathering, the Summer Bank Holiday event reaches considerable size in the years to come.

1993

Mind's Eye Theatre VLARP rules released, suing a R/S/S (Rock/Scissor Stones) system. These games cover White Wolf's World of Darkness setting. The Camarilla UK follows, but I have no information on dates or events - can anyone help? http://www.angelfire.com/dragon/camarillauk/Projectinfo_page.htm Isles of Darkness follows http://www.islesofdarkness.com/ as do several other World of Darkness inspired VLARPS using various systems. It seems difficult to find details, can anyone help?

1995

UK Freeforms run Cruel Hoax's WKFREEFORM Cafe Casablanca http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/cafe-casablanca

The Lorien Trust becomes Merlinroute Ltd trading as The Lorien Trust, a private company. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorien_Trust#Lorien_Trust_Events

1996

UK Freeforms run Cruel Hoax's WKFREEFORM The King's Musketeers http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/the-king-s-musketeers

Curious Pastimes founded and the Fantasy CLARP Renewal Campaign, still going strong today launched. http://curiouspastimes.co.uk/ & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curious_Pastimes

1997

Cthulhu Live 1st edition published by Chaosium. The game rules by Rob McLaughlin are clearly partly inspired by the earlier HPLHS games in the USA. Immediately COCLARP groups spring up, including influential groups in Malvern, Worcestershire and Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM 1897: Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/1897-queen-victoria-s-diamond-jubiliee

1998

UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM Arabian Nights http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/weekend-freeforms

1999

UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM Shakespeare's Lost Play http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/weekend-freeforms

2000

UK Freeforms second run of Cruel Hoax's WKFREEFORM Cafe Casablanca http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/cafe-casablanca

CJ runs his Cassandra 23 7 weekend CTHULHU LIVE campaign which takes place over multiple locations in real time in Cheltenham & environs.

2001

Simon Morgan, owner of Eldrith a CLARP kit kit company takes over Labyrinthe from Jan Mc Mannus. http://www.labyrinthe.co.uk/introduction/history/

2002

Cambridge University Treasure Trap Fantasy CLARP founded by former Durham players Jennifer Curtis and Toni Badnall. Continues till 2014. [Source: Wikipedia, Treasure Trap]

Birmingham University Treasure Trap run their last event. [Source: Wikipedia, Treasure Trap]

2003

UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM The Torch of Freedom http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/the-torch-of-freedom

2004

Matt, Alison and Bill Pennington create Profound Decisions.

UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM The Siege of Troy http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/the-siege-of-troy

2005

Portly Pixie Fantasy CLARP closes https://portlypixie.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/hello-world/

UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM Once Upon A Time in Tombstone http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/once-upon-a-time-in-tombstone

2006

Skirmisher LLC publish a 2nd Edition of Cthulhu Live

Phil Branscombe, Duncan Mathias and Andy Byatt take over Fantasy CLARP Labyrinthe which becomes Labyrinthe UK Ltd and runs to present day. http://www.labyrinthe.co.uk/introduction/history/ UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM Pyrates http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/pyrates

2008

UK Freeforms second run WKFREEFORM 1897: Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/1897-queen-victoria-s-diamond-jubiliee

Peaky Games - a Game Writing Weekend starts, and runs to current day annually. http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/peaky many Freeform games have been written there and some are available for purchase.

2009

UK Freeforms second run WKFREEFORM Tales of Pendragon http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/1897-queen-victoria-s-diamond-jubiliee http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/tales-of-pendragon

2010

Profound Decisions begin running Odyssey a Classical era Fantasy FCLARP. http://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/odyssey?1

UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM Sharp & Sensibility http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/sharp-and-sensibility

2011

December 2011 - Phoenix LRP a Fantasy CLARP in Coventry announce they will run events using the Portly Pixie system. The forum suggests they ran adventures in to 2013, and they may still be active. http://www.phoenixlrp.com/

UK Freeforms second run WKFREEFORM Once Upon A Time in Tombstone http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/once-upon-a-time-in-tombstone

UK Freeforms run WKFREEFORM Masquerade http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/masquerade

2012

SWATT set up by Stephen Begley at Susses University, a former member of CUTT. Fantasy CLARP [Source: Wikipedia, Treasure Trap]

UK Freeforms third run of WKFREEFORM Lullaby of Broadway: All That Jazz http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/lullaby-on-broadway:all-that-jazz

2013

Profound Decisions launch Empire a Fantasy FCLARP http://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire?3

UK Freeforms second run Cruel Hoax's WKFREEFORM The King's Musketeers http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/the-king-s-musketeers

2014

UK Freeforms third run of Cruel Hoax's WKFREEFORM Cafe Casablanca http://uk-freeforms.wikidot.com/cafe-casablanca

2015

UK Freeforms third run of WKFREEFORM Lullaby of Broadway: Into the Woods