The article begins with an abbreviated CV of the author and then recounts the formation of Society for the Advancement of Games and Simulation in Education and Training (SAGSET) and the early days of simulation and gaming in the United Kingdom. Four strands of elements of development are described together with the key events of the 1970s and 1980s. The author draws attention to the way in which simulation and gaming have moved from loosely directed events based on fun and interaction toward a more academic and analytical approach but speculates that these trends may be starting to be reversed.