Bradgate 2016

Last weekend saw the final muster of the year for me... it's been a sparse season in terms of my attendance this year, although I've managed 4 musters: Basing House, Newstead Abbey, Holdenby House, and Bradgate. So much other stuff has had to take precedence, but I've enjoyed all the events I have been to, enormously.

Keith and I were the only attendees from Prince Maurice's at this muster, and we joined up with some chaps from King's Guard, amongst others, to form a musket block, and drive the Parliamentarians from the field in a skirmish that lasted less than an hour.
This final muster was a really nice way to finish though, as despite the intermittent drizzle, there were no powder problems, and I had no misfires, getting off a dozen shots. Faithful Freddie Flintlock cracked out some nice shots, and our rank were specifically commended for the quality of the volleys.

A couple of snapshots from the day...

Above: arriving and starting to unload the back of Shogi!

Below: Keith takes shelter under a tree for lunch. 

 Above and Below: a well-supported Living History area right beside the field of battle.

 

So, that's it for season two, although Keith, Bob and I have a "planning session" lined up (basically a trip to the pub to discuss all things re-enactment over a few ales). Then it will be winter quarters... we'll probably be tempted to pop to The Original Re-enactment Market (TORM) which takes place only a short distance from where I live - handy for picking up more kit I definitely don't need!!

 

See you next season.

 

 

Newstead Abbey muster

An excellent muter at Newstead Abbey this past weekend, including Bank Holiday Monday.
Weather held very well, and it was decidedly hot under all the woollen attire during the battles on both Sunday and Monday.

Prince Maurice's Dragoons. A fine body of troops!

During the battles we were matched against the Scots on the Sunday (amongst others), and seemed to end up facing Essex's pike block on the Monday for much of the afternoon. Now, being Dragoons, we have no pikes, so it made for an interesting day, with us firing a shot, closing to combat (at which, despite being outnumbered, we held our own, I'm pleased to say), before both sides retired, we fired again, and then closed for combat again, and so on. This cycle was completed about three times, before we and they were ordered off to do something else. An excellent contest.

The actions were declared a Royalist victory on both days, I think, but more importantly a good spectacle for a decent crowd, and good, safe fun.

Freddie Flintlock behaved well, firing off 16 shots on day one, and 18 on day two. Just a couple of misfires on day two which I can only put down to a well-worn flint, which will be replaced before the next action - Holdenby House in Northamptonshire on 2-3 July.

Another highlight of the weekend included a fellow Dragoon, Laurie (alongside whom I had done a lot of practice drill and training shots at last year's musters) passing his musket test on Monday. Well done mate!

Finally, a picture that sums up part of the weekend...



Bob "helping" Keith to pack away on Monday, by clearing up the previous evening's leftover Madeira! That's Dragoons for you!!

Season 2 Episode 1

It's wonderful to come out of "Winter Quarters", and last weekend Keith, Bob and I headed off to the first muster of the year at Basing House.
Having just got back from a short break in Rome, I could only manage a "day trip", which also suited Keith and Bob, and so we set off early on the Saturday and arrived in time to draw powder, followed by a little sword practice, lunch in the local hostelry, and then onto the field.
This being "Royalist Army training weekend" (with only Royalist regiments present), someone had to be Parliament, and so we joined a number of units who played rebels for the day.
A good crowd enjoyed the spectacle, and my faithful flintlock fired 18 good noisy shots (with only 1 misfire, which I cleared at first attempt anyway), so a most enjoyable day all round.

A passing visitor was good enough to snap this picture as we posed amongst the ruins of old Basing House after the action...

Not sure whether it's the three musketeers, wise monkeys, or something worse!!

Anyway, it's great to kick the season off with a bang!