A Year in the Life . . . Full CircleAugust 14th and 15th 1999
I'll skip the "journey to" sequence and the rather tedious moaning about the traffic. I shall avoid mentioning the (non "Regia") idiots talking near by throughout most of the night, while I tried to sleep and shalln't mention the fact that the only way (for me) to get sleep before four o'clock in the morning, is now to get hideously drunk! I will not talk about the vast amount of time spent looking for ways to spend hundreds of pounds on chain mail and other nick knacks. Nor the (seemingly) hours spent slaving over a smouldering pan of bacon on Sunday Morning. Instead, I will talk about what it was like to be on the other side of the barrier, having attended History In Action III, the year before as a member of the public.
I was, in a way, expecting too much from this event. It would never live up to any of my ideals. I'm not saying that it wasn't fun; it was. In hindsight, it just wasn't any better that Wing or Wareham. The main problem with Kirby Hall, was that you felt a very small part of a very big machine and I get a lot of that working for the civil service! Though I said I wasn't going to talk about it, I have to say the shopping was fun. I got a bloody good deal on a suit of chainmail which was made up into a Romper suit (ala Bayeaux tapestry images) No living person could get into the thing and pull the hood up, as surprise, surprise, the hood didn't stretch. You would have to cut you own head off to pull it up! An average chainmail suit will cost about ,350 to ,400 pounds. I got this for ,150. Considering there were other suits on sale for twice that, without arms and considerably shorter in length. I must have been blessed. Many thanks to Paul, who drew my attention to it. I owe him one! With regards to the battle(s) that Regia was there to re-enact, the event in question was Stamford Bridge. An event that was to be recreated by us, later in October. This gist of it went like this.
There were two forces. The Vikings, who were led by Harald Hardrada and the Saxons led by Harold Godwinson. Each side was composed of a central core of armour, flanked by two sides of what is cruelly termed "squishies" that is, unarmoured spearmen. The (very rough) plan was that each side would only face off their opposite number throughout the battle. If the Vikings won the battle however, they would run off. If the Saxons won, then they would "ham it up" by pretending to rob the dead and finish off any dying warriors.
The battle on the first day was a complete non-event as far as the right flank (my flank) was concerned. All we did was rattle our spear at each other until the final charge went off, by which time the enemy (Saxon) armour had dispatched our armour and came at us from behind. Dashed unsporting, I say! The following day was a hell of a lot more interesting and well worth turning up for!
The added bonus was having Carole and Owen there to "see" me in action. They were, unfortunately, at the other end of the battlefield, and only really saw me as I walked off at the end. Neither battle was as much fun as when it was recreated in October, at Battle (see next instalment).
Apart from a humorous incident involving me and an egg, where I spent ages, at breakfast, cooking my egg lovingly over the fire, only to have it "leap" into the cinders, the only real event I can remember is the final parade where every single re-enactment group filed in front of the crowd at the main arena. After which we lined the campsite road and applauded all the other enactment groups (and whistled at the nuns, jeered the Germans, and so on) until our legs gave out. I didn't stay until the Grand Melee, where all the societies battled each other, as I was eager to get out before the mad rush. Besides, it all sounded like complete chaos and rather silly as well. Maybe next year.
As an aside - in December I saw an article on History in Action IV in FHM (or Maxim, it wasn't mine, so I cannot remember) in which, apart from the usual patronising / sarcastic remarks about how "sad" we re-enactors are, it mentioned an incident regarding a number of jolly fellows (all white incidentally) dressing up in "Zulu" outfits, wearing brightly coloured curly haired wigs and fighting British infantrymen. Whilst I thought it was just plain silly at the time and cared little for such antics, the article itself implied that the incident was offensive to the ethic minority present at the event.
Being a civil servant, we are constantly criticised and nay, dare I say it, conditioned to think "equal opportunities" during every working hour. With this in mind, such activities can only harm Regia's and indeed any re-enactment society's reputation (I am not sure to which group they belonged to - but that hardly matters, as we are guilty by association) How are we, as a society, going to be able to flourish in a multi-ethnic society if such racial stereotypes are going to be portrayed.
There. Said it. Now on with the diary...
So, having been on both sides of the barrier, which is better. I think being a member of the public is more fun, especially for the first time, when confronted with such a large event as this. But being on the re-enactment side is a tad more fulfilling. Not many people actually ask questions. Our group leader was either lying comatose in front of his tent, or off at a pre-battle meeting, Liz was manning a trading stall, for someone else who couldn't seem to be bothered and mostly every one else seemed to be off shopping. It was more of a "barely living" history exhibit..
Perhaps one reason for our poor attraction, was that we were tucked away in a corner, just in front of the market. So the majority of people simply passed us by onto other things.
It all seemed such a mess from my re-enactor's P.O.V. You don't have the freedom to simply wander around the other sites than if you were Joe public! Perhaps next year I'll turn up just for the battle and wander around the rest of the day with Carole and Owen! Or perhaps not. I don't know. I suppose the basic problem with Kirby Hall, is that, like the Phantom Menace I was so overloaded with the sense of anticipation, that I would never have thought it was a "great" event, no matter what it was like. For all its size, it was simply OK
I definitely prefer events of only our own period. The event in October, which was almost as big as this, was far more enjoyable - indeed it was the highlight of my year!
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