News from SPUK It is most unfortunate that I must start this my first column in 'Phoenix', with an apology for the late despatch of S&T 54. The issue was received by us on March 26th, and packed into envelopes by March 30th. Regrettably we could not get these in to the post until April 14th, as the printer who was handling our new brochure, which was earmarked to go into issue 54, did not meet his promised delivery date. How unusual you may say! To rub salt into the wound, when the brochures were eventually delivered, we found that the printer had failed to perforate the order forms. Thus we find ourselves with 20,000 unperforated brochures. This situation will be corrected when we do our next run, until such time we must ask you to resort to cutting out the forms with scissors. So much for our hopes of a slick, minimal work for the customer brochure! ! ! On the 1st June 1976, Malcolm Watson T/A Simulations Publications UK will become SIMPUBS LTD., T/A Simulations Publications UK. The reason for this move can quite simply be put down to growth. When I started SPUK 31/2 years ago we were bringing in a very small quantity of games. In our financial year April 1st,1975-- March 31st,1976 we moved over 25,000 games and when a business reaches that sort of volume it ceases to be a one man operation. SPUK now employs four full time staff as well as myself and has long since reached the stage where it should be formed into a limited company. We will continue to use SPUK stationery for approx 6 months after which the name SIMPUBS LTD., will start to appear on our brochures, etc. This first copy of "Phoenix" comes to you with our compliments, it is by way of an experiment to see if there is a demand for a UK based boardgames magazine. One of the main features of this issue is the first serious attempt to run a UK feedback, we do want to have your opinions, we will take into account all the feedback cards that we receive and we will base future policy decisions on the answers that you give. So please help us to give you the service that you want, fill in your feedback and return it to us by June 30th,1976. We also still want to receive completed US feedback cards for onward posting to SPI, these should also reach us by June 30th. For the past two years I have toyed with the idea of printing SPI standard games in the UK. Up until now such a move was not particularly necessary, however, with the recent slump in the value of sterling, printing games under licence becomes a very desirable proposition. By way of a trial I intend to print 'Sinai', 'Seelowe' and 'Normandy' in June/July of this year. This move will result in a price reduction on these games, and also allows m.e to make a special pre print run offer on them. Full details of this offer are given in the magazine insert. Should this trial run be successful I will be in a position to expand the print programme which will in turn help to keep UK prices down. Your support for UK printing will be reflected in the reaction to our offer. The response to our suggested games orgy has been very encouraging, so much so that we will now go ahead and make arrangements to hold one later in the year. Details should be announced in the next issue of Phoenix. New games now in stock include 'West Wall Quads' and the long awaited 'War in the West' . A tit bit that I picked up when at SPI recently should be one of interest to S&T subscribers. With issue 57, S&T will increase from 48 to 56 pages, also the games in issues 57,58 & 59 will be non folio games. S&T games will be back to the full size variety for those issues after which time SPI will take stock of the subscribers reaction. Finally, if "Phoenix" is to become the UK boardgamers forum we must have articles, from you. Send your letters, game reviews/comments/battle reports, etc. Without these "Phoenix" could degenerate into an SPUK house magazine and that is not the object of the exercise. This is your chance to communicate your thoughts and opinion to other gamers so please take it!