Flodden 2012

[Tod]

1st/2nd September 2012. Location Etal, Northumberland. This is small taster event to promote the bigger event in 2013. It will be mostly living history with weapon displays. There is funding. One group is already booked. If you want to come and aren’t part of a group you can join Armet, this is a new group set up by me.
If you want to come you need to contact me, or post here. There is an area set aside for a LH camp and an area nearby for plastic camping. The site has good access. There is a cafe and pub nearby. The event will be held over two days and on the Sunday it will be in parallel with an existing event that already pulls in good crowds.
Traders are welcome. We plan to either have use of the village hall or a large marquee, but if you have your own tents then all the better. We realise this is the first event of this type in the area and with that in mind for this year we are offering low pitch fees. If you provide your own tentage £25, if we supply you with under cover pitches £50. You will need your own tables etc.
Any questions let me know.
Tod

[Tod]

Latest info.
This year’s event is being held on the 1/2 September at the same location, this is a taster event to promote the large event in 2013. It has already gained huge amounts of local support and will be run over the week end. On the Sunday it will be held in parallel with local show which already attracts up to 1500 visitors. Re-enactors wanting to come should contact me as we have set up a new group (Armet) to help you with kit, insurance etc. Group leaders should also contact me.
Traders for the 2012 event should contact Annie Doebereiner anndoebereiner@aol.com

I have one group from Scotland booked. I need archers see posting in re-enactors wanted. I'm also looking for any one in the area who can rent me some pikes, blunts or sharps.

[Tod]

There are now three groups from Scotland booked and two from England. I've message Ant from the the MSS so if any one sees him ask him to check his messages. If you are in the WOTRF contact Allan Harley, if you are not in either and want to come contact me.

[Tod]

We still have lots of space should any other traders want to come this week, just email Annie or ring me on 07974057945 so we can reserve you a space, rates are above.
If you are a re-enactor and want to come you and aren't registered with one of the groups coming or me you need to contact me ASAP you cannot just turn up on the day. We have a large LH camp are and huge plastic camp where you can stay over until Monday.
Photographers are very welcome as we need good shots for the publicity for the planned bigger event in 2013.
The Flodden event team and I are really looking forward to the week end, its the first event of its kind in the area and has great local support.

[lucy the tudor]

Looking forward to it, see you there.

[Fox]

The Flodden event team and I are really looking forward to the week end

Me too.

[guthrie]

Hmm, more people going than I thought then...

[lucy the tudor]

A select group of quality...

[Phil the Grips]

I can't make it, but Dave will be there.

[guthrie]

Well my costume isn't so good this year because I haven't been able to get hold of decent cloth, but next year it'll be fine.

[Tod]

There should be a good group of people from both sides of the border. I'm really looking forward to it, I know it'll be hard work but the people coming are some of the best in re-enactment which makes my life a lot easier.

[Fox]

...which makes my life a lot easier.

You wait.
I'm organising a secret meeting on Friday night to see if we can't do something about that.

[Tod]

I have the locals on my side, and there are lot of fields where no one goes................

[lucy the tudor]

I can't make it, but Dave will be there.

He's more cuddly than you, and does the "noble stare into the distance " thing so well, I mean, we'll miss you and all that but...
He's bringing Kajte too?

[Phil the Grips]

He's bringing Kajte too?

Naturally, like me he requires a chauffeur

[guthrie]

Who's Dave, is he your body double or batman?

[Fox]

More of a dogsbody.

[guthrie]

More of a dogsbody.

Haha, indeed.

[Tod]

Looks like a nice dry week end as well. I'm heading off in a couple of hours to finish loading the van and doing the first leg of the journey. I'll be on site from about 12 midday tomorrow.

[Kajte]

More of a dogsbody.

Nah, that's me!

Dave is bringing me down to visit you all, he needs someone to carry his handbag.

Planning to arrive after 12 to miss the bangs, after the incident at Tatton!

[guthrie]

We had a good time.
What do you mean none of you are home yet?

Weather was good, so were the public, nice walled garden with plenty or room for expansion. Lots of plans for next year, get your kit planned now!

[lucy the tudor]

We're home now, a little sunburned.
Cracking show, chocolate box village, reenactors were spotted this morning, eating bacon and cheese toasties for breakfast, in the flower filled gardens of the post office/shop/cafe, opposite the thatched pub, in view of the ruined castle, about a hundred yards, as the bluebird flies, from their tents... kind of "if Carlsberg arranged reenactment venues".
We had a trip out to Lindisfarne on the Saturday evening, about half an hour away in our elderly bus. The Mops were friendly, and paraded an ever wilder range of dog types past our tent as the weekend progressed.
The standard of costume amongst the reenactors was very impressive.The company was entertaining.
We even made a profit, cheers medears, so all this luxury and beauty was productive too. Will be back for the biggy next year.

[Fox]

What a great weekend!

[Tod]

Thank you to every one who came, re-enactors and traders, you are a fantastic bunch. The event went really well and Lucy's description is perfect. The location couldn't be much better. All the re-enactors made a fantastic effort, a quick count tells me there were people from 9 groups there working together most of which had never worked as a group and bearing in mind this was pretty well breaking new ground it couldn't have gone better. Yet again as event organisor my life was made easy by all of you, although it has been very hard work getting it all together over the last year.
We had an appreciative public, I don't think I've ever been thanked that much for putting on an event as we left the arena on Sunday. The people in the village, the cafe and the pub couldn't have been more friendly.
I now have to work Flodden 2013, we set the bench mark this year and have some thing to build on.
Once again thanks to all the re-enactors and Annie for organising the traders.

[Scottish Lady]

Alfie Bangs and I had a great time. What's more it's relatively local to us now that we've moved to the Borders, home before 7pm, it used to take us at least another 3 hours up to Aberdeen! Thanks Tod, and Angie, for all your hard work and patience, thanks Jackie for all the info on kit. Breakfast at the Lavender Tearooms was incredibly civilised. Looking forward to next year.