The Civil War re-enactors really looked the part
They looked good in colour too
They didn’t.
Stay tooned for WW2 next time!
Frontline ~ Part 4 ~ June 2018
Tag: Event
Frontline~ Part 3~ June 2018
As well as the medeival lot, we also found some Tudors (at least I think this chap is)
and some (not very convincing) Romans
Some of the people who came to see the show also dressed up in style
my favourites were this couple I saw walk past me
it wasn’t a great photograph as you can see so I ran after them and asked them if I could take their photo
how cute are they? 🙂
also spotted this chap,
and this lady
Stay tooned for the American civil war next time!
Frontline~ Part 2~ June 2018
PART 1 HERE
On we go with some more pictures of the Vikings, or Northmen if you prefer, some more anglo–saxons I think. (Sometimes it’s hard to tell which are which). For the captions you need to have watched the TV series Vikings, sorry if you haven’t. (Really you haven’t ?? Have you been living under a rock?? Great TV programme, watch it now and then come back 🙂 )
That about wraps up the Vikings and Anglo-saxons, stay tooned for another journey into the past next time!
Frontline Event- Hardwick Park – June 2018
The Frontline event is a 3 Day event, Friday being a free Living History event for the local community, and Saturday – Sunday a full Living History multiperiod event with arena battles/displays throughout the day. Phil and I went on the Saturday and it was a great day out. Lots of daft buggers dressed up in anglo-saxon/Viking/German/USA civil war & Roman gear/ plenty of re-enactment battles and a perfect day for photography.
We’ll start with the medieval lot. They learn  crafts such as cooking, bread making and butter churning, ale brewing, naalbinding, embroidery and  spinning as well as training in combat, which may include axe, sword, spear or Dane –axe and also formation and shield wall skills. We sadly didn’t see their combat display as Phil was drooling over the German military displays, but I did get pictures of their more homely pursuits.
Whilst we didn’t see the battles, we did see plenty of the warriors
Next time we’ll have a look at the Vikings and a Tudor or too! Stay tooned! 🙂
Camel Parade~South Shields~ Dec 2017~ part 1
2017 saw the 4th year that the Camel Parade has been an event in South Shields, Sophie and I went for the first time last year a few photo’s of which I posted HERE, so this year we made a return trip knowing what to expect.  It involves 3 camels with their handlers and riders dressed up as wise men, parading the length of Ocean Road, which is quite a long old road, followed by stilt walkers and a drum group called Sparks! It’s been controversial as the animal rights group PETA, who I have a lot of time for usually, have decreed it bad, and say that camels shouldn’t be used for public entertainment. I kind of agree with the sentiment, but really, all they do is walk the camels down the road, and then put them back in their vehicle and bugger off.  They don’t get prodded or poked or stand around being gawped at. PETA Campaigns Strategist Luke Steele said: “Using live animals in these sorts of events sends a damaging message to young people that animals are little more than living props”, according to our local newspaper, with one of the comments underneath being “it’s disgraceful that anyone should find this acceptable.  It’s not about the climate, it’s about the crowds, noise and the basic lack of respect enough to use animals for our entertainment. Animals are sentient beings, they are here for their own purpose, not for human monsters to use and abuse as they wish.  It’s archaic and needs to be stopped!”  I have to say the human monsters, particularly the baby monsters loved the whole shebang, and this monster doesn’t get to photograph many camels in our neck of the woods so was happy to see them.  I expect eventually the council will give in and the camels will come no more.
A lot of monsters turned up for the parade, and luckily it didn’t rain.
The trees along Ocean Road were all lit up
and the kiddies all waiting for the show to begin
the camels came first
they were followed by stilt walkers I think representing the 3 shepherds
and this guy who was I think, the star of Bethlehem
then “The Creative Seed” wagon came, but I’m not sure what that was all about!
and these were followed by my favourite part, the Sparks! drum group
at the bottom of the road a stage was set up which Sparks! ascended and then played a cracking set of drum tunes. Well not tunes really but whatever it is that drums do without other instruments being about.
they somehow illuminate themselves and the drums and the whole thing is quite exciting to watch
stay tooned for the 2nd part when we see the firework display!
(pictures clickable for embiggening)
The Hoppings~June 2017~Part 5
Part 1 HERE  Part 2 Here  Part 3 HERE  part 4 HERE
The last part of The Hoppings series concludes with a battle, or rather a display by the army.  Actually I wasn’t quite sure what they were meant to be doing, but lots of army chaps charging about in vehicles, shooting and running about. All good fun. 🙂
Apparently this rocket launcher thingy can launch a rocket from Newcastle and precisely hit the football stadium in Middlesborough.  No need to shoot that far I thought, the Stadium of Shite in Sunderland would be a much worthier target. 🙂
Field gun
A Warrior APC (armoured personel carrier)
Halleluja!
You’ll never get on Facebook with that!
Soldierette
inside the rocket launcher thingy
So that’s that, a great day out and on the way home I saw this and liked it 🙂
fraggle ~ rocking a camera across the Universe 