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The National Airsoft Festival 2018 Day 1: The Weekend Of Fun & Mayhem Starts

OptimusPrime

Better leave early. That’s what BBC Breakfast advised to anyone planning to go out for the last Bank Holiday weekend before Christmas. With disruptions in public transport especially in the south, most will be taking cars to go to whatever destinations they planned going to. That means motorways will be clogged.

We could not leave immediately as there were things that needed to be done at work and at home. Still Master Chief was able to ensure that we got to leave my digs by 12 noon. Sure enough, upon hitting the M25 we were immediately got greeted by traffic build up and slowdowns in both directions made worse by the rain. Leaving the M25 to the M3 and seeing the same thing made us conclude that our usual 2 hour drive to Ground Zero Woodland for the National Airsoft Festival 2018 will take longer.

Total drive time was three hours we arrived around past 1500H, though that’s nothing compared to those who came from farther places, like our friends from the Netherlands headed by Stef Smeets who started their trip yesterday, gear and all.

Upon arriving, it was raining though it was manageable that people remained outside their tents and a small queue at the registration area. But the busy moments were in the camp sites where people quickly scrambled from their vehicles,  grabbed their tents to set them up before the heavens opened up again. National Airsoft Festival’ Howard “H” Payne, the overall coordinator of the weekender quickly got us our kit and brought us to Neil who immediately brought us to the Media tent which the organizers put up for the first time. With charging facilities it was less worries for us to have our batteries drained quickly and nowhere for us to charge them.

Just right behind the Media Tent was a narrow space that we were able to squeeze in our tent. Good thing it was a pop-up tent that we immediately set it up before it rained again. Throwing our stuff quickly inside the tent, we went back to the Marquee tent where the Zero One on-site shop can be found. There inside, airsoft players for the weekend grabbing gear, BBs, accessories, and boxes and boxes of airsoft guns.

The first day also saw the first skirmish where a pistol and shotgun game was held to cater those who already have itchy trigger fingers and cannot wait for the first day of hostilities.

Milling around, we saw the same food stalls, though a new one is the Thai food stall which served good food. We also got to see the usual suspects at the National Airsoft Festival, the ASG guys with Jake, Benn, and Jody, Airsoft Action Magazine with Nigel and Bill, Gavin of Viper Tactical, and Kelly Louise Hardwick, the Femme Fatale Airsoft who found us inside the beer tent. It was already 1900H but this time so we grabbed some Thai food for dinner.

After dinner, we grabbed more beer before going around again seeing other familiar faces we got together with the ASG crew, Femme Fatale Airsoft and other friends. The Enola Gaye stall was still open around 2000H and we hanged out there until they decided to call it a day. Femme Fatale Airsoft went for the mechanical bull ride where we had a good laugh watching her try and hold on as long as she can, which was not long enough.

We grabbed a few more beer and headed off the Media Tent where we mainly talk whatever we had mind to kill time. By around 2330H we called it a night it as it is going to be a long day tomorrow. The temperature that night was almost freezing, and it was fortunate that we slept through it uneventfully though in the various camp areas, it was still party for them until the next day.

The Day 1 photos of the National Airsoft Festival 2018 on the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page.

Read Day 2 of the National Airsoft Festival 2018.
Read Day 3 of the National Airsosft Festival 2018.

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