Newsletter Number 73
April 2002
From The Colonel
First
of all I would like to thank those of you who travelled down to Devon to attend
Marge's funeral and also for the donations you made.
A total of £120 has been sent to the hospital.
Marge's family has asked me to express their thanks for your kindness and
messages of sympathy at this very sad time.
Last
weekend we paid our annual visit to Cheriton and laid a wreath at the memorial.
Everyone appeared to have a good time and the weather was extremely kind
to us, although a little chilly.
I
have been discussing the arrangements for the Corfe week-end, 5/6 May, and we
are camping next to the car park - the same site as used for the previous siege
- which makes life a little easier.
I
expect most of you know by now that the Regiment has bought a new tent.
This will be erected at Corfe for the first time but it will only be used
for storing the equipment for the weekend. I am afraid that no breakfasts will
be available over that week-end as Margaret will be otherwise occupied cooking
in the castle. Could you please,
therefore, make alternative arrangements for breakfast.
However, the authentic food being cooked in the castle will be available
for lunch, for those of you who wish to participate, at no cost to yourselves..
I
have had Pippy whinging in my ear that he is beginning to get writer's cramp due
to writing most of the articles in the newsletter. So I would ask you all to
please try and make the effort to write something, however small, even if you
want to have a good whinge about something.
As
many of you are aware, Martin and Cathy are tying the knot on Thursday, 2nd
May, and I am sure you would all like to join me in wishing them both every
happiness for the future.
Yours
in loyalty,
George
By the time you get your mitts on this
newsletter the Corfe Castle siege will be just around the corner or at least in
the next week or two, and once again we can all delight to the scene of
roundhead after roundhead being dispatched jelly-like and merrily down the steep
embankments to the certain amusement of an expectedly large crowd.
As much fun as this event is (and long
waited after last years cancellation), it is in actual fact a very prestigious
occasion. This for us is ‘prime time television’ A west end theatres opening
night, if you like, where we will be studied both for amusement and critical
acclaim. Unlike a west end theatre though, the amusement will be short lived
while the critical acclaim will be longstanding, probably long lasting and will
come back to haunt us if we get something hopelessly wrong. Believe me we DO get
criticism after events; despite it not always being filtered back to you the
fair reader. Further on down the newsletter is a reminder of how we should
behave at Living History Events, please obey them even if you don’t read them!
Cheriton was it’s usual self, with a
freezing cold night being followed by a sunny day but with an east wind blowing
just to wind you up! Thanks to all who turned up for this small but wholly
enjoyable event especially those that travelled far distances to attend. Vic and
Sheila playing the accordion/squeezebox (or whatever it was) made the Saturday
night more enjoyable than usual, this along with Kens and Martins selection of
songs forced many a tear from hardened men’s eyes.
Please take a good look at the events
listed below as it has been added to quite significantly. Along with the London
Historical Action Spectacular in July it is almost certain (though
at the time of writing, not written in blood) that we will be hosting an RIE at Powderham Castle over the August Bank Holiday.
It is also official that we are, along with some other regiments being invited
by Grant and Lynne down to Stoke Canon after the Bath and West event to spend an
extended Bank Holiday polishing up our routine. A Warning Order for that event
is enclosed.
The London Historical Action
Spectacular (www.eventplan.co.uk) is destined to be a very prestigious occasion
for us as well. It is organised by Howard Giles (of Fairfax
fame) and is going to be a Kirby Hall style event with a multi-period
theme ranging a thousand years. We are attending as part of the Oxford Company
and it is quite likely to be an event which is classified as ‘authentic’,
so then, lets get this right and we may well be invited back again to these type
of events. Without knowing the full deal as yet, I can say that it is normal for
off duty re-enactors to watch the days events unfold, which is usually the whole
point in going (whoops! not P.C.) Anyhow Warning Orders for this event will be
in the next newsletter.
Finally another muster which has come
out of the blue. Sir Thomas Tyldesley’s Regiment (big brothers of Talbot’s
Company) have invited us to Wythenshawe Hall in Manchester over the weekend of
the 22nd / 23rd June for a weekend of Living History and
other scenarios. It’s the usual thing of camping from the Friday to the
Monday; something called a beer tent and the campsite only a hundred yards away
from the hall. I haven’t included the Warning Orders in this newsletter as too
many will confuse you (and me), but if anybody needs the details urgently either
give me a call or preferably visit the web site and follow the links (http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Member/gj.hadfield/civwar01.htm).
The Warning Order will appear in the next newsletter as well.
Ed
CONFIRMED
·
May
5th / 6th 2002, Corfe Castle R.I.E. (Hopton's event)
(Warning Order Enclosed)
·
May
29th/ 1st June 2002, Bath
and West Showground, Somerset (Major)
(Warning Order Enclosed)
·
June
22nd/ 23rd Wythenshawe Hall, Manchester (Tyldesley’s
R.I.E.)
(Warning Order next Issue)
·
July
6th/ 7th 2002 – Historical Spectacular, Bedfont, West London (R.I.E.)
(Warning Order next Issue)
·
August
9t /10th 2002, Farnham, Surrey R.I.E (Hopton’s event)
(Warning Order next Issue)
·
September
7th/ 8th 2002, Corfe Castle R.I.E (Hopton's event)
HIGHLY
PROBABLE
·
August
Bank Holiday – Powderham Castle, Devon R.I.E (Hopton’s event)
An Apology
Okay I’m sorry! The dates stated in
the last newsletter for the ‘second’ Corfe Castle is not May but September, it’s also over the weekend of the 7th and 8th
and not the 15th/ 16th. Many times did I take great
delight in telling previous Ed’s that they had the dates for some or other
event incorrect, it now seems to be my turn for the censure. I consider myself
well and truly caught out and promise to buy each and every one of you a pint,
providing you have proof that you actually saw the mistake. Proof being that you
phoned me up prior to receiving this edition. So congrats to
Steve Burden and Phil Green for their eagle eyes, a pint will be yours.
Letters And Articles
From The Membership
Secretary
You
may or may not be aware that in a moment of madness I rashly offered to take
over the onerous task of membership secretary. This means that I'll be nagging
you for your membership money instead of Carole.
I have one distinct advantage, which Carole never had; I can threaten non-payers with a visit from Dodge. A threatening from Pete doesn't instil quite the same amount of fear. With this in mind I expect prompt payment, no bitching, whinging or pleading poverty, other wise I'll send Dodge round to your tent to sit on you until you pay up or even worse I'll send him round to your tent when he's in "talking b****cks mode" (which is nearly all the time) to bore you into coughing up.
YOU HAVE BEEN
WARNED
Christina
An English Heritage point of view
A seminar was held recently in London
to discuss the way forward for English Heritage. One of the speakers, Dr. Tracy
Borman was later criticised (over the ECWS internet site) for being fairly
dismissive of re-enactors and of the re-enacting that takes place within E.H.
sites.
Without getting into a bun fight over
what was said and what was not, I thought that Dr. Borman’s comments over the
criticism were very pertinent and should be regarded as a useful pointer to each
of us, and the society as a whole.
‘I
read with interest the comments about my recent seminar that have been submitted
to this site. On a positive note, I’m pleased that it sparked such lively
debate. It is however unfortunate that the majority of the comments seem to have
been made by those who did not actually attend the seminar. There has thus been
more than a degree of misrepresentation of what was said.
Far
from being a ‘blistering attack’ on re-enactors, my presentation highlighted
the great benefit that these can bring to historic sites. To quote directly from
the presentation:
‘Re-enactment
events are important and popular ways of engaging with the past and probing more
deeply beneath the surface of historical research. In a highly competitive
environment, re-enactment groups are increasingly professional and meticulous in
their approach.’
What I did stress,
though, was the need to focus on quality re-enactment - that which brings the
history of the sites to life rather than just using them as passive venues.
There have been too many instances of staging re-enactment events at sites that
have nothing to do with their history. Surely this is missing the point: events
should derive their inspiration from the fascinating sites at which they take
place.
In stressing the
need for quality, I also pointed out that there have been instances of
re-enactment groups not turning up in sufficient numbers to represent the
battles or events that they are aiming to portray. There is evidence to back up
these points and I would reiterate that they do need addressing. It is hard to
bring a major battle to life with only a handful of re-enactors.
Far from ‘having it in’ for re-enactment, English Heritage has
invested significant resources in ensuring that it remains a staple of the
events programme. The same is true for History in Action. My presentation used
this event to highlight potential problems in staging events that bear no
relation to the host site, that do not meet the needs of your audience and that
make a significant financial loss. Research clearly demonstrates that visitors
are more engaged by living history and interaction with performers than with
military displays alone. Hence this year’s History in Action will set the
spectacular battle displays in their rich social context, and will look at
history in all its forms in order to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.
To this end, we are inviting a wide range of museums and heritage attractions to
take part, building on successes such as the National Army Museum’s excellent
interpretive activities and lectures at last year’s event. We are also
undertaking an exciting new PR campaign to raise awareness of the event among a
much wider audience than ever before.
History
in Action therefore remains our highlight event of the year and English Heritage
is fully committed to it.
My seminar focused
on raising profit and profile through events. I am not going to shy away from
the need to make events commercially viable: they are a key means of generating
vital income which is then ploughed back into preserving and promoting the
historic environment. However, I did not imply that commercialisation should
compromise the creation of an exciting, historically-accurate events programme.
Indeed, the main argument of my presentation was that above all else events
should bring the history of sites to life. It is therefore crucial that they
should be well-researched, of the highest quality and entertaining for visitors.
In response to
claims of my ignorance of history and re-enactment, I would stress that my
doctorate is in history and it was my passion for the subject, which led me to a
career in heritage. I have worked for a wide variety of historic sites and
organisations, and have also spent time as a costumed interpreter. My events
strategy is derived from working at the heart of events, rather than in an ivory
tower.
I will end by
pointing out that the definition of a seminar is something that encourages
free-ranging discussion. I am therefore disappointed that those who attended the
seminar and have submitted comments to this site did not take the opportunity to
raise them with me in person. Nevertheless, I would be happy to respond to any
further comments – either about my seminar specifically or about English Heritage
events in general.’
Dr. Tracy Borman
Head of Events
English Heritage
A few words about Mells 2002
We
found a nice table and chairs to sit on and began sampling the goods. Some while
later after Yoko had been back to his caravan to get changed and had some food
he carried on drinking with Fluff and myself. At about 11pm Yoko uttered these
words that will now haunt him ‘Please I
cannot drink any more take my pint away’ at these words Fluff and myself
nearly choked on our drinks.
There
was a small incident on the battlefield where Psycho had a hang fire,
fortunately he was not seriously hurt but perhaps he should be called Flash
from now on.
Having
said all this we all had a good time, we have been invited to next year’s
event, so I hope we can get a few more to turn up.
Yours in Loyalty
Any mugs out there?
I was unable to get to the Blackbird
Lees re-enactment fair over the winter and this has or will present us with a
familiar problem at Corfe and probably beyond. You are no doubt aware that at
busy times in that quaint little pub placed strategically close to the
soldiers’ encampment that I usually run out of authentic looking beer/wine
drinking vessels.
Consequentially if you have a few
lying around gathering dust please bring them along so others can drink with
your good selves and at the same time we can stop the impending riots that are
likely to occur should any large unruly mobs looking for a fight appear from
nowhere demanding drink!
Living History Etiquette
With Corfe coming up very fast I
thought I would take this opportunity to remind you of the niceties of Living
History etiquette. Not so much the non-smoking, non-listening to personal
stereos sort of stuff, but more common (believe it or not) inaccuracies that
materialise whenever we ‘go live’. Remember it only takes one or two
discrepancies during a re-enactment to encourage a sponsor to look elsewhere for
their entertainment.
·
Do not venture inside the beer tent or the kitchen tent to retrieve stuff you
have hidden in there for safekeeping, you don’t go behind the bar of your
local pub without permission J and you shouldn’t at LH events. It also puts an extra
burden on those who are actually working on that particular site to look after
it. An alternative place for items that are occasionally needed on the site is
always available.
·
Do
Something! Even if it’s sleeping or drinking. Try to find something ingenious
to do like whittling tent pegs, making toys, unravelling rope, playing games,
checking on the main structures and putting them right, boiling and cleaning
muskets (this really does keep the audience actually), sharpening pikes, swords,
halberds.
·
Don’t
steal food from the Kitchen. I know a nice wedge of cheese goes well with real
ale (or lager. ex Ed), but stealing was a crime punishable in the seventeenth
century by death. So if you are hungry and desperate, ask nicely and wait to be
served by somebody who’s role includes that of being in the kitchen.
·
Speaking is always a moot point, but the very basics are
easy to follow. If you are called on to speak to a member of the audience either
do it in the first or third person of your seventeenth century character,
and only go twentieth century when the need to explain something coherently is
only manageable by you in this manner.
Try
not to let passing audiences hear about your thoughts on the Formula One season
or the latest debacle at Sheffield United nor the latest computer software that
Uncle Bill is trying to flog you.
·
We are on stage! So remember to act the part that you are
playing. Try not to publicly berate the Officers to their faces and do remember
to remove your hat when passing or being spoken to by one of the afore-mentioned
persons.
·
On the subject of hats. These are mandatory and should be
worn at all times when on show. If it’s warm by all means take off your
jackets and put them in the soldiers tents, but leave your hat on.
The Lads Prayer
Our
beer,
which
art in barrels
Hallowed
be thy drink
Thy
will be drunk,
At
home as it is in the pub,
Forgive
us our daily spillage,
And
those who spillage against us,
Lead
us not into wine tasting,
And
deliver us from alco-pops,
For
ours is the bitter,
The
spirits and the lager,
Forever and ever
Barmen