The Re-Enactor Issue 24, December 2010
The Knights Hospitallerâ€&#x;s of the North at Tutbury castle. http://www.tutburycastle.com/
Readership 1216
Greetings All Welcome to issue 24 of the Re-Enactor, Over 1200 readers! The trader‟s season is in full swing here in the UK, with events all over the country-so plenty of chance to pick up the latest piece of kit ready for next year. I will be getting to as many of these events as possible to catch up with the traders and sign up more for the traders section! Congratulations to Vasiliki (Greece), Nathan (USA), Claire, Paul and John (UK) for winning the various competitions. This month sees 2 more brand new competitions If any traders would like to put up a competition prize in exchange for as much advertising space as they want please do get in contact. Check out the traders listings as I have added over 20 new traders! Just
Knights of Ardudwy at Harlech castle, Sept 2010 As always, I am still on the lookout for Celebrating “Glyndwr” Day more groups, traders, event details, stories, articles and reports. Please contact me at the normal email address with details!
Features This Month 1: Jacky Gray radio interview 2: Competitions 3: Jacky Gray book extract 4: Wuffingas-Event Invite 5: Hereos of Princetown chapter one 6: The Battle of Varna-Report 7: Event Listings 8: Hengist: The people of the horse.
Jason.okeefe@btopenworld.com
Competitions: All competitions are free to enter Winners will be selected at random on the 24th of each month for the relevant competition. Winners will be notified via email shortly after the draw takes place. No correspondence will be entered into. The editor’s decision is final.
The views and opinions expressed in the articles in this ezine are those of the individual authors themselves and not those of the Editor
Jackie Gray-Author Jackie was recently involved in a „Desert-island-discs‟-style interview on Warneford Hospital Radio – Have a read through this article as it may well give you a few ideas for the competition to win a signed copy of her books!
Music was my first love and it will be my last, hence the lyric competition on the website www.hengistarcher.co.uk. The following tracks are some of my all-time favourites. Coincidentally they happen to fit in nicely with one or more scenes in Archer and all feature on the compilation I call Archer soundtrack which plays constantly in my car. Another one bites the dust – Queen Almost anything from the Queen catalogue speaks of proud, brave warriors – I was torn between “We will rock you”, “We are the champions”, “Killer Queen” and “Princes of the universe”. It‟s hard to imagine a movie with jousting and sword fighting that wouldn‟t include this track. Dancing in the moonlight – Thin Lizzy Although these books explore many of the medieval lifestyles and customs, there is a huge Celtic influence, not that I need an excuse to play Thin Lizzy. This track covers a couple of scenes in the book, the first is where Archer is teaching archery to two of the girls in his year. To help them understand the flight path of an arrow, he looses a glowing arrow in the woods after dark and in return they teach him how to dance. A little later, one of the girls asks him to help her find a plant with special healing properties which only flowers when the moon is full. He reluctantly leads her into the forbidden Yew forest where they realise it was all a dangerous hoax. Edge of the Blade - Journey Journey are my all-time favourite band, narrowly beating Queen – I love them so much I even wrote a musical with 18 of their songs. This track also a dual function, the description of the sword and buckler fighting gets quite technical, talking about the false edge of the blade, which is the thicker, usually blunt edge. It could also refer to one of Archer‟s early trials when he is set upon by a group of his peers and someone produces a knife. You‟ll have to read on to find out what happens, but he has mixed memories when he looks at that scar.
We don‟t need another hero – Tina Turner What‟s not to love about Tina? She is such a powerhouse, performing well into her 60‟s – I dressed up to be her for my 40th birthday – lots of fake tan and I ran 3 miles every day for a month to try and get the famous legs. I would however change one word in the title – the “don‟t” to a “do”. This song refers to the fact that Archer is the sort of boy that any parent would be proud to call son, any boy would love to be and every girl dreams about kissing. It also refers to the ancient Beltane tradition where 9 boys and 9 girls compete to see who is King and Queen of the May – part of the test is to see who can best represent their chosen “Worthy” - a hero from the past like King Arthur, Lady Godiva, Bodacea (or Boudicca if you prefer) and of course Robin Hood. Rat Trap – Boomtown Rats Another Irish band that takes me straight back to the early 80‟s when I was studying at Cov Uni (then Lanchester Polytechnic). This track also covers two scenes – the one I mentioned earlier where Archer‟s enemy Edlyn tricks Patricia into going to the forest, then tries to make Archer believe she betrayed him. The other scene was one of my favourites to write – Archer and his two good friends are on their way to visit a famous Bowyer when they are set upon by a band of fierce Renegates and Archer is forced to shoot an apple off his friend‟s head William Tell style. Jessie‟s Girl – Rick Springfield Another 80‟s power ballad that spoke to my imagination – I‟m sure there‟s a book in there somewhere. Archer‟s best friends Fletch and Finn are arguing over a cheerleader type and Archer doesn‟t see what all the fuss is about. Sure she‟s pretty, but how can she not know it? But when he gets to know her better and sees her kind heart and generous nature, he starts to understand the attraction. You‟ll have to read the book to find out who wins her heart. Standing outside the fire – Garth Brooks Some of my favourite songs are the ones that tell a story and Garth is a master of the craft – he can paint a vivid, atmospheric tale in a few carefully chosen words. For most of his life, Archer was a loner, standing outside the various groups and the last scene has him facing a terrible dilemma when his enemy is burning in the flames of the Beltane bonfire.
Competition One
Archer had a problem. A quandary, a dilemma, call it what you will. Not life-threatening exactly, but it was not a good place to be. He had two choices. The trouble was, he was damned if he did and damned if he didn’t. It was all about a girl. When wasn’t it all about a girl? Not for as long as he could remember. He thought back to the time when girls were just friends, but it seemed a very long time ago. When you could like a girl, be friends with her and do things together, without people getting stressed about it. People like his mate Finn, or the guys they hung out with. People like his foster parents and their friends. People like every other girl in Aveburgh. But mostly, the two people he didn’t want to stress the most, his best mate Fletch and the girl herself, Bethia.
Q: To be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of these books, read the extract which is printed over the next few pages and suggest a suitable “song” most befitting the story.
Send your answers along with your full postal address to the normal email address: Jason.okeefe@btopenworld.com The competition closes on December 24th
Competition Two
Heroes of Princeton by Christopher Bell. Born of desperation and poverty, William James Snow happens by chance to cross an army recruiting party enticing his townsfolk with tales of adventure and fortune, Will’s decision to accept the King’s shilling is far from hard and so begins the adventure of a lifetime as he finds himself one of seven recruited that day in the line companies of the 17th Regiment. Opening within the streets of Leicester ‘Heroes of Princeton’ follows the lives and adventures of the very infantrymen that witnessed the events that changed the world forever, from garrison duty in Scotland and Ireland to the siege of Boston and beyond, these ‘penny a day’ infantrymen find themselves not only fighting the enemy but fighting themselves. Based on the historical movements of the 17th as they campaign across the rebellious colonies, Heroes of Princeton is packed with both comedy and tragedy as events are portrayed through the eyes of those that lived the days that saw the Crown interests lost in the Americas. If you like your history personal, you’ll love this. Available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all good book retailers. www.heroesofprinceton.com To be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of these books, read the first chapter, which is printed over the next few pages, and answer this simple question: Q: How many men took the Kings Shilling from the Sergeant? Send your answers along with your full postal address to the normal email address: Jason.okeefe@btopenworld.com The competition closes on December 24th
Extract from Archer: „C‟mon Archer, you can do it!‟ „Go for it Finn!‟ Sitting astride his stallion Apollo, Archer grinned as people in the crowd shouted their encouragement. He spotted his friends in the crowd, they were Finn‟s friends too and obviously didn‟t know who to shout for. Logan and Machin looked worried about it, but Fletch didn‟t care, holding up victory fists to both of them. The buzz of excitement was affecting everyone and Archer felt the familiar thrill of blood pumping through his veins. Months of effort had gone into the preparations for this day and people had travelled from miles around to celebrate Beltane, the festival of the May. Looking down the tilt at his opponent, he felt brotherhood. No, Finn was more than a brother, they did not argue as siblings did. They were the only pair attempting the joust, all the other boys had gone for the rings, but Niall, the senior trainer, had pronounced them ready. It wasn‟t a full tilt, the shortened barrier meant the horses wouldn‟t be galloping too fast, but still more dangerous than anything he had ever done in his life. The shield weighed heavily on his arm, he had spent several hours last night waxing and polishing until it shone like a looking glass. Noticing the reflection of the sun, he worried that it would give an unfair advantage if it shone in Finn‟s eye. As the glare from his opponent‟s shield dazzled him, Archer realised why Niall had been so precise about the orientation of the tilt. By siting it exactly perpendicular to the sun‟s path, he had ensured that they would both be equally disadvantaged. Finn won the coin toss, electing that Archer‟s tribute was first because he knew people always remember the last thing they hear. Tybalt, Archer‟s Second and a member of the learned magi clan, did a good job of supporting his friend, but it was a little too serious. „Ladies and gents, boys and girls, I present to you the splendid Archer, a true warrior of superlative courage and daring. This squire is a veritable man of the horse,‟ he paused at the round of applause that greeted this statement and Archer‟s cheeks warmed at the exaggeration, horsemanship was the only part of his training that did not feel completely natural. Tybalt resumed, „He has amazing skill with any and every weapon, and is a dutiful son and loyal friend.‟ Archer tipped his lance at Tybalt and accepted the applause, bowing at the cheers – not the easiest of things to do on horseback with thirty pounds of metal weighing you down. He frowned as Edlyn appeared on the dais with a shallow smirk and a slow handclap. Finn had no choice about using that snake as a Second, his mother had insisted because of the blood ties. Finn was no mother‟s boy, but this event was much too important for him to disobey her wishes.
Edlyn held up his hand, clearing his throat noisily when the clapping didn‟t quite die down. „A-hem. It is my pleasure, nay my absolute honour, to introduce to you one of Aveburgh‟s best kept secrets. Squire Finnegan is truly a champion of champions.‟ Waving his arm in a grand gesture, he continued, „No junior in this contest can touch him on the back of a horse.‟ He paused here, obviously expecting a similar reaction to Tybalt‟s “man of the horse” comment, but it didn‟t come so he carried on as though it didn‟t matter. „With the staff he has the strength of a bear and his skill with a sword would rival Hector himself. I give you the people‟s choice, Squire Finn. Join me in going wild with delight.‟ Catching Archer‟s eye with a smug wink, he bowed to Finn, clapping enthusiastically and whistling. After a stunned moment, the crowd did as he suggested. Archer recognised his enemy‟s mastery of rhetoric. He knew Edlyn would take great pleasure that, due to his superb oratory skills, the round of applause for Finn was louder and lasted much longer than Archer‟s. A big cloud was creeping toward the sun, and the officials were waiting for the cover even though both heralds had finished their tributes some minutes ago. The momentum from the big build up was lost in the short delay and Archer sensed that Apollo was getting restless. Finally, the Seneschal took his place on the dais and an expectant hush fell over the crowd. „Ladies and gents, juniors and children, please accept my apologies for the stoppage.‟ He gestured at the cloud, ignoring the good-natured catcalls from the tightly-wound juniors, who were desperate for the bout and needed to voice their frustration. Raising his eyebrows patiently until the silence returned, he continued. „Contender Archer, are you set?‟ Archer held up his lance, pointing to the sky. „Contender Finn, are you set?‟ Finn echoed the move with his lance. „You will both begin on my horn.‟ They readied their weapons to the starting position as he raised an ivory horn to his lips and blew. Both horses exploded into action as they were trained, no touch of spurs was required from either rider. There was nothing like the thrill of the first pass, both riders had a clean score sheet, in theory they both had the same chance of winning. They both had adrenaline boiling through their veins, blinding them to any other sights and smells apart from the tip of the weapon coming toward them and the pungent aroma of horse mingled with their own sweat. The sounds of the crowd became a muffled roar against the thunder of blood pounding in their ears. As they sprinted, the training took over and instinct came into play as everything they had rehearsed became real, do-or-die action. Archer had practised with Finn for several years, so they knew each other‟s strengths and weaknesses. He knew that his friend‟s mastery of his mount Artemis was so complete that he could easily bring off the dangerous “side-hang” manoeuvre to avoid the tip of an opposing weapon. Also that he was just as likely to wait until the instant before impact before making
his move. Finn wouldn‟t care that the speed would affect his balance, putting him at greater risk, he thrived on danger. He also knew Archer‟s legendary skill with weapons was diminished on horseback. Although a competent rider by most people‟s standards, Archer didn‟t have Finn‟s gift of becoming a part of the horse, attuned to every nuance of movement as though glued to the saddle. He was not confident about attempting the trickier techniques used by more experienced warriors to delight the crowds. His opponent would probably be expecting just a shoulder roll, more subtle and less effective at reducing the impact. Archer didn‟t disappoint him. As their mounts were less than a couple of paces apart, he rolled his left shoulder, craftily aligning the shield so that it presented a shallower target to Finn‟s weapon. This was an idea he had in training, but knowing there was a strong possibility of facing his friend, he had kept it to himself. It worked. Finn‟s lance was deflected and he was so surprised by the novel strategy that he lost concentration long enough for Archer to make a direct hit on his shield. The tip shattered, giving him two points and the crowd showed their appreciation in a build up of clapping and stamping. Someone started a chant, he couldn‟t hear the words apart from the final, victorious Archer. Finn dipped his lance in defeat as they trotted back to show the judge the extent of the damage. The lances were cleverly designed with two stress sites to reflect the speed of the impact and so the courage of the contestants. A normal speed impact would shatter the fragile pottery tip. If a bigger impact was produced by a faster speed or stronger thrust, the length of wood immediately behind the tip, known as the crumple, would disintegrate earning more points. A second wave of noisy appreciation from the crowd acknowledged Archer‟s marque on the scoreboard. Tybalt was ecstatic, slapping Archer‟s lower leg enthusiastically. „Well done, that was truly inspired. Did Niall teach you that trick?‟ „Actually, I worked it out for myself.‟ He grinned at Tybalt‟s back-handed compliment, suggesting it was a strategy worthy of a champion such as their trainer. Taking the new lance from his enthusiastic Second, Archer looked over at Finn who was not impressed by the first pass. The joust was his best event and he needed a high score to get through to the next round. However, he was not prepared for how unimpressed Finn was as the second pass flashed by in an instant. At the sound of the horn, he charged like a fiery demon, thrusting his lance at Archer‟s chest plate hard enough to leave a dent. Archer rocked back in his saddle, but there was never any real danger of his being unhorsed. There was a collective intake of breath from the crowd who had the scent of six points, but he raised his lance and shook it to show that he was still a viable contender. When they met at the centre, it was Archer‟s turn to dip his lance. Finn seemed concerned, raising the visor of his helmet as he lowered his voice. „Are you hurt?‟
„It‟ll take more than that little tickle to worry me. Is that your best effort?‟ Archer raised his visor with a grin so his friend could see that he was solid. Finn‟s crumple had smashed into tiny pieces, giving him four points; Archer‟s lance was intact. The crowd stood to show their appreciation as the boys returned to their stations. This time, they took the full five minutes to recover. Their Seconds were offering skins of water and checking that various straps and buckles on their armour and saddles had not come undone in the violent collision. Finally, at the time-out signal, they presented the fresh lances. Archer took his, grateful that it was the junior version, several feet shorter and only half the weight of the full battle weapon. Although he was fit and strong, he could feel the toll of two bouts and was glad that this was to be the last. Then it came to him. Finn was of slighter build and never quite matched him in the strength and endurance exercises during training. He had probably put everything into that second pass, knowing that he would have little left for the final tilt. The third warrior, Beorn had done well in the rings, scoring seven points, one more than any of the other finalists. Finn would need at least another four points to be in with a chance to go through to the next round. His sword-work was reasonable, but his accuracy on the archery range could be erratic, especially when he was tired. As the Seneschal went through his speeches, Archer was furiously working out whether he could still go through if he allowed Finn to unhorse him. Common sense prevailed in the end. No matter how good a friend Finn was, it would not be honourable or fair to either of them if he deliberately conceded the pass. There was only one thing he could do, what his years of training had taught him, play to win. With a silent prayer for strength and courage, he gave a light touch to Apollo‟s flank and held his breath for the charge. ……………………………………………………………………………………………..
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GAIUS PETRONIUS MERVA By George Saqqal Available to purchase now in trade paperback form at US$17,95 or electronic form at US$7.50 from my web site: http://www.3mpub.com/saqqal/ As Featured in last month‟s issue
Oi Yez! Oi Yez!! OI YEZ!!! "Caledonian Winter Crown and Feast"! To all the Kingdoms, Barony's, Keep's, and Houses of Wuffingas. Be it known, that upon Friday evening, the 10th, and Saturday the 11th of December 2010, the Winter Crown of Caledonia (Indiana) will be fought for, with weapons of steel, and wasters as permitted for beginners. Upon the field of battle, under Wuffingas rules, in the Barony of Albaniam Hosting. You want to be a steel fighter 'King', ...let's see what you got? The Tourney; (Judged and Refereed bouts), in Pas de Arms format a' Pleasance, and a' Outrance, in one (1), three (3) and five (5) minute bouts. Tourney will take place rain, snow, or sunshine at the Wuffingas HQ. 'Wuffingas' (Son's of the Wolf) HQ, HFaF. Inc. 11571 West US Highway 40 Cambridge City IN 47327 (765) 478-9343 Let all Knights, Squires, and Pages, be presented to the Realm Marshall, in 100% perfect period attire befitting their Station. This is a Golden Circle Event, not open to the Public. Any non-member attending will be in period garb. (Clothes), preferred as close to authentic as one can afford. Site fee for fighters $15.00. Site fee for Adult Members $3.00. Site fee for Children 13-17 $2.00. Children under 13, free. -Feast will be pot luck pitch in. -Main dish, side, beverage. -Bring enough for your family, and three other Gentle -Wuffingas. Period correct recipes are preferred, ...Google is your friend. -Bring your arms and your Armour. -Your blazon, banners, tentage, persona, and your honour. -Bring your "A" game, -because we don't play pretend like youâ€&#x;re the best, ... -and your best period soft and Warrior kit. -Weapons will be sword, and shield only for steel. -All weapons will meet all Wuffingas criteria. -All armor will meet Wuffingas standards. -By's and pick-ups may be fought with rattan and waster in any form. -You may not disrespect the Judges. -The Crown will be won with steel only.
Hereos of Princetown: Chapter one The Soar. The early evening rain started with earnest, the dark clouds pouring heavy rains onto the shire towns tall slate roofs, the crude cast iron pipe works failed to contain such a heavy downpour and the gutters were soon over flowing with filth and sewage from that day‟s market, the sellers from the countryside farms quickly abandoned their wares and scrambled for what cover they could find. This was the wettest June that William James Snow, native born of Leicester town could remember and despite having grown used to the squalor and filth over his short years this constant rain made his bones ache and ache they did, sleeping at best upon a loose straw bale on a cold damp brick floor that had once been the basement of some ancient dwelling. For Will‟s life knew little comfort or luxury with barely enough food to feed himself or his siblings Will „liberated‟ whatever the market left behind, his father had been without regular work for as long as he could remember although as Will saw things there was always enough coin for strong ale at one of the towns numerous drinking houses. His own mother had perished shortly after his birth and his father had remarried soon afterwards bearing him a further two children, but upon a third pregnancy both step mother and child had succumbed during childbirth leaving Will duly responsible for the welfare of his half siblings. As the downpour continued Will sheltered under a canopied doorway and waited for opportunity as the scraps of the day would be snapped up by his kind, one thing Will had learned young was to be sharp and not to stand upon ceremony, If it looks like it has been left behind then it probably has, living by the rule that if you didn‟t take it then be sure someone else would giving them a full belly that night whilst you would kick yourself at the lost opportunity. As quickly as the rains came, the dark skies broke over the towns tall spires leaving silver sun drenched edges to the passing darkness, as the last remnants of the cloud burst trickled through the gullies along the earthen streets and back alleys leaving swathes of large mud filled puddles on the slushy street surfaces. Life soon sprang back into the market place as Will waited for an opportunity to present itself amongst the fleet footed types that hovered by the markets edge and observing these rural lads looking skyward in anticipation of the next downpour oblivious they hastily loaded their wares onto waiting farm carts as Will helped himself to some apples by tucking them inside the deep pockets of his long brown tattered frock coat and spied around for his next quarry. In the panic of the cloud burst one of the towns bakers had dropped several loaves from his basket and Will, as quick as lightening was upon them, the baker cursed towards him, „You damn scoundrel! tuppence that‟ll cost you, you thieving beggar‟ the Baker shouted as without thought for the remainder of this batch chased Will along the cobbled street towards the corn exchange buildings and beyond, caring not as he splashed through the deep mud puddles young Will quickly out ran this portly baker who clearly spent too much of his
time eating his wares rather than selling them. Though these alleyways and passages lay a maze to some but to those that passed amongst them daily a sharp turn here and there would lose even the best of pursuers. Will caught his breath and leaned backwards onto a crumbling red bricked wall towards the north side of the market place, smiled and quietly chuckled to his self with the thought that by the time the baker got back to his bread the basket would be long gone, in pursuing the chase a two penny loaf had cost him twelve fold. There was once a time when might have felt some moral guilt of procuring food in such a manner but as the growing industrial town increasingly drew labour from the countryside good employment and fair wages came in short supply. For those that had given their lot for a new life in the expanding towns soon found it to be a matter of cut throat survival, for Will, a native of this old town found his experience gave him the edge over the rural folk who would often stand in awe at the situations the town offered by comparison to a simpler life in the county villages. Tonight the family supper would consist of four apples and two hard crusts of bread, they‟d eaten better but Will knew only too well there were many times they‟d eaten far far worse as he strolled leisurely back to the family lodgings on Black Friars Lane. His lodgings, a dilapidated row of deprivation and squalor that professed his family home, consisted of one upper room and one lower one, a small cracked window pane to the rear failed to light this hovel of a home and permanent damp stain on the interior where the rain water pipes leaked inwardly through the crumbling masonry. The ground floor was of rough sawn timber planking covering the loose rubble that filled a large basement cellar from the buildings better days, the upper floor was connected by a short ladder tied by frayed rope to the warped and twisted rafters that supported the upper flooring, Will had often watched his father stumble and fall from it in a drunken stupor and lay in an unconscious heap twisted around its base until the effects of strong alcohol wore off and once again he attempted to haul his bulking frame towards his bed only to repeat the process over and over. The room on the ground floor was dominated by his father‟s framework knitting machine, although Will had rarely seen it used he knew his father could provide at least some small income if he so wished, he‟d seen the high quality of his father‟s work but since his step mother‟s death Will‟s father these days seldom left the company of some beer house or another. Towards the rear of the dwelling Will slept alone, he‟d chosen from an early age to sleep upon the cold hard floor in the company of pest and vermin that on many occasions stared blatantly at him as he wrapped himself in a cast off moth eaten blanket for warmth and security. Of his family two half siblings, Rebecca aged thirteen worked at one of the towns new hosiery factories, scrambling amongst the heavy machinery for scraps of cotton to be salvaged for rags, Joseph aged fifteen was bonded to a rope maker on the south eastern side of the town, he‟d leave for his employment well before Will arose to the days adventures and rarely returning much before sundown, all this for no pay as the benefits of his indentured apprenticeship would take a few more years yet to reap, had Will the opportunity of an apprenticed trade something could have been made of his life but being the eldest child his responsibility lay with providing
food for the family in any way he could manage. This was, it seemed his lot, scavenging for food on the fringe of lawlessness, a pitiful life and he knew it, each day a struggle to exist, this lad‟s expectations of life stood small. The town of Leicester stood upon the slopes east of the River Soar, once a thriving Roman provincial town it now maintained a population upwards of twelve thousand inhabitants. The fortunes of any town can vary greatly, almost abandoned by the 9th century the town steadily increased its population towards five thousand at the time of Richard Plantagenet‟s arrival on the eve of Bosworth Field, afterwards the population steadied for two hundred years despite pestilence and plague that decimated the inhabitants of nearby villages, towns and cities. Now upon on the eve of a swelling industrial age Leicester town poised on the verge of an explosive expansion, soon to be littered with huge red brick mills that would dominate the once spire ridden skyline. The river brought life and commerce into the town but with commercial expansion comes people, the rural poor of the surrounding villages eager to embrace the need for labour in an expanding industrial centre, scarcely a day would go by without new faces to compete for the few well paid employments around. The Snow family had dwelled in the town as long as anyone could remember, the family had moved to Leicester over a hundred years previous after the short prosperity that came with England‟s brief commonwealth, from where they came neither Will nor his father knew but with the past now lost to the passage of time the Snow family struck as townsfolk, while some would continue to beg or steal for a living Will knew he could and would strive for a greater lot in this life. By reckoning that he was around sixteen or seventeen years of age, he had been told his mother had died soon after giving birth to him and his father had re-married shortly afterwards, he‟d known this poverty all his life and now accepted the fact and as for his future? At best he‟d find work as a casual day labourer, at worst a beggar or on the end of a gallows if his luck that he enjoyed today should ever run out. Of education, Will had briefly attended the Free school near the towns high cross, the poor peasant classes teachings were subsidised by wealthy wool and coal merchants of the expanding town until his father deemed it fit for him to seek a wage as a casual labourer with one of the towns many aspiring industrialists, Will had learned to read some simple words but never to write, the mark of his name was the best he could manage. This family knew its place in their society and mostly knew their prospects miserable, daily scratching out a meagre living as best any opportunity could provide and a very realistic likelihood of days without food or warmth, William Snow had little knowledge or understanding of the world outside the Shire of Leicester let alone the shores of England. With his exposure to strong drink limited, the few times he would enter a tavern was to guide his father home in the small hours of the mornings, although the family drank small beers regularly especially when the towns water supply became spoiled he‟d seen little sense in intoxicating himself to the levels he‟d seen his father stoop to, his harsh upbringing had learnt him the need to keep one‟s wits about themselves as the poverty and squalor had given birth to desperate acts, for it was well known that a hungry man would easily cut one‟s throat should it provided
some ease to his sufferings. The rains in June had proved fruitful for the countryside, by August the harvest brought daily into the towns markets had been the best in living memory with bushels of wheat, corn and barely crammed into every corner of the marketplace whilst merchants bartered for a good price, the abundance of the harvest meant the price of arable crops had fallen so even the poorest could provide themselves a decent vegetable meal. Will and his family together had eaten sufficiently for several days and frequently the surplus they had left would be exchanged for some cheap mutton cuts or offal, occasionally he‟d find a few coins left over in his pocket after the rent arrears were settled, at last with a prosperous economy Will hoped his prospects where improving. The expanding commerce within the town brought an increase in labour demands and Will spent most of July and August employed as a casual labourer unloading coal and timbers from the barges daily arriving at the wharf for the towns new industry constructions, the work was hard and long but the daily wage was good, although a filthy job he would end his day by washing the grime and coal dust off his sun tanned skin in the river where he worked and bask on the baked mud flats that sloped down towards the winding rivers edge. The sun shone bright and hot long into the evening as Will walked towards his home and family, his damp clothing clung to his back as he passed the dominating walls of St Martin‟s church by the old towns medieval walls. The corner of Loseby Lane met Silver Street where stood the Globe Inn, a notorious house for drunkenness that in better days had found itself a meeting place for penny labourers to be hired by tradesmen, industrialists and local land owners, however as the town began to constantly draw cheaper labour from the countryside those without employment usually spent the day in the ale house gossiping and drinking themselves into a state of uselessness, Wills father was no exception and often found amongst his kind there in and this hot late summer evening was no different. The children of the Snow family sat around a cheap wooden table to their evening meal of sour bread and salted pork, like most of that month they‟d eaten well, like most occasions their father was absent. Joseph had arrived home from work earlier than expected, Will felt a rare warmth and tranquillity as he and his siblings ate well and enjoyed the happiness and relative prosperity of the late summer. The brief moment of family harmony was soon dispersed, „Will!‟ came an anonymous shout through the doors weather bleached timbers, „fetch your father, the old man‟s drunk again‟, Will sighed as his moments peace collided with reality, he slid his bench away from the table knowing the routine of carrying his father home and to his bedding would again be repeated. The Globe inn was just a few hundred yards from the Snow‟s lodgings, Will gave thanks for small mercies that his father had not chosen one of the more distant public houses to drink in, he entered the pubic house and scanned the room for his troublesome father, the tavern keeper knowing him since he was a boy gestured over his left shoulder that his kin towards the dingy back rooms of the house as he gingerly made his way through the crowded house, nervously watching the movements of the taverns patrons being more than aware of the type of character that would frequent this
drinking den and the fun they would have with such an edgy youth. Although Will thought himself streetwise, these characters that spent their lives in houses such as this were not to be messed with, the din, the smoke, the stench, all sickly uncomfortable to him as he walked towards the rear of the tavern, he quickly spied his father with his back towards him swaying uneasily on his feet and arguing fiercely with another drunkard, he knew his priority would be to get himself and this embarrassment father away from this dangerous situation quickly. On most occasions Will would in some fashion carry his father home and strange logic figured the more drunk equalled the less fuss his parent would be, but this time he detected an uneasiness with the atmosphere, approaching his father he grew nervous of his father‟s threats towards the other man, before he could intervene his father‟s adversary clenched his fist and threw it towards his father, too drunk to see it coming his father took the full force of this man‟s anger and dropped like a stone onto the fixed wooden bench behind scattering drink and drinkers alike as his legs flailed wildly upwards, a cheer went up from the crowd of the house in anticipation of the blood bath that would ensue. Will‟s first instinct was to run but as much contempt he felt for his father his duty towards him over ruled. He tried in vain to push the man away, but his size was far greater than his and he could do nothing to stop this drunken thug pummel blow after blow into his prone father‟s body now barely conscious and bewildered by the attack, Will became desperate as he saw the straw covered floor turn red with his father‟s blood, almost hysterical with panic he looked for a means to stop the man and instinctively grabbed an earthenware jug of ale from a nearby table, „Get off him‟ Will screamed with frustration but the man took little notice and continued to rain violence upon his father‟s vulnerable body, feeling an anger like never before, the helplessness consumed him and like a cornered beast defending its young he swung his fist in the man‟s face, the moment seemed to last for an age as the jar shattered into a thousand pieces and patrons became showered in cheap watery ale and fragments of earthenware pot, his adversary stood quietly still, in a daze, dripping with blood and beer he staggered, then slumped backwards falling onto the cold fire hearth. The tavern befell a deathly silence as the gravity of the situation hit home, patrons turned their backs on the incident in fear of implication in the event Will helped his father to his feet who even with his son‟s help stood uneasy. Ignoring the downed adversary both father and son made their way to the exit as Wills father draped his arms around his neck for support, with blood soaked onto his shoulders the pair exited the tavern eager to leave the area quickly before somebody alerted the authorities. Will struggled with his father‟s weight towards the direction of their lodgings his heart pounding as fit to burst, the shouts and jeers from the Inn still ringing in his ears. Joseph met the two at the door to their house, helping the pair inside Will felt something inside him break, he thought to himself, how much longer could he take this life?, as much as he would struggle to keep his family secure his father undid his work almost nightly. The two brothers lay their inebriate father on the floor knowing it would be impossible to
lift him to the upper level, Will sat in silence watching his father lay unconscious and snoring heavily and assessed his lot, becoming desperate to leave the poverty behind him he was wise enough to know the influx of labour from the countryside would drive wages down and it was hard enough to exist already without having to compete for work with a rapidly increasing population, staring at this fathers snorting hulk in a moment Will contemplated leaving his home town to better his luck elsewhere. His life thus far had fallen short of most expectations, although work was available during the towns more prosperous times periods of unemployment were always threatening convincing himself there must be a better life than what he‟d lived so far. Will‟s employment at the Soars wharfs started at daybreak but due to the fracas at the Globe Inn the morning was spent nursing his father‟s injuries confounded by his complaints of the self inflicted alcohol abuse, leaving their lodgings around mid-morning Will arrived at the enclosed yard ready to start unloading the row of barges of their wares, the foreman of the jetty made his way towards him, „sorry lad‟ he spoke and wiped away sweat from his brow with a filthy rag „I‟ve hired my men today, I‟ll not be needing you any longer‟. Will turned away and sighed, dropping his shoulders in despair knowing with the harvest coming to an end he would face lengthy unemployment yet again, he could not help but feel the blame for this misfortune lay yet again with his father‟s irresponsibility. He had sought employment where he could, often working a day unwaged to prove himself to any prospective employer but these days with an abundance of labour this often led to nothing, sometimes stealing food when he had no coin in the pocket was the only alternative to starvation knowing these desperate times were upon him again he vowed not to return to that unlawful existence. Walking around the back streets and gutter alleys of Leicester he paused a moment and watched with curious interest as two men pasted notices on the wooden shutters of an ironmonger‟s out building. The illiterate Will enquired to the men about the words meaning, the older of the two glanced at his bills and read the words aloud, „For the King, adventure and the glorious 17th . . . brave fellows answer the call to the colours and do battle with old England‟s enemies . . . Upon enlistment each recruit shall receive a bounty of three Guineas, eight shillings and be genteelly clothed fit for his majesty‟s army . . . „. Will picked through the words he understood asking himself could this be the answer to his misery, he pondered to himself scratching his lank dark hair scanning further down the pasted bill, politely he asked the man to read the remainder of the poster to him, the man duly obliged and squinted his eyes to the words whilst running his fingers along the lines, he read them out loud „for suitable young men to meet Sergeant Lucas at the Saracens Head tavern at eight bells‟ the man spoke disinterested to the significance of the meaning. Scratching his head he tried to imagine himself a soldier having on occasion seen recruiting sergeants and drummers pass through the town displaying their fine uniforms and passing stories of adventure and romance, in that moment he decided to see what the crown had to offer, that night he would meet this Sergeant Lucas and if his luck was with him the crown may at least pay for his meal that night. Wandering the streets counting the bells the many town churches
struck every hour, his meal that day had consisted of a little black bread and half rotten beans left behind by the days traders, as the sun began to drop to the horizon Will made for the upper market district and towards the tavern that would host the representative of the 17th Regiment. Arriving at the steps of the inn the faint glow of tallow candles lit the inside of the drinking house, the taverns double doors lay wide open airing the sounds and smells it held within, pausing a moment to gather and tie his hair he entered the house nervous of being in a very similar establishment the previous night. The tavern was busier than usual and the majority of its patrons gathered around the smart red-coated Soldier, his hair perfectly plated and tied into a neat ribbon behind his head, the landlord passed two large jugs of liquor onto the long wooden bench squeezing his portly frame through the masses that congregated around the gentleman soldier. Will positioned himself into space at the rear of the party as the Sergeant began to pour the strong drink liberally into the tankards of his audience, he eyed over a dozen men gathered around the table from all walks of life, some he recognised from the town but most he did not, he smirked to himself as most were clearly taking chance of the free drink liberally offered by the sergeant, perhaps a few not unlike himself saw this as an opportunity to better themselves from the dirge of a poverty life. Once the tavern filled sufficiently the Sergeant began his well rehearsed speech outlining an easy life of the soldier, these words amused Will as Lucas spoke comically „If any gentlemen soldiers or others, have a mind to serve His Majesty and pull down the enemies of old England, if any prentices have severe masters, any children have unnatural parents, if any servants have too little wages or any husband too much wife let them resort to the noble Sergeant Lucas in this good and honest town and they shall receive present relief and entertainment‟. The opportunity for adventure and the chance of fame and riches looked good to Will as they did by the expressions of others around the room. Sergeant Lucas observed Wills empty hands and called his accompanying drummer boy to pass him a dented pewter tankard of drink, Will took the offer reluctantly and in sensing this Lucas urged him to sit along the benches around the table ushering the others to make room for the „fine and upstanding lad‟ as the Sergeant addressed him. As he sat humbly along the bench Sergeant Lucas opened a pouch containing a dark rich tobacco and stuffed a generous wad into his long white clay pipe, although such luxuries were well beyond his means Will drew long breaths as the Recruiting Sergeant held a long slow match into the fireplace behind and lit the bowl, heartily sucking its tobacco stained end filling the proximity with fragrant tobacco smoke and noticing Will‟s pleasure Lucas offered him his tobacco pouch raising his eye brows encouragingly, humbly Will declined citing „I have no means for which to smoke it‟. „Then fear naught‟ laughed Lucas heartily, „for what poor lad cannot enjoy the fruits of the colonies?‟ he continued, reaching inside his smart red tunic, he produced a smaller clay pipe, its thin stem shorter than the one the recruiting sergeant held between his stained teeth, Will took the pipe from him and slid the pouch towards across and opened it to reveal it crammed full of rich shredded tobacco, „‟Tis finest Virginian‟ commented Lucas as Will
thumbed the tobacco into the pipes bowl and lit it with the slow burning match left beside the pewter candle stick holder, coughing as he drew breath and filled his lungs with the dry yet sweet tobacco smoke. For Will, this moment became a mile stone in his life and he knew it, in the company of men and brave men at that, he left behind his boyhood and fledged his first moments into adulthood. Upon insistence of Lucas and encouragement of the other potential recruits Will drank heavily from his tankard as Lucas continued his words exciting his audience with tales of heroics and adventure from the span of the four corners of the world and with dogged interest the crowd listened on. As the evening passed Sergeant Lucas explained the bounty of enlistment to each man who would swear allegiance to the crown, each man would be clothed in a manner fit for the finest soldier, receive a shilling a day in pay and the generous daily ration allocated to each man. The thought of a full belly each day was enough for Will, long gone would be the days of hunger, poverty and boredom, a soldiers daily pay would be enough for him to survive upon and the surplus provide money to his family. Whether the plentiful drink persuaded him to take the King‟s shilling offered by Lucas he cared not, the Sergeant produced a tidy purse from his red coat and removed a handful of coins firmly placing them into the open palms of the eager recruits, of the Sergeant‟s audience, seven men took the King‟s shilling which in turn was quickly spent by the recipients on more ale. As the night drew to a close, the candles molten tallow pooled onto the scored wooden table, Lucas announced cleverly it would be pointless for the fellows to leave such good company and the party should sleep within the upper rooms of the inn, engulfed by his company Will, in his merry condition had no objection to this as the sergeant led his band upstairs complete with a tanned leather jug of sweet rum. Will Snow passed out from excessive alcohol almost as soon as he lay on the prepared beds on the wooden floorboards of the attic room, Lucas covered him with a blanket and continued his joyful banter to the remaining party. The morning started at day break for the group, Lucas walked the length of the attic steady sober as though no drink had passed his lips, the drummer boy began to slowly beat the taut skin of his drum to awaken the new recruits from their slumber, „Come lads‟ hailed Lucas, „let us make you into heroes today‟, still as buoyant as the previous night, the recruits however, nursed sore heads and playfully Lucas passed around remnants of the nights liquor amongst the party, Will refused but to his dismay was taken by all of the others despite their moans and complaints of illness. Sergeant Lucas had arranged for a local baker to deliver loaves of bread to the Inn along with two gallons of fresh milk, cheese and two dozen goose eggs, the mistress of the tavern brought the food to the men who all enjoyed such a hearty breakfast. To most of Will‟s type this was a feast of Kings, rarely in his life had he eaten so well nor so early. With sustenance such as this Will would gladly follow his Majesty‟s army wherever it took him. Sergeant Lucas, his drummer and the party of recruits spent the day pipe smoking, drinking small beer and watching the towns barges unload goods from the bridges along the River Soar, day labourers toiled in the summer heat on the opposite side of the river to reduce the flood plane soon to be used to accommodate the much needed housing and
commercial requirements of the growing town, to all men the life of a recruited soldier seemed good. As the ale ran dry and the party began to sober Will wondered after his family and coyly he asked Lucas if he could explain his whereabouts to his kin. Sergeant Lucas initially refused with no explanation but Will knew Lucas‟s fears lay on account of losing the youngster to his families sensibilities, the oldest recruit in the party on hearing of Will‟s predicament quietly spoke reason to sergeant Lucas. After a minute of talk between the two Lucas approached him and spoke in a stern but soft voice „You‟ve an hour to tidy your affairs lad, and woe be tied upon ye should you fail to return‟, Will thanked Lucas and not wishing to waste his precious hour made his way along the rivers towpath. The long sun dried grasses brushing against his legs as he ran towards the old town centre, turning into the back alleyways and side streets of the town Will made his arrival a the end of the lane. Knowing he owed his father nothing, years of neglect and drunkenness had taken its toll on his loyalty to him, his siblings on the other hand deserved much better and conscious of the time Lucas had given him Will turned into the lane and walked towards the family‟s lodgings. Making the most of the hot weather the door to the house was ajar to ventilate the damp rooms, straw still lay on the floor where his father had slept on that fateful night but to his relief the lower floor was empty of life, hearing movement of the wooden boards overhead Will cried after his brother. „Joseph, Rebecca, it‟s me, Will‟ he shouted as he leant towards the roof space, Joseph‟s feet appeared on the top of the ladder much to the relief of Will for any confrontation with his father would spoil this farewell, „Where have you been brother?‟ Joseph asked as he stepped down the ladder rungs, „I‟ve taken the Kings shilling, I‟ve enlisted‟ Will replied excitedly, Joseph stood motionless for a second as his feet reached the hard floor of the ladder and slowly turning round to face his older brother Joseph queried his brothers statement, „The Kings shilling?‟ he paused a moment „you‟ve enlisted?‟. Will nodded in response, „Did he recover?‟ keen to change the topic to his father‟s welfare „Aye, soon enough he was back in the taverns again, slightly bruised and cut but no worse than that‟, Joseph replied. With his conscience eased Will humbly apologised to his brother and asked him to pass his love to Rebecca when she returned, Joseph stood wide eyed, „When do you leave?‟ he asked. That Will did not know but explained to Joseph the benefits of his majesty‟s service almost verbatim Sergeant Lucas‟s words, „so you think it‟s a better life than here then?‟ his brother spoke soberly „but I understand your reasons only well enough‟ he added, „With Rebecca in full employment and myself apprenticed well there‟s no reason for you to stay here wasting your life away, brother, it‟s time to live your life‟. The two brothers spent a few final minutes together, Will promising to return as and when he could but both brothers knew this was a promise he could not keep for although the 17th Regiment had recruited well from Leicestershire it had no firm ties with the county or town, once the Regiment had enlisted it‟s quota they would move on to some remote town or another hoping to swell its rank further. Will shook Joseph‟s hand firmly and bore him farewell placing what coin he had left tightly into his brother‟s palm and made his way to the door not looking back, keen to avoid any display of emotion he preferred to make his departure as brief as possible. Joseph called after
Will as he turned the streets towards Lucas and the party‟s direction „be sure to come back and come back a hero‟. Will smiled and waved farewell to his brother, his past and his old life. With thanks. Chris. www.heroesofprinceton.com
Forgework course
21st Annual Traditional Archery Shoot
December 11th & 12th 2010 at Glendon forge Glendon lodge farm kettering, England. NN14 1QF This will be a two day course based on your ability, interests and requests within reason. It will start with the basics and will hopefully progress as far as you can in the time available. There will be a BBQ type lunch each day which we will supply and if you wish you can use the BBQ any other time during the weekend If there is a specific item you want to know how to make please email us details in advance. Course costs £70 per person for the weekend, 50% deposit required. The course will be ran by Alun Walker & David Hodges To book please contact Alun via email alunwalker@mac.com
Time
Location
Saturday, 05 February 2011 at 08:00 Sunday, 06 February 2011 at 16:00 Galt Sportsmens Glub 6542 Gore Road Cambridge, ON, Canada Hand-painted medieval targets 3D animal course also open Traditional archery tackle $15 per day, $25 for both days
More info
Wand Shoot 1pm Saturday. Champions Arrow 1pm Sunday. Wooden arrows only for Wand and Champions Arrow Food available at clubhouse More info contact: Gerry Lee: 905-639-2405 Sandy Gordier: 519-740-5455 http://www.galtsportsmensclub.com/
The Grumpy Olde Archers In Assoc. with Marks hall Estate
April 9th & 10th 2011 Marks Hall estate Coggeshall England A weekend of archery including clout, wand and popinjay shoots. Medieval Market & living history encampment In aid of Help for Heroes All shoot and pitch fees to charity
The Battle of Mortimer’s Cross 550th Anniversary September 17th & 18th 2011 Main A49, 1 mile north of Leominster, Herefordshire England Battle re-enactment each day with fully armoured knights, archers and gunners. Separate arena for barber surgeon, medieval dancing, mummer’s plays and music. Living history encampment Traders row Beer tent Local food stalls Passamezzo Early Dance Owain Leech (Barber Surgeon) Nominus Adults £5, Under 16s FREE, Concessions £4 Free Parking for all Contact: Bob & Pennie:01989 762159 Or Jason: 01432 352755
www.thegrumpyoldarcher.co.uk
www.mortimerscross.co.uk
The Battle of Varna On November 6th & 7th one of the last crusades came to life, when reenactors from the Bulgarian group “Chigot” along with other groups recreated the battle between the armies of the polish-hungarian king Vladislav III Yagelo and the Ottoman sultan Murad II, which happened near the town of Varna in 1444. In the middle of the 15th century the ottoman power was growing rapidly in power and had already conquered the Balkans and was looking for further expansion in Europe. The polishhungarian empire was at the forefront of this battle, so a crusade was called. Along with the forces of the young king Vladislav III, the crusade was joined by John Hunyadi and the papal legate Juliano Cesarini. The first attempt - in 1443 was successful, managing to deliver a series of defeats to the ottomans, but it had to be cancelled due to the worsening weather. Despite signing a peace treaty with the sultan, the crusaders attacked again on the next year – 1444. They crossed the Danube and marched towards the town of Varna. Meanwhile Murad learned about the breaking of the treaty and the advancing armies, so he gathered his forces 40 000 strong and force-marched to meet the crusaders. The two armies met on the morning of 10th of November. The battle was long and disputed. Finally the Christian forces managed to rout the two flanks of the ottoman army. Seeing this, Vladislav charged the central forces with his personal bodyguards, but was misled about the enemy forces and intentions and was slain. This let to the routing of the Christian forces, and their decision to abandon the field. Only regiment of husites was left to cover the retreat. Now the original field of battle is part of the city, so the event took place in one of the nearby parks. The place was transformed in a military camp, where visitors could see soldiers from both sides of the conflict. During the first day there were demonstrations of medieval martial arts, life on camp, archery and training. The visitors could also visit the improvised open-air museum and put on various pieces of equipment. The battle itself took place on the second day. Over 40 reenactors went on the battlefield and the clash of armour and weapons could be heard quite far away. Despite not being very much we managed to put quite a good show, and to demonstrate what happened during the real battle, that took place here over five centuries ago. The reenactment was finished with a torchlight procession in the memory of those fallen here. This reenactment was one of the larger ones that has happened in Bulgaria, and it is the fourth attempt to recreate the battle of Varna. Historical reenactment is still in it‟s infancy here, and still there are many issues with finding people, as well as support. Authenticity is still a problem, but some compromises must be made in order to manage to get some more people on the field and not look funny. The good thing is that with each reenactment, those compromises are less and less, and people are starting to notice the reenactment community.
The International Living History Fair February 25th – 27th 2011
*New Venue*
History Boot Camp April 2nd & 3rd 2011 Frederic Osborn School, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England http://www.sfosborn.herts.sch.uk/
Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, England. http://www.bruntingthorpe.com/
Last year saw 28 seminars and 26 traders.
www.pikeandshot.com
www.history-boot-camp.co.uk
Olde England Presents A Victorian Fete 10th & 11th June 2011
Midland History Festival 6th & 7th June 2011
This is your chance to learn a new skill or teach a skill to fellow re-enactors in a very The international Living History Fair relaxed atmosphere. exists to provide a market place, a meeting place and a fabulous opportunity for all, Most Seminars are free visitors and re-enactors alike, to meet and £23.00 for the weekend discuss all periods of our historical past. Large flat field, indoor accommodation Many of Europe’s best artisans, craftsmen available, hot showers, proper toilets, and traders are on hand happy to advise subsidised bar and good food. on and provide a huge array of items and No Ninja Squirrels! replicas of our historical heritage
Templecombe, Somerset, England
Ragley Hall, Alcester, England http://www.ragleyhall.com/
A Neo-Victorian Medieval Fete and A multi-period event, Roman through to campout where Steampunk gets to go WWII medieval, Victorian style. Large Living History displays Historical Craft Market Weekend ticket: £40.00 Battlefield and small arena Saturday ticket: £25.00 (includes evening) Archery, Man-at-arms competitions Sunday public day: £5.00 Trolls Bottom re-enactors bar Forge work demonstration Lots to see and do all weekend including Falconry Victorian cuisine, scrapheap challenge, Craft Marquee medieval men-at-arms competitions, historical dance, steam organ, music and 10% of profit to Royal British legion burlesque. www.olde-england.co.uk
www.mid-fest.co.uk
Event Listing November 27th & 28th Ludlow Castle Medieval Christmas fair, Ludlow, Shropshire, UK Craft fair, medieval traders, combat, have a go archery http://www.ludlowcastle.com/
December 12th MSS Christmas Clout Shoot at Bodium Castle, Sussex, UK For information: http://www.medieval-seige-society.co.uk
2011 January 8th ACWS Grand Ball, Redlands, California, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=170510392978610 15th ACWS/IVLHA Live Fire, El Centro, California, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172094472818902
February 5th ACWS Lincoln Shrine Parade & Encampment, Redlands, California http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142711762446747 12th Las Vegas Council BSA Mountain Man, Moapa Indian Reservation, Nevada http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119000964828789 19th ACWS Calico Ghost Town Reenactment, Barstow, California, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159922170716925
March 11th – 14th The 4th Annual School of The Soldier, Tarago, NSW, Australia http://andersonzouaves.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/4thsotsinvite.pdf 12th SWCWA Picacho Pass Reenactment, Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=162753473764033 19th ACWS Picacho Pass Reenactment, Los Angeles, Nevada, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166101403422182
April 2nd SCCWA Prado Dam Reenactment, Chino, California, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108008195935117 2nd & 3rd History Boot Camp, Frederic Osbourn School, Welwyn garden City, England http://www.history-boot-camp.co.uk or email: admin@history-boot-camp.co.uk 9th & 10th The Grumpy Olde Archers at Marks Hall Estate, Coggeshall, England Email: Weston_kevin@btconnect.com 24th & 25th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Knebworth House, England http://www.knebworthhouse.com 24th & 25th The Medieval Siege Society at Cressing Temple Barns, England http://www.medieval-siege-society.co.uk 30th – 2nd The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Blenheim Palace, England http://www.blenheimpalace.com
May 30th – 2nd The Medieval Siege Society at Hedingham Castle, England http://www.medieval-siege-society.co.uk 14th Las Vegas Helldorado Days Parade, Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=149478625098796 14th World War II Day, Calvert County Fairgrounds, Prince Frederick, Maryland, USA www.circleofangels.org 29th & 30th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Hedingham Castle, England http://hedinghamcastle.co.uk
June 1st- 5th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Leeds castle, England http://www.leeds-castle.com 10th – 12th Olde England Presents A Victorian Fete at Templecombe, Somerset, England http://www.olde-england.co.uk 11th & 12th The Medieval Siege Society at Weald Country Park, England http://www.medieval-siege-society.co.uk 11th & 12th, Chester Roman Festival Contact: info@romantours.co.uk 17th – 19th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Cardiff Castle, Wales http://www.cardiffcastle.com 18th & 19th Tatton Park Medieval Fayre, England http://www.plantagenet-events.co.uk
July 2nd & 3rd The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_199@PropName=Linlithgow‟
3rd & 4th fête médiévale de briançon http://www.facebook.com/?page=1&sk=messages&tid=1574642256880#!/group.php?gid=148203611869332 4th Summerlin 4th July Parade, 2011, Summerlin or NW Las Vegas, Nevada, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107344416001487 9th Old Fort MacArthur Days Timeline, San Pedro, California, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=142170442501203 9th & 10th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/propertyresults/propertyoverview.htm?PropID=PL_199@PropName=Linlithgow
10th & 11th Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, Tewkesbury, England www.tewkesburymedievalfestival.org/ July 12th – 17th Viking Market in Gudvangen http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45100027297 16th & 17th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Hever Castle, England http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/ 22nd – 24th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Hever Castle, England http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/ 23rd & 24th The Arthurian Centre, Slaughterbridge, Camelford, Cornwall, England http://www.arthur-online.co.uk/ 29th – 31st The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Hever Castle, England http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/ 30th & 31st Berkeley Skirmish at Berkeley Castle, England http://www.plantagenet-events.co.uk
August 5th – 7th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Blenheim Palace, England http://www.blenheimpalace.com/ 6th & 7th Midland History Festival at Ragley hall, Alcester, England http://www.mid-fest.co.uk or Email: admin@mid-fest.co.uk 12th – 14th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Hever Castle, England http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/ 13th & 14th The Arthurian Centre, Slaughterbridge, Camelford, Cornwall, England http://www.arthur-online.co.uk/ 13th & 14th The Medieval Siege Society at The Siege of Bodium Castle, England http://www.medieval-siege-society.co.uk 13th & 14th Lincoln Castle “Preparing for Siege”, Lincoln castle, England http://www.plantagent-events.co.uk
19th & 21st The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Hever Castle, England http://www.hevercastle.co.uk/ 27th & 28th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Hever Castle, England http://www.hevercastle.co.uk 27th – 29th England‟s medieval Festival at Herstmonceaux Castle, England http://www.herstmonceux-castle.com/ 28th & 29th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Hedingham Castle, England http://www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk/
September 3rd Huntington Beach Reenactment, Hunington Beach, California, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168122296543585 4th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Knebworth House, England http://www.knebworthhouse.com/ 18th & 19th The Knights of Royal England (www.knightsroyal.co.uk) at Leeds Castle, England http://www.leeds-castle.com
October 8th ACWS Helendale Re-Enactment, California, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129725463752666 29th ACWS/SNLHA Spring Mountain Ranch Reenactment, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=108090669259640
November 11th Las Vegas Veteran‟s Day Parade 2011, Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, USA http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102684859803236 26th & 27th Ludlow Castle Medieval Christmas fair, Ludlow, Shropshire, UK Craft fair, medieval traders, combat, have a go archery http://www.ludlowcastle.com/
Q: A brief outline of the series and the story. Archer is the first book in the series about a fictitious people descended from Hengist and Horsa who supposedly led the Anglo-Saxon invasion in 5th century. The book has the fast pace of an adventure film and is set on a single day (Mayday), telling Archer’s story through a series of flashbacks. It opens with an exciting joust and closes with a thrilling scene involving Archer’s scheming enemy Edlyn and a dangerous enchantress at the Beltane bonfire. In between there are sporting and dramatic contests, a gang of fierce outlaws, a charismatic Celtic drummer band, dancing and plenty of kisses Q: What prompted the idea of the story? The original character Archer (in a fantasy thriller) was inspired by Kevin Hicks who was the Warwick Bowman for many years. I watched him loose 100 arrows in five minutes, through a loop of rope the size of a man’s head. I finished the book in Feb 2009 with a sense of loss – I really wanted to spend more time in that world with those characters. After a big nudge from Char at Waterstones, I decided to explore the kind of adolescent experiences that made Archer who he was. 18 days and 56,000 words later, Archer’s tale was told and in just over one year the first drafts of five books in the series were completed. Q: A brief history of you Warwick born and bred, now living in Coventry with husband Brian and 3 children. One of the first girls to graduate with a degree in electronic engineering from Coventry University back in the early 80’s, my son just graduated from there with a 1st class computing degree. 23 years as a software engineer at GPT (later Marconi) so every time you dial out on a land line in the UK you will go through some software that I wrote (along with 100’s of others). 10 years teaching maths at secondary schools and over 15 years of writing. Q: Tell us a bit more about your writing. I wrote my first book (Subterfuge, a modern thriller) when I was18, re-wrote it 15 years ago and published it in May last year under the pseudonym Jo Green. I have written 15 books and half a dozen short stories and this experience honed a few skills which is why Archer almost wrote itself. The series is set on a completely new world based on medieval values (but 650 years on) with earthfriendly technology and 3 clans - Warriors, Magi and Outils. It seemed natural to have a different hero from each clan and one from their biggest enemy, the fearsome Renegates. Before I could do that, Archer had to travel to our world and learn some lessons. The second book Rory, sees him up against today’s modern teenagers with their very different attitudes and behaviour. I have been blessed with the support of so many people in the creation and marketing of the books, for example my son’s best
friend Anthony (who designed the signature white horse) created some stunning publicity posters featuring Kevin’s son Josh. Q: Who are your influences? I have been a big fan of Bernard Cornwell since reading his American Civil War series back in the 80’s and have read almost all of his books. I also devour Lee Child, Conn Iggulden, Preston/Child, Stephen King, Wilbur Smith, Jodi Picoult, Stephenie Meyer and J.K.Rowling. Q: Why did you choose Medieval England? If you could see my house, you wouldn’t need to ask, it’s littered with fabulous paintings of knights in shining armour and medieval weapons which I take with me on book signings. The period has always fascinated me, and the words seemed to flow quite naturally when I was writing Archer. The Muse sat on my shoulder at about 10pm and I would write until 3am (about 3000 words). It was uncanny because when I got up the next day and started researching what I had written, many of the ideas were spookily correct. It was though the universe decided these books should be written and channelled them into me. Q: How did you go about researching these books? Obviously the internet is a valuable resource; I joined a couple of forums and spoke to experts in various fields, particularly medieval weaponry and pagan ceremonies. I have had lots of practical experience, meeting dozens of people who have kindly allowed me to experience holding swords and bows, shown me fighting techniques and even allowed me to join in rituals to feel for myself the magical energy. My father and I followed in Hamish Miller’s footsteps, dowsing the Michael and Mary lines through several sites in Devon and Cornwall. I have stood inside several crop circles and visited every one of the white horses in Wiltshire. After many journeys to mystical places like Avebury, Glastonbury, Tintagel and of course the Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, I feel like Wessex is my second home. I was especially honoured to take the same tour of Kevin Hicks’ amazing arsenal that Bernard Cornwell did when he wrote the Grail Quest series. Richard Head showed me his remarkable workshop where he uses medieval methods to create bows and arrows, this very much influenced the latter scenes in the book where Archer makes his own bow. But the most exhilarating events were treading the flaming maze and dancing round the wicker man with a thousand other pagans at the Mercian Gathering in September and being treated to daring displays of courage, honour and swordsmanship by the amazing Vikings of Middle England and Knights of Middle England. Q: How did the book launch and signings go? I was privileged to have the company of Kevin and Josh Hicks from History Squad and Kerry-lyn Tosh from Angel Path Inspiration at the launch at Kenilworth Castle. It was an amazing “Time Travellers” activity day with several re-enactors giving a slice of bygone ages to enthralled children. The pictures and story can be seen on the website: www.hengistarcher.co.uk/index.php/authorbits.html
So far I have signed books at:
The Mercian Gathering with several Vikings adding an air of excitement
Warwick Books accompanied by Kevin Hicks entertaining the crowds in full Archer gear
Kenilworth Books where Rebecca and Alex were sword-fighting to draw attention
Growing Needs in Glastonbury with Paul and Cara dressed as a Knight and Archer’s wife
Pictures from these events are also displayed on the website along with encouraging comments from some of Archer’s fans: www.hengistarcher.co.uk/index.php/archer.html. Q: What comes next? Now the first two books are out there and getting such a fantastic response, I am currently editing the third book Reagan, he is a Magi hero and the mathematical genius who works out the geometry of the patterns of the White Horses in Wessex and the links with ley lines and crop circles. I’ve just come back from a week in France where I sat by the log fire scribbling out the first few chapters of the 6th book Aurora – the only one with a female hero, but many of the other characters feature. This could be the last one, but I won’t know until it ends – these cliffhanger endings just seem to pop up out of nowhere. In November I shall be taking part in a book week at a secondary school in Glastonbury, spending a day along with other authors talking to pupils about the art and craft of writing and running workshops with would-be authors. In the run up to Christmas I am planning more signings in Coventry Market and various local bookstores, starting with Coventry Waterstones.