# Do you live near Tewkesbury?



## Darren Bartrup (Jul 2, 2007)

If so, please come to the re-enactment on Bloody Meadow this weekend (7th-8th July) where myself and a few thousand friends will be explaining (with extreme violence) how the House of York kicked the Lancastrians and their 'Queen' into oblivion (pretty much ending the War of the Roses) in 1471.

Due to recent weather conditions, this may be a naval battle.

I'll be camped on the Kings encampment (next to the battlefield, and more importantly the beer tent) - ask for Delmar or Darren.  
The King will know who I am (the Belgians probably won't).


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## Andrew Fergus (Jul 2, 2007)

Hi Delmar

It's a bit far for me so I probably won't be there.....

Anyway, the subject of your post reminded of a T-shirt I saw at a DBM wargaming convention.  The period isn't quite the same but it is still (sort of) relevant.  The T-shirt had the image of a man from the Bayeux tapestry, believed to be King Harold, proclaiming "I spy with my little eye something beginning with A".

Enjoy your weekend, and don't get too waterlogged! (inside & out)


Andrew


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## Darren Bartrup (Jul 2, 2007)

Hi Andrew,

I do that period to, and try to fight Harold at least once a year at Battle Abbey - that is hard work being a Norman.  Five (or is it six?) times we have to charge across the field (uphill) carrying the equivelent of our own weight in armour & weapons.  I really don't think they could've done it if they'd known about tobacco in those days 

Anyone who wants information on the event visit:
http://www.tewkesbury-medieval-fayre.org.uk/

Photos of last years event:
http://www.richardiiiworcs.co.uk/tewkesburythumbnails2006.html

Update:  Not being played out on Bloody Meadow as it was underwater and is still a bit soggy.  We'll be in the field next door I think.


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## absquatulation (Jul 2, 2007)

Hi Delmar, 

Compared to others on this forum, I'm just next door in Shrewsbury, but of course I have other things planned.  I shall be in Court (I'm a Magistrate) which sounds very pompous, but it is a facinating unpaid part-time job. 

Perhaps next year.....

Simon


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## Darren Bartrup (Jul 2, 2007)

Shame, you could've been a help to us.... after the battle we have to go the Abbey to drag out the Lancastrians that took sanctuary there (I don't think the Abbey was on the approved list of sanctuaries).

After a quick trial we get to remove their heads.


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## erik.van.geit (Jul 2, 2007)

> The King will know who I am (the Belgians probably won't).


seems like you are correct: I wouldn't know why you added these parenthesis


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## Darren Bartrup (Jul 3, 2007)

Heh, sorry should've explained that abit better.

Our group (just a small part of the event) has a contingent of Belgians who come over and fight with us, but I don't know them too well so they probably wouldn't know me by name.

And they all talk this strange language and take the mickey out of English beer (apparently they think it's like making love in a canoe - f**ing close to water).

Bunch of maniacs though (which is why we like them)


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## erik.van.geit (Jul 3, 2007)

thanks for clarification 
I wonder what feeling you have when the battle takes place.
heroic?
getting 10 years old again?
physic "relief"?
a lot of fun probably?


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## Darren Bartrup (Jul 3, 2007)

Putting the feelings into words....
Well, I guess back then alot of soldiers drank as much as possible before a battle to dull the nerves.  Unfortunately that's not an option for us as we'd get thrown off site.

I do get nervous though.  
Will the guy I'm fighting be better or worse than me (the difference between having a good battle and playing a corpse for an hour - if it's a hot day I like the corpse option) - will he be an idiot and go for head shots, elbow shots, knee shots (you're only meant to hit the torso or upper leg).
Am I actually going to get hurt this time? (1 broken finger, lots of bruises, a couple of broken ribs are my tally so far after 5 years in the game).
Most importantly though is: will it look good for the public, or will it look like some playground fight with lots of pushing and shoving?

Another bit that plays on my mind for the historical battles is will the battle play out as it should do?
At Hastings last year my unit was selected to be the Norman unit that turned and ran when we think that William is dead.  A unit of Saxons was meant to give chase (and subsequently get hacked to pieces).  They didn't follow so we had to march back up the field (after running 200 metres in full armour) and rejoin and kinda ignore that part of history.

Also, what if the other guy doesn't die when you hit him?  That's really annoying!  Our group has a 'telling blow' rule.  If you felt it and it was a hard enough blow then you're dead.  We also have a rule of:  If they don't die when you hit them then hit them harder.  If they still don't die, then trip them up and jump on them.

Then you've got to remember to keep your shield angled forward at the top slightly to stop a sword sliding up the shield into your face.  You've also got to remember not to duck, etc - if someone goes for a chest shot and you duck, at the best you'll lose a couple of teeth.

What if you let your unit down?  You die and there's a big hole in the middle of the unit, the unit on your left dies and you don't always realise until you're being stabbed in the back (happened once - our entire unit was left lying in a pile on the battlefield after another unit collapsed and we didn't see it).

The nerves you feel in a big battle is nothing compared to the smaller tournaments though.  In a big battle your one person in an army.  In a tournament your two people infront of a few hundred people and you'd better make it look good or people won't be interested.

My favourite bit though is after the battle when you get all the kids running over wanting to hold your sword, look at the blood dripping from your knee (generally caused by slipping in mud rather than being hit) and ask you lots of questions.

Lots of fun!


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## Andrew Fergus (Jul 3, 2007)

Hi Delmar

I enjoyed reading your take on your personal tactics & experiences.  Thanks for that.

These methods may not be historically accurate (from an English perspective) but there are a couple of ancient techniques you could employ that may surprise your opponent.  The first was employed by Thracian auxiliary troops whereby they wouldn't quite engage but would take a swipe at their opponents ankles/knees with their sword - particularly nasty if you aren't wearing greaves, and they could take out 2-3 opponents with a single swipe.  One such swipe would put your opponent on his knees, although I see you can only go for the thighs and torso - so maybe not.

I also liked the Roman legionary tactic of half crouching behind ones shield, deflecting your opponents initial blow and then coming up through the groin / stomach with a short stab.  This is a very effective technique against those who expose their front and side with their follow through (the sort who start with their weapon above their head).

You also mentioned "pushing and shoving" - I suspect in ancient warfare (e.g. during the Helenistic period & the Alexandrian campaigns etc) that that was exactly the technique employed by the pike phalanxes.  Essentially there would be a huge scrum of men trying to push / trample over their opponents who were foolish enough (or sufficiently brave) to engage frontally.  But to do that you are relying on your friends shield to protect your right hand side, so I suspect such formations would often crab to the right on the battelefield as each individual shuffled right to get protection from his friends shield.  As you mentioned in your post, cohesion is very important for survival!

It is all very barbaric and bloodthirsty but very interesting nonetheless!

Cheers
Andrew


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## Darren Bartrup (Jul 12, 2007)

Well, I made it back in one piece.
The weather was almost perfect - could've been a bit cooler for the battle.
There was only 1 casualty on the Sunday, with a soldier having to be carted off in an ambulance with spinal bruising. But all in all, great fun 

Here's a link to some pictures of the event, I am in one of them lurking in the background (8th row down, 3rd across, 5th soldier from the right - wearing a red top, blue hose (trousers) and yellow jack (padded shirt) under the red top.
http://www.locker41.com/tewkesbury.html


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## absquatulation (Jul 13, 2007)

I can't work out which pic you mean... Anymore clues?


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## Darren Bartrup (Jul 13, 2007)

Ok, here's the picture.
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dbartrup/detail?.dir=528dre2&.dnm=5630re2.jpg&.src=ph

I'm the one with the red arrow over his head


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## absquatulation (Jul 16, 2007)

Oi! watch what you're doing with that pike! You'll have someone's eye out!!

     


*bad joke refering to King Harold & William the Bar steward (but the swearing filter won't let me say his name) *


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## RichardS (Jul 23, 2007)

Anywhere near here?

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world...ore-rain-tipped/2007/07/24/1185043063389.html

What a mess, and I hope everyone survives OK. Middle of winter here, and the dam on my little hobby farm is only at about 10% capacity. No such thing as climate change, is there?

Richard


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## Darren Bartrup (Jul 24, 2007)

Yep, that's the place.

Looks like the event took place on the right weekend - it was underwater the weekend before, and now it's underwater again.

They've got no drinking water as the sewage treatment works was flooded & the whole west country seems a right mess.

Glad I live in one of the small parts of the country that hasn't been flooded (yet).


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## Thorin (Jul 24, 2007)

Yep, we're pretty lucky in this part of the UK (at least so far !). Over the past 2 months, there have been large areas under water, with the numbers of affected people running into the hundreds of thousands.

I must admit to hoping that the ones affected get past this Ok.


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